Here are some different methods for dead heading and tidying your hardy geraniums...
Here are some different methods for dead heading and tidying your hardy geraniums...
Ladybirds, are small, colourful beetles that are beloved by many people around the world. One of the most common species of ladybird is the Seven Spot Ladybird, which is known for its distinctive black and red markings. In this blog, we will explore the fascinating world of the ladybird and learn more about their behaviour, habitat, and life cycle.
Bees are an essential part of our ecosystem, playing a critical role in pollinating plants, fruits, and vegetables. These tiny creatures work tirelessly inadvertently ensuring our food supply is abundant and diverse. In fact, it's estimated that bees are responsible for pollinating about one-third of the world's crops. Without bees, our food system would be severely compromised, and the ecological balance of our planet would be thrown off.
Beneficial insects are insects that provide benefits to humans, agriculture, and the environment. These insects can help control pest populations, pollinate plants, decompose organic matter, and provide a food source for other animals.
Some examples of beneficial insects include ladybirds, which are natural predators of aphids and other plant pests, bees, which are essential for pollinating many crops and plants, and earthworms, which help break down organic matter and improve soil health. Other beneficial insects include lacewings, hoverflies, nematodes and parasitic wasps.
Bee flies are a fascinating group of insects that are often mistaken for bees or wasps due to their appearance and behaviour. However, they are a type of fly that belongs to the family Bombyliidae, which includes over 5,000 species worldwide. These insects are found in a wide variety of habitats, from deserts to forests, and play an important role in pollination and controlling insect populations.
Lacewings are a group of insects that belong to the family Chrysopidae. They are known for their delicate and lacy wings, which are characterized by intricate patterns of veins. These insects are found all over the world, and they play an important role in the ecosystem as predators of other insects.
Glasshouse whitefly, also known as Trialeurodes vaporariorum, is a common pest that can be found in greenhouses, conservatories, and on indoor plants. These small, winged insects are about 2mm in size and have a white, waxy coating on their wings. They are known to cause damage to a wide variety of plants, including tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and ornamentals such as ficus, poinsettia, and hibiscus.
Hoverflies, also known as flower flies or syrphid flies, are a diverse and fascinating group of insects that are often mistaken for bees or wasps due to their black and yellow striped appearance. However, unlike their stinging counterparts, hoverflies are harmless to humans and play an important role in pollination and pest control.
There are several hardy geraniums that are well-suited for use as groundcover and weed suppression. Some of the best options include...
There are several hardy geraniums that are well-suited for full sun. Some of the best options include....
Geranium, also known as cranesbill, is a genus of over 400 species of annual, biennial, and perennial plants. Within this genus, there are several species that are considered to be hardy, meaning they can withstand cold temperatures and are well-suited for use in gardens.
Black vine weevil, also known as Otiorhynchus sulcatus, are small, black beetles that can cause significant damage to a wide variety of plants, particularly those grown in greenhouses and nurseries. These pests have a distinctive curved snout and can be found feeding on the leaves, stems, and roots of plants.
Hardy geraniums, also known as cranesbills, are a popular choice for gardeners because of their versatility and easy care. These perennials are known for their long blooming period, typically from late spring to late autumn, and their ability to thrive in a variety of conditions.
Ideally you should treat your cinereum and subcaulescens geraniums and Erodiums like alpine plants....
This beautiful geranium with its purple and chartreuse green flowers was discovered by Lynne Edwards in her garden and named for her father who taught her about botany and encouraged her love for plants.
Over 100 years ago, Karl von Frisch was the first person to conduct behavioural studies on honeybees, using classical conditioning techniques such as those used by Pavlov on his dogs. He trained honeybees to feed from a dish of sugar-water placed on blue-coloured card along with an array of different shades of grey card. His logic was that if a honeybee was colour-blind it wouldn’t be able to distinguish the blue card from the grey card.
For the most part aphids, more commonly known as green fly or black fly, don’t really affect Geraniums. However, never say never. Last year, conditions seemed to be perfect for the nursery to experience a siege from these mini monsters. Luckily, this glut of aphids came with its perfect partner, the Ladybird and better still Ladybird larvae. Ladybirds love to munch on aphids and their offspring are insatiable, soon the siege was over, and the ladybirds were victorious. Hurrah!
There aren’t all that many books specifically about Hardy Geraniums but the handful or so that are available to buy are useful and some can be bought second hand at little expense.
