Geranium Ideas, Tips & Guides

Having decided to spare a few allium (probably A hollandicum) for today’s vase, I sought other material on the purple spectrum, cutting Geranium phaeum ‘Raven’, a deep purply-blue aquilegia and foliage from Persicaria ‘Red Dragon’ – but the combination just didn’t seem to work. Glancing up at the wisteria W floribunda ‘Multijuga’ in all its glory, it occurred to me that the purple hints in the racemes were on the same spectrum as the allium – would they last in a vase? I have no idea, but I decided to give them a try.

Chances are, you’ve got mixed conditions in your garden. One area might be in full sun, while another spot a bit farther away is in full shade. Even beds that have the same exposure on paper may have larger plants that shade out the ground below. This presents a challenge for developing a cohesive look within a landscape. As gardeners, we’ve been taught that repetition is one of the tenets of good garden design. But how can one repeat groupings of a plant throughout a border that stretches from bright light to dappled shade? The answer is by utilizing plants that are highly adaptable and will thrive in both sun and shade. In today’s episode we’re singing the praises of these flexible species. They are invaluable assets to the landscape and, as a bonus, will hold their own when the light conditions of a garden inevitably change over time.    

When we picture geraniums, we think about plants that are growing in the border, or small pots, or window boxes, thriving with beautiful flowers. However, do you know that these can be trained to grow as mini trees, too?

People often talk about the ‘May gap’, when spring plants begin to fade and the burgeoning summer growth is yet to appear. Though if, like me, you allow a little room for some wildness, May can be one of the most abundant months, with cow parsley, bluebells, hawthorn blossom, foxgloves and columbine alongside cultivated Solomon’s seal and the first hardy geraniums and delphiniums in your borders. For me, the impact of this is breathtaking: soft, green and zinging.

Yellow leaves in geraniums are quite common, so it is essential to know what is the correct reason behind this paleness, in order to bring them back to their lush green glory!

Gardeners often find ingenious ways to solve problems. Below you’ll find tips from our readers that repurpose common household items to great effect. Get an edge on gardening and peruse all of our past gardening tips here.

Chilly months pose a challenge to grow plants outdoors, but you can definitely start some beautiful ones indoors! The specimens in this list look stunning and propagate easily, too!

This list is divided into two parts–Geraniums and Pelargoniums! Each variety brings grace and beauty in the form of flowers, especially when paired with other colorful species.

We bring you a beautiful array of blooms that resemble impatiens but also offer a different charm with their vivid hues and lush foliage!

Many attractive plants are suitable for cultivation in suspended baskets. For this purpose plants of a drooping habit of growth are preferable, as their pendulous stems, falling over the sides of the baskets, display the flowers or foliage to the best advantage. Hanging baskets are made of various materials; those of galvanized wire are the most popular, as they are light and last for many years. Teakwood or cypress wood baskets are used for orchids of drooping growth.

From the Greek erodios, a heron; the style and ovaries resemble the head and beak of a heron (Geraniaceae). Heron’s bill. Hardy perennials, closely related to the hardy geraniums, or crane’s bills. There are dwarf species suitable for the rock garden and taller border plants.

When acquiring plants for a shade garden, remember that plants grow slowly in the shade, so get large plants. Plants often grow differently in the shade and some experimentation with size and blooming times are in order. The following plants grow well in deep shade.

From the Greek geranos, a crane, because the seed pod resembles a crane’s head and beak (Geraniaceae). Crane’s-bill. A genus of hardy herbaceous summer-flowering perennials with lobed or cut leaves, widely distributed over the temperate regions of the world. They are easily cultivated, free flowering and some are useful rock garden plants, others good border plants.

Botanical Name: Fallopia japonica

Indoor Mosquito Repellent Plants aren’t just for the decoration – they hold the key to repelling these annoying insects through their unique aromatic oils and compounds!

Tips for Growing Strawberry Geraniums Outdoors

The entrance to your house creates that all-important first impression when visitors arrive, so why not use plants around your front door to enhance curb appeal and welcome you back home? There are so many choices to suit all house and garden styles from geometrical topiary to frame a formal entrance, to ferns, heucheras and hostas for shady front porches, and elegant displays of fragrant summer perennials and colourful annuals to create the perfect cottage garden look.

