True Geraniums. Hardy Geraniums. Perennial Geraniums. Cranesbill!
What’s in a Name?

Its cousin the pelargonium may have usurped its name, but the perennial form of geranium is popping up in gardens like never before. With good reason. True geraniums are versatile plants that basically grow themselves. Give them a haircut in mid-summer and they’ll reward you with sporadic blooms into fall. Use them to edge borders, create drifts, line walkways, hide rose knees or fill pots.

Most hardy geraniums are low growers and spreaders, though not aggressively so, but there’s still a lot of variety in the genus. Like the compact Geranium ‘Double Jewel’ at right. It’s small enough for containers, with double flowers that resemble a clematis more than a cranesbill geranium. ‘Wargrave Pink’ and ‘Johnson’s Blue’ are just the tip of the iceberg. Read how easy it is to grow hardy geraniums and then take a look at a handful of the most readily available varieties to look for this spring and a couple of newbies I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of. Photo Courtesy of Van Bourgondien

• How to Grow True Geraniums
• Photo Gallery of Hardy Geraniums
• Geranium ‘Doule Jewel’
• Geranium ‘Southcombe Double’