The Garden Community for Garden Lovers

Hardy geraniums

14 comments


I set a little quiz with this picture:

I then realised that I could only idntify them as “the white one” or “the one Molly gave me” so spent an evening Googling images and trying to find names for my flowers.
Here is a key:

and here are my suggestions, by no means definitive. I’ll try to remember to take pictures of the flowers in due course to settle any dispute.
A. G. macrorrhizum “Ingwersens variety”
B. G. pratense “Mrs Kendal Clark”
C. G. phaeum “Mourning widow” (or, more likely, its wild equivalent)
D. G. robertianum (herb robert)
E. It’s blue, but I bought it last year, and can’t remember what the flower looks like
F. G. oxianum “Julie Brennan” (not sure, I couldn’t find a picture of this leaf, but it has a veined flower)
G. G. clarkei “Kashmir white”
H. G. sanguineum “Album”
I. G. endressii
J. G. endressii “Wargrave pink”
K. G. cantabrigiense
L. G. dalmaticum

Postscript: One of the endressii turned into a climber. I found it half-way up my weigela.

More blog posts by readejahn

Previous post: can spring be far behind?

Next post: GOY retrospective. Spritz, Irish and Hywel sitting at the bar.



Comments

 

Thanks for all your hard work.
It will be interesting to eventually see the flowers :o)

11 Dec, 2008

 

I seem to be building up a collection of hardy geraniums too - so your photos will be interesting.
I'm not certain of all their names, but I've got a Wisley Handbook just on them - that's quite helpful.

11 Dec, 2008

 

There's also 'The Gardener's Guide to Growing' series published by David and Charles with one on hardy geraniums which is very useful too

11 Dec, 2008

 

Wow! you have been Busy Readejahn :) i 2 love Hardy Geraniums &have about 6 Different Types in my own garden :) This is a Great Piece of work uv carried out on this Blog :) Thanx

11 Dec, 2008

 

i have loads of them do love a geranium, must admit though would'nt be able to tell them all a part purely by leaf alone lol would proberly be able to stap a gues at spec. but vareity? well you really know your stuff, look forward to seeing the pic's. you are welcome to brouse through some of mine in my garden page, any that you like i might have seeds/cuttings/root divisions to swap? great way of increasing our collections.

12 Dec, 2008

 

I think from that I scored 1. At least it wasn't a big fat zero. Well done with the research, Readejahn

12 Dec, 2008

Sid
Sid
 

Got an endressii up your weigela? Poor you...... ;-) ha ha ...like Majeek - could guess at the sp. but need to see flws to suggest varieties.

12 Dec, 2008

 

Thanks everyone. Of course I have the advantage of knowing what the flowers look like (except the ones I couldn't remember!)
I remember them more by memories of where I got them from.
The leaves alone are a great pleasure. The clump of Kashmir white is lovely with or without flowers, and I love the autumn colours of the macrorrhizum.

12 Dec, 2008

 

I lost a few of mine when I moved and I want to have some new ones.
I'll look forward to the flower photos.

16 Dec, 2008

 

Sid! Really! How vulgar! Tut tut. [:-{ (my attempt at a shocked face) (lol)

16 Dec, 2008

 

LOL watch out Sid, you could be in for a 'Grandmother talking to' now lol. and Hywel, i have some really nice double lilac root divisions, that i could swap with you, does'nt have to be another geranium, if you are interested send us a private message with what you have to swap, and we'll see what we can sort out,

16 Dec, 2008

Sid
Sid
 

x-D Thought I'd got away with that one....... sorry to lower the tone Aunty Barbara :-)

16 Dec, 2008

 

I, too, am looking forward to seeing flowers in the spring...I'll bet they are all beautiful....Some of the leaves look so different from one another....I wrote this once before but apparently forgot to hit the submit button...sorry, RJ.

16 Dec, 2008

 

Do this again come the spring - will be much much easier with flowers attached. The differences between these hardy geraniums can be so slight. But you have a nice collection ....

3 Feb, 2009

Add a comment

Recent posts by readejahn

Members who like this blog

  • Gardening with friends since
    4 Feb, 2008

  • Gardening with friends since
    18 Oct, 2007

  • Gardening with friends since
    29 Mar, 2008

  • Gardening with friends since
    12 Sep, 2008