Double Geraniums

Elisabeth — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:27:00 GMT

I go through flower phases. Some years I love the simplicity of single-flowered specimens like five-petaled roses and simple cosmos. Other years--and this is one of them--I need doubles. It isn't enough to have big fluffy-headed peonies and many-petaled roses. I need double hardy geraniums.

These used to be hard to find, but then, hardy geraniums themselves used to be hard to find. Not any more. Breeders everywhere, but especially in Europe, have been bitten by the hardy geranium bug. The result has been a geranium explosion, with pleasant fallout landing in gardens all over the world. Last summer Geranium pratense 'Double Jewel' (sometimes sold as Geranium sanguineum 'Double Jewel') landed in my garden. A Dutch selection of the meadow cranesbill, it has star-like white flowers with purple centers. The leaves are deeply dissected. The flowers are still relatively simple, but the petals are definitely doubled. I grew mine in very light shade in the front of a bed and it did very well in my Zone 6 garden.

Several seasons ago, I failed with Geranium himalayense 'Plenum', which is sometimes sold as 'Birch' s Double' (below). It was an aggravating failure, as the rose-colored double blooms are so beautiful. However, it was a drought year and the young plant got overlooked when I was hand watering. I am over the guilt now, so I believe that I will try again. Hopefully this year there will be no drought and my 'Birch's Double' will shine instead of shriveling.

The hybrid Geranium x platypetalum is a striking, purple-flowered double. "Platy" comes from the Latin word for "broad", so "platypetalum" means "broad petals". This probably refers to the doubling. At twenty-four inches, it is a bit taller than 'Double Jewel', and might fit well in the middle of a mixed border. Like the other doubles, it can take a bit of dappled shade, but will flower better with more light.

You should already have hardy geraniums in your garden beds, window boxes or pots. Now is the time to add to your garden array with some doubles.

Hardy Geranium

Elisabeth — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:36:00 GMT

When I think about easy-care plants that hold their own in most garden situations, I think about hardy geranium. These are not the big, showy geraniums that you buy for pots on your porch or use to fill your windowboxes. Those beautiful tender plants are actually pelargoniums. Hardy geraniums are usually low-growing perennials with simple flowers that can be white, pink, rose, purple or blue-purple. Some require full sun while others prefer light shade. The flowers are generally single, with five petals apiece. Occasionally they are bi-colored or striped. The leaves are usually deeply dissected and sometimes aromatic.

Over the last ten years, hardy geraniums have come into their own, with new species and varieties arriving on the market every spring. One of the best recent introductions is an English import, 'Rozanne'. Like other geraniums it grows low, rarely reaching more than eighteen inches tall, and has a mounding habit. If it is happy, it will also spread and multiply. I bought mine three years ago, and divided it last summer. The plants have no problem getting through cold winters.

The best things about 'Rozanne' are the flowers. They are on the blue side of the blue-purple spectrum, with white central "eyes". The blooms are large for hardy geraniums--nearly an inch across and borne in great profusion. The plant can do just fine in light shade, but really performs best in the sun. 'Rozanne' needs regular watering while it is getting established, but afterwards can get by with almost no supplemental water.

'Rozanne' is a good edger and can also perform will in pots.

This spring buy your usual big, showy pelargoniums, but try their winsome cousins the hardy geraniums.

Growing Wise : hardy geranium

Double Geraniums

Hardy Geranium