I was just going through pics from last year, and realized how extensively I use hardy Geraniums and how much color they bring to the garden. I knew I loved them, but I hadn't realized that they're practically everywhere, LOL.

What are your favorites? What to you combine them with in the garden?



Geranium macrorrhizum with Dianthus and an old garden Rose.



Geranium sanguineum

This is the pic I was looking at when it occurred to me, I was taking a pic of the Solomon Seal, but there are 4 varieties of hardy Geranium in the pic! The white one is G.biokovo, the purple is G.sanguineum, the blue I believe is G.pratense, and the magenta one is G.macrorrhizum.

A clump of Geranium biokovo 'Karmina' among the Sedum, Oenothera, Lychnis, and Roses.

G.pyrenaicum (alba?) has seeded itself all over this bed. I've got to cull them out some, but I do love how they look like babies breath among the other flowers.

I believe there is a hardy Geranium that looks good with anything!

I like the finely cut foliage of G.pratense. These were started from seed.

I tried g. sanguineam but they wouldn't stay with us. I liked it as it was low growing. Any other low ones?

Lucy, G.biokovo and G.biokovo Karmina are the lowest ones I've grown, they remain at about 8" tall. I find them to be the most well behaved of the Geraniums, no sprawling and always neat looking. They're my favorites of the bunch! They tolerate dry conditions, heat, sun or shade, and bloom their hearts out regardless.

They tolerate wet, too, and the foliage smells good. Biokovo and Karmina are my favorites. You can use them in so many applications.

Polly, I'm glad you mentioned the fragrant foliage- that part slipped my mind! I particularly love the smell of Geranium macrorrhizum leaves, kinda reminds me of the fresh scent of green apples.

The G.biokovo selections are also particularly beautiful in the fall. The leaves turn pretty shades of red and bronze, a lovely last hurrah before going dormant! In the garden at my previous home, the soil was moist and they grew very happily there too. The only thing I've seen that they don't like is being overtaken by larger companion plants. Probably just an issue for gardeners who over crowd.....I can't imagine who'd do that ..... LOL

There's another one too in the same line, St. Ola, or something like that. Do you have that NeaL? I'm wondering if it's enough different than Biokovo and Karmina.

I'm thinking of selling Biokovo and Karmina on my website to go with the irises. They are the perfect ground cover for the irises, I think.

I don't have 'St. Ola', but in googling pics, they do look very much like G.Biokovo. I originally got both from Bluestone, but one or two of the Biokovo turned out to be Karmina, so I've always had a lot more of the magenta color. The white with that subtle pink blush is my favorite, and looks beautiful with everything. They are indeed perfect with any Iris- equally at home in a moist bed with JIs or Siberians, or in a dryer spot with bearded types!

I think the flowers on St. Ola might be more white than Biokovo, but because the buds are pink, the overall effect is pink. I like Biokovo better than Karmina also.

I only have 1 hardy geranium. I like them so much better than the annual ones. I'll have to look for more of the hardy ones.

I have several varieties because I bought the plants for leaf intrest or flower color and didnt realize how big some of them get.
The Rosea is really huge,I inherited it.
I bought and planted many in with my lilies.
Midnight Reiter has beautiful dark leaves,

Biokovo is my fav.because its so compact.

The Karmina has suffered by being planted in an ant hill but I took care of those little beasties. No pix of it until this comming year.
I just ordered Cheryls Shadow a small compact one with stunning leaves.

This is Bluestone photo. Mine isnt in the ground yet.

Ooooohh, Cheryl's Shadow is gorgeous!

Ohhhhh yes. I saved money on my tax preperation this year. Guess what I did with it.

Bluestone shipping on the 18th at our request. We will be in OK city late in the week for a mini-median iris convention.

R they shipping Cheryls Shadow?

I have several, but the only one that I can name for certain is the G. maculatum. that I dug out of a roadside wood that was about to become a gravel pit. I have it planted in front of the house with some Jacob's ladder that I found in the same place. One other is, I believe a G. striatum, pink with darker stripes. That blooms all summer long for me, starting a bit later in the season. I have two that resemble "Splish Splash" and "Johnson's Blue" and a little one that flowers a strange greyish pinky white.

I planted the one with the long bloom season with some Dicentra exima under the sorrel tree and I let them shoulder each other out - both rather prolific spreaders. The others are sort of here and there rather than in any specific place. I am very random, I'm afraid.