This is one of my favorites. Plus it does well in my shady,black walnut poisoned soil. I search the catalogs each spring for new varities. I know what you mean in saying the limited types avaible at local garden centers. I did find 2 new ones at Franks this spring and i snatched them up right away. Jungs catalog had over 12 types to choose from last spring. I ordered 8 and they were ok,but the price was reasonable so ill have to see next spring if i got a good deal. Heres their phone# if you want a catalog. 1-800-297-3123

Ooh, I adore the cranesbill geraniums too. Tried some from seed with no success though. Maybe this winter I'll throw the flat outside under the snow for a few weeks- if they don't germinate indoors the cold treatment usually does it. If you scout your neighbor's gardens, or join a gardening club, maybe you could trade plant divisions with somebody to get more kinds, or else trade for other kinds on the plant exchange here. Or you could take a lot of cuttings from your geraniums and root them, and trade those to get others. Do you know if there are any variegated foliage varieties of cranesbill?

I love these plants too! My favourite! Go to this site for a mail order company that carries tons of them: http://www.dsoe.com/rainforest/
Go to the site below to find tons of info and great pics. Hope this helps.
Dawn G.

Here is a link that might be useful: Geraniaceae

Hi - I work at a nursery where we carry 10 - 20 varieties. Some of my favorites are: #'Ann Folkard'- a sprawling plant with chartreuse leaves and magenta flowers with black centers. #cantibridgiense 'Karmina' or 'Biokova' - both have short dense foliage that smell of tangerines to me. The first has lavender flowers and the second has white flushed with pink flowers. #sanguineum striatum - has white flowers with pink veining and is short and spreading. #'Jonson's Blue' is pretty nice - sort of blue and magenta simultaneously. #'Claridge Druce'- nice pink
I don't know about variegated foliage - but supposedly we're getting one with chocolate foliage and pink flowers. I'll have to let you know on that one. bye

I have started appx 20 to 30 varieties from seed this spring. G. pratense sprouts the quickest, from 15 to 30 days to germination, depending on cultivar on my porch windowsill at temperatures ranging from 60 to 70 degrees. Other varieties that have germinated well are G. sanguineum, G. wallichianum, G. orientalbeticum and several others that don't come to mind right now. There are only a couple species that haven't germinated for me. One is G. endressii. Some of the species didn't germinate until I put them outside after all danger of frost was past. Nights were in 40's and days in high 70's.

I would be interested in any other germination information.
Lillian

Great plant -- attractive, pest-free, easy to divide, spreads out without being invasive, etc. We were given one small plant 8 or 9 years ago & have divided it out into several locations & it does well everywhere. I'm not sure what type it is - fairly dark green leaves, very pretty light pink flowers, and grows in mounds approx. 20 inches high & several feet wide.

Here in Oregon, we can get some show from this plant from late spring well into the fall by cutting it back when the petals start to fade. I have a 10 foot row filling a narrow strip between a retaining wall & patio, all by itself; essentially a groundcover application. Looks fantastic & the dense roots keep any weeds from getting a foothold. I cut this strip all the way back a couple times each year & it leafs out again within a week or two.

I would like to find some white varieties; any recommendations?

Thanks, Andrew

I love these plants too! It's wonderful how many different varieties there are, with unusual foliage and flowers, some having scented foliage, etc. I've had a G. sanguineum (bloody cransbill) for years. Was given Johnson's Blue and recently G. renardii 'Phillip Vapelle' which has wonderfully textured and shaped leaves. Others I've purchased: G. pheum; G. pheum alba; G. cinereum 'Ballerina' and most recently G. sanguineum 'Album' -- looking for those white flowers but it hasn't bloomed yet. I've also got a light pink one with fragrant foliage, but I forget it's name.
Thanks for the thread. I haven't started any from seed myself, but with the help of this thread and the links, I'm tempted to try!

Back again... a bit more digging helped identify my pink cranesbill as G. endressii.