I’m sure you all know that not all plants that we grow here in the UK originated here. People known as Plant Hunters have been bringing plants back to the UK for hundreds of years, reaching a peak in Victorian times. Those plants that do not originate here, plants that have been brought back from other countries are classed as non-native and can become invasive.
Largely geraniums, pelargoniums and erodium’s share the same characteristics and so they fall into the same Family known botanically as Geraniaceae. There are seven recognised species within the Geraniaceae family, but I’ll concentrate on the three largest.
the term Alpine refers to the region where these sorts of plants have originated from. The alpine region is found between the tree line and snow line on a mountain.
Alpine conditions are pretty tough to grow in. Plants are very hardy with temperatures varying from...
In truth there are no red geraniums, certainly not in the red I imagine when someone says red, like a traffic light or fire engine, not even the red of a bedding geranium or pelargonium. There are however some that are probably classed as a purple or dark purple but to me, I see them as more of a burgundy red, or a maroon.
Sometimes I find it hard to decide if something is purple or blue, for example in certain lights G. x magnificum or G. himalayense ‘Gravetye’ can both look blue and purple simultaneously. So as with the blog I wrote about blue flowering geraniums I’m going to stick to the geraniums that, in my opinion really are purple or a shade of purple.
When it comes to geraniums there are many different types of pink flowers. They range from the palest pinks like G. x oxonianum ‘Katherine Adele’, where they are almost white to the softest pinks such as G. ‘Light Dilys’, to the bright, and frankly, in your face magenta pinks of G. subcaulescens ‘Giuseppii’.
When it comes to flowers there are many different types of blue. They range from blues that are so pale they are almost white, like G. wallichianum ‘Crystal Lake’, through to what I call true blues such as G. ‘Johnson’s Blue’ and on to the dark indigo blues of G. ‘Blue Blood’.
Mildews are a group of fungal infections that plants can develop, usually affecting the leaves and stems but rarely flowers and fruits. The most common forms are Powdery mildew and Downy mildew. In short Powdery mildew creates a powdery coat on plants while Downey mildew creates discolour blotches on the upper leaf surface while a white or grey or purple mould forms below.
Obviously, the plants don’t know about calendar dates and the earth’s axis so they tend to be governed by the weather and temperatures and flower when they feel the time is right. We can have a certain amount of surety that in the spring months the temperatures will warm up (though it has been known to snow in May!). At this time some plants will begin to flower, taking advantage of early pollinating insects and beginning the process of reproducing.
One of the most brilliant things about geraniums is how they will generally grow anywhere. There are of course always a few exceptions and some will have more particular requirements.
Being as some geraniums will have a short seasonal flowering period, such as spring or summer and some will go nearly all year long, it really depends on the individual plant and the weather. The reason I mention the weather is that if it is particularly hot or dry this will be more gruelling for all your garden plants and will take its toll on the plants vigour and therefore reduce the flowering period.
You probably recall the occurrence of Ash dieback disease (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus), which also originated on the continent and became present in the UK after infected tree stocks were imported. Over the last year or so you may have heard about a disease spreading throughout the continent called Xylella or Xylella fastidiosa to give it its name in full, unfortunately there is again a real risk to plants here in the UK of being under attack from a foreign disease. Fortunately, governing bodies such as DEFRA and the APHA, Animal and Plant Health Agency, are ahead of the curve on this threat and are working hard to prevent this disease entering the UK by introducing stringent controls.
Unlike the blues, pinks and purples the white geraniums don’t come in different shades, they’re generally, simply and purely white. They can have broad petals or narrow petals or rounded petals and some may have a lacework of veins across them, but they don’t come in different shades. You may find some white varieties will turn pink as they mature or go over but they are in essence white.
Low growing geraniums come in many different forms, creeping, trailing, mat forming, clump forming, but the one thing they have in common is that they are shorter in stature than some of their counterparts.
Trailing geraniums are also often referred to as sprawling or scrambling due to their nature of sending out long prostrate stems that weave their way through other plants in the border. These stems produce both flowers and leaves and can have quite a far reach.
I really love watching the bees at work around the nursery and will frequently find myself helping them out of the tunnels with my trusty butterfly net or finding a food source for one that has become weary. I was especially pleased to discover that a hive of bumble bees has set up home in an abandoned rabbit burrow in the hedgerow at the nursery.
There are so many geranium species suitable for any location and situation that I think it could be possible to plant a whole garden with just geraniums and have flower and foliar interest for at least 10 months of the year.