Most of the Geraniums featured here in this article are herbaceous perennials except for Geranium maderense which is a biennial but usually sets plenty of seed, to keep the plant in your garden. Most of the Geraniums will need to be grown from seed, but division of the crowns of geraniums is also a good way to spread Geraniums around your garden, and some can be grown by cuttings. A lovely Geranium not readily available is Geranium argenteum with its compact silver clumps of leaves and 2-5cm of pale pink flowers. It used to be in Australia growing in the Maxwells garden and Lew an ex member of the AGSVG grew it beautifully in gravel, in Ringwood, Victoria. Another rare and choice Geranium to look out for is Geranium farreri.
Geranium x hybrid Ruby Trinkets from Antique Perennials a few years ago. I just love its name. Flowers over a long period, most of summer.
Geranium traversii variety, from Chatham Islands, you will get all kinds of hybrids in your gravel paths, if this plant is grown next to gravel. Flowers may be larger with silver foliage the true Geranium traversii, or the hybrids with dark burgundy foliage and smaller pink flowers as above.
Geranium sanguineum with Globularia flowering in the back ground, this Geranium also seeds around gently in my garden, with a slight variation in colour.
Geranium sanguineum variety Striatum Pink, if I have a favourite I think this would be it. Large soft pink flowers also self sows true, but it also seeds some purple flowers, I have not had any white forms yet. From most of Europe, Turkey, and the Caucasus. An open sunny position in the garden.
Geranium Sanguineum Max Frei above and below, photo in Marg S. garden grown in a terra cotta pot.
Geranium sanguineum? photographed in Mullers Valley Spain.
Geranium cinereum Ballerina from Ken Gillanders quite some time ago, grown in a trough, because it tends to get swamped by other plants in the Rock Garden. Not full sun for this little beauty. David Glen at Lambly was selling this a year ago, he may still have some left for sale.
Geranium cinereum Lawrence Flatman below a hybrid occasionally available. very similar growth to Geranium cinereum Ballerina ( photo internet)
Geranium dalmaticum grown in a hypertufa trough. It flowers better for me like this and doesn't just spread. Helen will have some struck cutting from this plant at the Bun Fight. I wish we still had the white form of G. dalmaticum Otto imported years ago, it sounded delightful but I think quite rare.
South western Yugoslavia and Albania.
Geranium aristartum it has larger, pale lilac flowers than G. phaeum with a prolonged bristle-like tip. Found in the mountains of Macedonia, Albana and Greece. Lynn Mc Gough's, Rare Plants photo.
Geranium libani from Archibald seed, above, my flowering plant is a much paler form than the one Oron Peri sells from seeds of Peace. It also lacks the veining that Jons form has below. From Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey from Fir forests and Quercus coccifera scrub, it needs a well drained, sunny, warm position in the garden.
Photo's curtisey Jon thank you.
Geranium renardii Philippe Vapelle sunny position
Geranium wallichianum 'Azure Rush' from mail order Woodbridge Nursery Tasmania. Needs a shaded position. A beautiful geranium always attracts attention when in flower. From Afghanistan, Kashmir and Bhutan in open forest scrub and open slopes. Kashmir seems to have some beautiful plants.
Geranium incanum from my old work place at Devon Tubestock Nursery.
Geranium clarkei Kashmir White from Gentiana Nursery. another good geranium. Flowers sit above the foliage spreads a little but not too vigorous and does not take over. Still looking for Kashmir purple used to grow it, but can't seem to find a replacement.
Geranium psilostemon needs a little shade from hot afternoon sun.
Geranium Rozanne just opening. Cool position with some sun shine during the day. A PBR plant.
Geranium pratense Criss Canning found by David Glen and named after his wife. (not photo shopped) this is the true colour.
Geranium transversale seed from Halda CZ.
Geranium x Magnificum quite large flowers.
Geranium white? in a trough Blackthorne Nursery UK, I know there is one Geranium next to it, but is it a Geranium or a Potentilla?
Geranium maderense photo's curtesy Colin in NSW growing to Perfection. Above and below.
Geranium harveyi supposed to be silver foliaged but covered in dust at the moment, we had a large dust storm from inland Australia where it is hot and dry and they have had very little rain for years. Your heart goes out to them with bush fires and no rain, it is such a struggle. They don't want our pity, they just want us to listen and help where necessary.
Geranium cantabrigense Westray
Geranium Ann Folkard with lime foliage and deep purple magenta flowers.
Sometime you can pick up these secondhand booklet or papers on Geraniums by Walter E. Th. Inwersen 1 booklet, others I purchased at the same time were Aquilegia 3 booklets, The Genus Phlox 2 booklets, The Genus Cystsus 1 booklet, using Abe books. The Geranium booklet must have been written after a war no dates, as Walter Ingwersen states he hopes "when the world settles down again many travellers will go collecting seed of these beauties in the mountains of Mexico and those of Central America and the vast sweep of the Andes from the Equator down to the Straits of Magellan that need searching with a fine comb". None the less Walter Ingwersen lists 100 Geraniums for sale just after the war, which is more than we can boast in Australia, woodbridge Nursery has quite a list a good list of geraniums but not all are available.
14th December is our Bunfight date starting at 2.00pm on the dot, don't be late you need to peruse the benches to see what is available and stand in front of what you want as your first choice, first to get the plant wins. We will be having an afternoon tea afterward and you can have a chat with new and old friends. I love the Bunfight as it means the end of another successful year, as a group of like minded people. Meeting will be held at 79 -81 Olinda-Monbulk Road, Olinda. Victoria.
Wishing you all a Merry, Safe and Happy Christmas from all at the Alpine Garden Society Victorian Group.
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