Inspired by this discussion I edged the patio this weekend & got a good supply of dense, matted cranesbill roots (or are they rhizomes?). They are now set out in a spot where they can establish themselves as a groundcover (hopefully) capable of doing battle with English Ivy.

In re. germination: so far our plants have spread mainly root-wise. We find an occasional stray in odd corners of the yard, so it is possible that some germination is occurring.

Hope this is helpful info; enjoy your gardens,

Andrew

Do I have hardy geranium? I have three identical plants that start out with apple-shaped leaves (sort of like hardy hibiscus) at the base of the plant, but then turn rather ferny (like my native yellow buttercups) as it grows. Then it gets flower spikes of pink with white centred blooms which start blooming from the bottom & work their way up. They've been going about two weeks now--I'm deadheading the lower blooms as they wither, and they turn purple as they die off. They're probably 3 feet tall (I've had to stake one). One is lovely in front of purple clematis & pink hollyhocks, with red beebalm in front & the other two are wonderful in front of a tall bright-yellow yarrow. I moved in a year ago, & inherited them. They look similar to cranesbill in one of my books. Can anyone confirm this? If so, will they do well in shade? I'd love to have them in my shady bed. One gets morning sun, & the other two full sun. Thanks, Taryn :)

I have 3 Johnson's Blue that I planted last year (mail order). One of the plants had some flowers last year and lots this year (now done). The other two don't look as healthy and no blooms. The leaves are red tinged on the problem ones. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks -

Yes, there *is* a type of variegated leaf geranium: it's a seedling of G. Phaem (the Mourning Widow geranium) and is called Taff's Jester. Don't know where you might find it here- probably at Geraniaceae. (I've just arrived from Ireland/UK so not too sure of sources yet, but had a modest collection of geraniums, and want to build it up again - love the plant!)

Good luck!

I live in Paris, Texas - about half way between Texarkana and Dallas in Northeast Texas. Does anyone know where I can purchase (in person or by order) the BLOODY CRANESBILL Geranium in NEW HAMPSHIRE PURPLE??

Thanks,

BKF

Here is a link that might be useful: Welcome to Old Time Southern Gospel Music

Hey Bill!

There is a Geranium sanguineum 'New Hampshire" in my Heronswood Nursery catalog. Is that what you are looking for? They might have it at their website. just look up heronswood on your search engine. hope that helps. It is listed as Zone 5 but I might try it as it sounds really pretty in the description.

sarah

I have a Johnson's Blue. Can someone tell me if it should be cut back after flowering or just deadheaded? I'd appreciate this information.

I am student of MSc Hons I am intrested in cultivation of geraniums please provide me detail information and complete photographs of verrieties of geranium

Do these plants prefer part shade or full shade. Can they handle sun ok? I bought one at a plant show(can't quite remember name offhand), its tag said sun, but the lady told me shade?
I live in quite a warm area. Please advise me. thanx.

Tania

I have my cranesbill in a pot on a south-facing deck. It's now 3 yrs old & thriving. It doesn't always get all the water that it may need & still does fine on my VERY HOT deck.

I love Hardy Geraniums! I will post more after a good rest.
Thanks for the link to the cranesbill site. I never could find one! Sheesh....

I did just recently purchase Splish/Splash and a Mrs. ? similar to Splish Splash. I have ordered Splish Splash from a catalog and it did terribly for me. Never saw the plant in Boise. So glad I ventured out to the nurseries in the Ashland/Medford area of Oregon. I was also able to get an Ann Folkard and another Ballerina.

K.

HI I noticed that many of the postings are of last fall of several years ago. Does anyone like to update on their Hardy Geraniums?

New Hampshire can be bought at Paradise Gardens. I will post the website.

Does anyone have the chocolate one? I planted that from a mail order and never grew.
Lili, I'm impressed by your variety and able to seed them. Mine do self seed themselves. But never have tried it from scratch. I don't know where to buy seeds.

