Prefers rich soil: Boggy / Chalky / Alkaline / Clay / Heavy / Moist / Well Drained / Light / Sandy |
Cranesbill, or hardy geraniums, are perennial border plants with saucer-shaped flowers in shades of pink, purple and blue. They're easy to grow, thrive in shade and flower for months. Geraniums are popular in cottage garden schemes and offer a long season of pollen and nectar for a number of pollinators, particularly bees.
Geranium sanguineum has fine fresh green foliage, which makes a good summer-long background for its mallow-like pink flowers. It's ideal for growing under a very light canopy of shrubs or roses, among taller perennials in a cottage garden, or towards the front of a border. It is also ideal for wild gardens and on banks.
Grow Geranium sanguineum in fertile, moist but well-drained soil in sun or shade. Deadhead spent blooms regularly to prolong flowering. Plants self seed readily.