Flowers in the blue and pink range, carried over foliage as handsome as the blooms: the perennial geranium is a hardy, drought-resistant plant that works as excellent ground cover, along edges and in rocky ground, and in garden boxes. Give it ordinary, well-drained soil in full or part sun and it flowers all summer long.
| Name | Geranium |
|---|---|
| Family | Geraniaceae |
| Type | perennial |
| Height | 8 to 24 inches (20 to 60 cm) |
| Exposure | full sun, part sun |
| Soil | ordinary, well drained |
| Flowering | end spring → early fall |
Sowing, pruning and caring for it will help you get magnificent flowers all summer long.
Perennial geranium, whether planted as a ground cover or trimmed into a bushy mound, will do just as well in part sun as it will in full sun.
Since each species is a little different in this respect, make sure you select the variety according to exposure in your garden.
Even though it’s resilient, water your perennial geranium well in the months following the planting.
Once it has settled in well, no need to water it anymore.
When used for ground cover, perennial geranium is very effective at stopping weeds from growing
Cut stems back after they have flowered in order to trigger production of new flowers. That way, you’ll avert seed-bearing which typically drains your perennial geraniums’ strength.
This step of removing spent flowers is called dead-heading. Instead of trying to produce fruit or seed, the plant sends more flowers out!
Perennial geranium is highly drought-resistant, and once it has settled in properly, the occasional rainshower will cover its needs. It also knows to send its roots deep into the soil for water, if need be.
In case of drought and/or strong heat wave, you can water: this will increase blooming.
Every year, in spring, adding geranium flower fertilizer will considerably increase blooming and growth for your perennial geranium.
In fall, it helps to eliminate old branches and any dried or dead stems from the plant. This gives it a fresh start.
→ Read also: benefits of geranium for health
Perennial geranium comes in a vast array of species, each with distinctive shapes and colours, and each a little different in the exposure it prefers. The varieties below are widely sold and cover the main uses, from low ground cover to tall border clumps.
| Variety | Height | Flower colour | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| ‘Johnson’s Blue’ | 16-18 in (40-45 cm) | Lavender-blue | Front and middle of a sunny flower bed |
| ‘Patricia’ | 24-30 in (60-75 cm) | Magenta with a black eye | Bold clumps in a sunny bed, very long season |
| ‘Ingwersen’s Variety’ | 12 in (30 cm) | Soft pink | Dry shade and ground cover under shrubs |
| ‘Album’ | 24-30 in (60-75 cm) | Pure white | Shaded and part-sun borders |
| ‘Rozanne’ | 18-24 in (45-60 cm) | Violet-blue with a white eye | Long-flowering ground cover and large containers |
| ‘Biokovo’ | 8-12 in (20-30 cm) | White flushed pink | Edging, paths and rocky ground |
Perennial geranium is a hardy, resilient plant with foliage as beautiful as its blooms.
It comes in a vast array of species and each has distinctive shapes and colors. For instance, on the ‘Patricia’ geranium, blooming can last for over 6 months!
An easy plant to grow, it has the advantage of bearing a beautiful blooming and is overall quite well balanced. Typically, colors are in the blue or pink range.
In a flower bed or also along edges and in rocky ground, perennial geraniums can serve as excellent ground cover and beautiful garden box specimens.
Perennial geranium is often confused with another common geranium often found in garden boxes and pots: pelargonium.
→ Discover: geranium Rozanne, a beautiful ground cover flower
You can provide it with geranium-specific organic liquid fertilizer once or twice in the season to increase blooming.