Karalyn

Andrew, I saw a nice White Cranesbill, similar to the fushia colored one with the toothed leaves. I passed it up to buy other cranesbill that were is a smaller pot and cheaper. This was in either, Medford, Phoenix, or Ashland Oregon. I did this while on vacation last week. But I sure want the white one that I saw.

I will have to check out the nurseries in Boise. The best one that had Geraniums was Sterlings Nursery but closed down due to being in business for our 30 years. Just their landscaping business is still going. Fortunately I was able to buy what they had in perennials for 75% off.
I miss that place.
Karalyn

Does anybody have more Cranesbill they would like to share with us?
Karalyn

I live in the UK and have been growing Hardy geraniums for over 10 years. I have recently started compiling a collection of photographs of these wonderful plants. I have nearly 220 varieties and many seeds, but I dont know how I could share them with you. There are other variegated geraniums available. These are Tuberosum Jesters Jacket(which comes true from seed) and Maccrorhizum Variegatum. A good gallery website to view hardy geraniums is WWW.MARKSGARDENPLANTS.COM

Gee, I wish you could show us pictures! I want to see them all! *G*

Thanks for the website! I'll check it out.
karalyn

I went there it is great! Thank you!

I want a variegated cranesbill. Where are they?
k.

WANTED blue cranesbill for trade or postage
I want to try brookside or any other blue cranesbill....
thanks,
bonnie
gbandbb@fuse.net
have a trade list on gardenweb

Three years ago I bought several pink Cranesbill and put them around my pond. I now have pink Cranesbill everywhere! They peek behind ferns and trees. I have no idea of how they got from one side of the pond to the other (35' x 61') but they did. They used to mound but now kind of sprawl. I think I have created a new and pretty weed!

How can you divide the New Hampshire Purple variety. Can I just slice down the middle of the plant (in pots now - just purchased) and divide that way? I cannot wait for these beauties to show their faces next spring.

I grew lots of different hardy geraniums "two houses ago" (having moved 3 times in five years didn't give me a chance to do much with the other garden) and am starting on the garden here at my new place. My favorite is G. pratense var. striatum which is often sold as "Splish Splash". Not sure whether it comes true from seed or not. The flower is described either as blue with white flecks or white with blue flecks and stripes (take your choice! :-). Like all the pratense's, it can get tall and rangy looking if not cut back somewhat after flowering. It's a good plant for a mixed border with other plants of some decent height, such as the taller campanulas.

Geranium cantabrigiense is a super all-purpose border and edging plant. The different varieties such as Biokova (or Biokovo), St. Ola, etc., all go well with each other. There is also a white form, or there used to be. It is larger overall than New Hampshire purple.

Geranium 'Ann Folkard' is great if you like intense dark magenta flowers with a black eye, and a lot more compact than G. psilostemon with gets to be about three times the size. That said, there's nothing quite like a few G. psilostemon plants in the border to stop traffic (I saw some once that were almost 4 feet tall and threatening to smother the lilies!).

I also like the varieties such as G. macrorrhizum and maculatum which have very nice reddish fall color. Not all of the hardy geraniums do. 'Ann Folkard', for instance, just goes yellower.

If you really want to get into hardy geraniums, there are two REALLY good books: 'Hardy Geraniums' by Peter Yeo (Timber Press, 1985) and 'The Gardener's Guide to Growing Hardy Geraniums' by Trevor Bath and Joy Jones (David & Charles Publishing, 1994). You can also join The Geraniaceae Group which is based in Dover, Kent, England. They publish a quarterly newsletter and have an annual seedlist. Originally they were part of the British Geranium and Pelargonium Society Group (divison of the RHS) but separated off during the mid or late 1980s and became a separate entity. There is, in fact, a link to some more info here on Gardenweb.

Here is a link that might be useful: Geraniaceae Group information