Cranesbill > Reviews

Advantages: Perfect cottage garden flowers which will grow anywhere
Disadvantages: Can be a bit untidy looking sometimes

Cranesbill is the common name for the true hardy geraniums which are daintily flowered perennials which lazily flop, sprawl, and spread themselves around in every self respecting cottage garden. These should not be confused with the brightly coloured pelargoniums grown for summer pots and bedding which are more commonly called geraniums although both do belong to the same family. These flowers are known as cranesbills because of their long beak ... Read review

Advantages: easy to grow , little effort required
Disadvantages: lack scent , can be invasive

...by far the most common cranesbill on sale at typical garden centres and it has lovely magenta flowers from June onwards. G " Johnson's blue " this is another popular one providing plenty of blue flowers as the name suggests in June and July. My final favourite is G "phaeum " this is a variety that tolerates shade better than most and it has lovely dark maroon flowers . This one has the advantage of only reaching up to two feet in height , whilst ... Read review

Advantages: easy self seeder
Disadvantages: ?

...thinking of when I say Cranesbill are a wild geranium. The word geranium comes from the Greek word for Crane. There are many cranesbills, doves foot meadow cranesbill wood cranesbill. It is sometimes difficult to decide which species they are. Closely related are the Erodiums the storks bill and heron bill. There are many garden varieties of cranesbills they are bigger and bolder flowers. But I love the delicate little wild cranesbills The cranesbills ... Read review

Advantages: Reliable, hardy and loats to choose from
Disadvantages: Some can be vigorous

I recently did a course where the tutor was crazy about hardy Geraniums or Cranesbills which I thought was rather strange until she gave me some cuttings and I was hooked. There are loads to choose from and they flower for months on end, indeed the little cutting I was given flowered from May until late September and the flowers covered the plant. They come in several shades of pink, blue, mauve and white and many are semi evergreen. Geraniums ... Read review