Jane Powers GardensThey're hardy, varied and versatile - and pests ignore them. What more could you want?
If I had to restrict my garden's floral occupants to a single genus of plant, I wouldn't have too much trouble in plumping for the hardy geraniums. They are among the most versatile of flowering perennials and biennials: you can always find one in whatever shape or texture you require. They are adept at forming mounds, mists and clouds, and at scrambling and leaning, effortlessly filling spare bits of space with their elegant leaves and bouncy flowers. I can't think of a geranium that shoots up into a spire, but a well-grown G maderense from Madeira is a real show-stopper, with its more-than-a-metre-high, purple-fuzzed and pink-flowered bomb blast of bloom, buttressed by a framework of down-turned leaf stalks: a garden talking point.
Ten years ago, every gardener with an eye on fashion had at least one of these Madeiran behemoths, but I'm not sure if it is as sought-after now. Its fellow countryman
G palmatum, which has large pink blooms and beautifully dissected foliage, is more in evidence these days. It is not such a show-off, and it fits into a garden with less fuss.
But, before we proceed further, I have to clear up some possible confusion here. When I say "geranium", I'm not talking about the scarlet window-sill and bedding geraniums. Despite their popular name, these are actually members of the Pelargonium genus, originally from South Africa. Such plants are jolly, but a garden full of them might be too much of a good thing.
What I am talking about are the true Geranium species (same family but a different genus), which come from mainly temperate regions all over the world - so almost all are impervious to our winters. They're also known as cranesbills, because their elongated seed pods resemble the beak of that bird (geranos is Greek for crane). We have several native kinds, including the dainty woodlander, herb Robert (G. robertianum) and the gorgeous bloody cranesbill (G. sanguineum), from the Burren.
There are about 300 species, and several hundred named cultivars of hardy geranium. The current Plant Finder lists about 700 for sale in Britain and Ireland. You'll find only a handful in mainstream garden centres, but don't be afraid to ask for a greater variety, and do seek out specialist nurseries and local plant sales, where you may have better luck. Camolin Potting Shed (053-9383629; www.camolinpottingshed.com) has a couple of dozen varieties.
Geraniums are almost all trouble-free. They are uninteresting to pests, aside from the odd aphid and vine weevil. Most are easygoing about soil or situation, and some flower for long periods. The blooms - usually five-petalled, in pinks, blues, purples, near-black and well-nigh- white - are pretty in an artless way, and are compatible with many other plants. They are a godsend to rose growers, clothing the thorny legs of that plant without stifling them, and providing flowers in complementary colours.
Their only shortcoming is that the blooms have no appreciable scent, but in some the handsome foliage is fragrant. The most pungent is that of G macrorrhizum, which has a bracing and exhilarating odour of resin. If you plant it next to a path, the leaves release restorative and sinus-clearing wafts when you brush against them. There are more than a dozen varieties of this species; 'Spessart', with pink-tinged white flowers and rich-red buds, is a favourite. Like many medium-sized geraniums (25-40cm), it looks best planted en masse. But don't give it your best position: stick it in a dry old corner and it will make it a cool green oasis, spangled with late spring and early summer flowers.
G macrorrhizum is one of the easiest to propagate: just dig up a chunk, cut off some of the smaller, fresher-looking rhizomes that have leafy shoots emerging from them, and replant.
Quite a few geranium varieties can be increased in this manner. Others may be grown from basal cuttings (young shoots taken from the base of the plant and rooted in pots of gritty compost in a warm, moist atmosphere), and some may simply be dug up and divided. Lots of geraniums can be grown from seed - although few of the named cultivars come true (that is, they may not resemble the parent).
Some geraniums finish flowering in June or July. If it is a variety with a great mass of ground-covering leaves that shoot from the base, such as G macrorrhizum, G x oxonianum and G pratense, then the entire plant may be sheared back to within about 10cm from the ground. If the soil is dry, give the plant a generous drink. Soon fresh leaves and, even, flowers will appear.
With the varieties that have longer seasons ('Rozanne' and 'Brookside', for instance), just keep deadheading whenever you think of it. Little bits of attention such as this will keep these affable geraniums chugging along until first frost.