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Hardy Geranium help please?

16 years ago

On the advice of this list I bought 5 different hardy geraniums. All the tags say sun/part shade. I have most planted in the new beds surround a small fenced yard and its exactly sun/part shade. But... most arrived as rootballs. will they come up this year or am I going to have to wait a full year to see if they 'made it'?

the ones I got are:

Claridge Druce pink

Johnson's blue

Straitum

New Hampshire Purple

Dusky Crug

I've done a search and most of these are never mentioned on this list.

Help please?

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Comments (5)

calliope
16 years ago
Were these mail order? When did you plant them? By rootball, do you mean bare root? Are you saying you are not even seeing foliage yet?
jackierooke
Original Author
16 years ago
The Straitum came with foliage about a week ago and seems fine. The others were bare root and a rootball(with dirt) and planted 2-3 weeks ago. No green coming up that I can see.

Jackie
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I grew lots of different hardy geraniums "two houses ago" (having moved 3 times in five years didn't give me a chance to do much with the other garden) and am starting on the garden here at my new place. My favorite is G. pratense var. striatum which is often sold as "Splish Splash". Not sure whether it comes true from seed or not. The flower is described either as blue with white flecks or white with blue flecks and stripes (take your choice! :-). Like all the pratense's, it can get tall and rangy looking if not cut back somewhat after flowering. It's a good plant for a mixed border with other plants of some decent height, such as the taller campanulas. Geranium cantabrigiense is a super all-purpose border and edging plant. The different varieties such as Biokova (or Biokovo), St. Ola, etc., all go well with each other. There is also a white form, or there used to be. It is larger overall than New Hampshire purple. Geranium 'Ann Folkard' is great if you like intense dark magenta flowers with a black eye, and a lot more compact than G. psilostemon with gets to be about three times the size. That said, there's nothing quite like a few G. psilostemon plants in the border to stop traffic (I saw some once that were almost 4 feet tall and threatening to smother the lilies!). I also like the varieties such as G. macrorrhizum and maculatum which have very nice reddish fall color. Not all of the hardy geraniums do. 'Ann Folkard', for instance, just goes yellower. If you really want to get into hardy geraniums, there are two REALLY good books: 'Hardy Geraniums' by Peter Yeo (Timber Press, 1985) and 'The Gardener's Guide to Growing Hardy Geraniums' by Trevor Bath and Joy Jones (David & Charles Publishing, 1994). You can also join The Geraniaceae Group which is based in Dover, Kent, England. They publish a quarterly newsletter and have an annual seedlist. Originally they were part of the British Geranium and Pelargonium Society Group (divison of the RHS) but separated off during the mid or late 1980s and became a separate entity. There is, in fact, a link to some more info here on Gardenweb. Here is a link that might be useful: Geraniaceae Group information
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aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
16 years ago
If they were mail order and have come bare root, in a plastic bag packed in a bit of dry, loose peatmoss, all I can say is good luck but they're probably toast. If they had viable crowns when you planted them it just might take them a little longer to get going.I've had plants arrive here they same way I've described pitiful bits of root, dry and crispy, these companies really have a nerve sending out plant material this way. I would gently scratch around a bit, see if there is any signs of growth coming from the crowns of these guys. If they are goners contact the outfit you got them from and ask them to replace them with live plants this time or a refund. Do this as soon as possible.
If you see signs of growth, give them some TLC and hope for the best. You more than likely not get flowers on the ones that do grow till next year.
As to the varieties you have bought, you could google the names to get more information of the ones you have bought. Hope this helps.

A......

Here is a link that might be useful: Geranium Claridge Druce
calliope
16 years ago
Mid-summer is a very unusual time for any type of plant material to be shipped as roots. Bare-root plants are normally sent when dormant,and that means you receive them in very early spring.
bean_counter_z4
16 years ago
I agree that this is not the time to try planting bare roots. Call whoever you bought them from and tell them there was no green showing on the plants they sent. You believe them to be dead on arrival and could you have a refund--please.

If by some slim chance they are alive and you go 'scratching around' looking for a crown, you will break off anything that my be developing. Call the vendor first and then wait and water and hope. And don't buy from that vendor again.

This time of year, you are much better off picking up healthy, potted plants at a local nursery, HD, Lowes, Walmart or even your local farmer's market. Potted plants will give you first season bloom and are very easy to transplant into your garden with a minimum of fuss.

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