Ranging from the subtle blush of a dawn sky to the vibrant intensity of a summer sunset, these Pink Wildflowers not only add a burst of color to your garden but also invite a diverse array of wildlife.

We’re visiting with Marilyn Regnier today. We’ve visited her garden before (Marilyn’s Missouri-Inspired Garden in Minnesota), and today she’s joining in the fun of looking back and sharing the highlights of her 2023 gardening season.

Propagating houseplants is a fun and fascinating activity that everyone can do, and Chinese money plant propagation is among the easiest. There are three simple ways you can make more of these unique plants for free. All you need is a mother plant and a few tools. This article outlines all three methods and offers tips for success.

Both day and nighttime temperatures are dropping here, although nights have only been down to about 3°C so far. I note from my garden diary that I bubblewrapped the greenhouse this week last year, and the Coop soon afterwards; that certainly won’t be happening this year, but I am keeping an eye on the weather forecast for the next fortnight and if need be I will abandon other jobs on my job list and bubblewrap instead. The lower temperatures have certainly made an impact on leaf fall, as leaves are beginning to accumulate around the garden, and the witch hazels by the streamside (above) have become all but bare in recent days, although that is not the case with all of them.

Today we’re off to Canada to visit with Bas Suharto.

Bob Stefko

We’re in Holland, Michigan, today visiting Terri Holden’s beautiful garden.

Having decided to pick blooms that had not been included in a vase this year, not because they were not vase-worthy but more due to the seasonal abundance, I toyed for a while with different titles – Waifs and Strays? Pigs Ear? – but the ease of finding a prop meant that Random Selection, like the blooms, made the cut.

Slugs and snails can wreak havoc in the garden, demolishing seedlings and decimating the leaves of larger plants such as hostas. While slug pellets are an effective deterrent, those containing metaldehyde can harm hedgehogs and other wildlife, while other forms of slug control can be time consuming and aren’t guaranteed to work.

Once our June garden openings were over and a brief period of relaxation was out of the way, thoughts began to turn to changes or things I felt could be improved. As the season progressed, and the garden began to throw off any attempt at discipline, the urge to commence these attempts at improvement has grown – but I must be patient and wait until the plants involved are dormant.

Andrew Drake

Check out these stunning Types of Geraniums that can be a great addition to both home and gardens. We have picked the best ones for you!

Some parts of the UK have seen their wettest ever July, although that wasn’t the case here, where much of the rain has been very light, but there have certainly been more wet than dry days. It has left the garden a little dishevelled and even I have had to duck in places to avoid overhanging growth, but order is gradually being restored. The cutting beds and clematis have been the stars of the garden this month, as you will see in the photographs for this end-of-month view, starting with the usual view from the back of the house (above), and roses are just beginning to bud up again for a second flush.

I have a strong liking for Pelargoniums (which I will call Geraniums from now on). They are still producing lots of colour and variety late into October. Because we suffer strong winds and early frosts up on the Pennines of Yorkshire I am in the process of protecting the varieties I am keen to keep through winter.

Great plants for the herbaceous border, these hardy Geraniums are top notch plants that are easy to grow and cultivate.

I have tried to grow several Pelargonium varieties this year and been pleasantly surprised at the various forms and colours I have succeeded in producing.

Sorry this is not a new geranium nursery or supply business although I wish it was. It is  just a follow up and continuation of my earlier promise  to keep updating my new found enthusiasm for Pelargoniums.

Yes it is well past time to look at geraniums again. Since this blog started there have been over 60 pages of tips about geraniums. The most popular have been about scented,  regal and dwarf geraniums but zonals and bedding also retain much interest. (You can find these and more links by using our search button).

My mother very successfully grew Geraniums (pelargoniums) as indoor pot plants for many years. For the majority of gardeners the zonal geraniums are an outdoor feature of brightly coloured flowers that are often treated as annuals.