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Fabulous Hardy Geraniums for Your Pacific Northwest Garden Borders

Regional Gardening, Best Hardy Geraniums, Pacific Northwest Gardening


There is a hardy geranium to suit most garden situations. Some do incredibly well in sunny borders while others prefer woodland settings. Some make fabulous weed-choking ground covers while others are well suited to containers or rock gardens. Most bloom profusely over a very long season, extending from early spring to late fall (if cut back hard after the first flush of blooms starts to fade in early summer).

Don't confuse them with the lovely bedding plants called 'geraniums', which belong to the genus Pelargonium and are much more tender (very few are hardy). Hardy geraniums or cranesbills are perennial plants that belong to the genus Geranium and thrive in temperate climates with cool summers and cool summer nights. As would be expected, hardy geraniums are much tougher plants. Most are hardy to USDA zone 5 (-20°F or -29°C) and some are even more cold tolerant, such as Geranium pratense, which can withstand extremely low temperatures (up to -50°F or -45°C).

Northwest Pacific gardens should include a few of these hardy geraniums. Why? Because hardy geraniums give a lot while they require very little. They produce masses of eye-catching flowers, are extremely versatile in the landscape, take shade, inhibit weeds, need little care, are deer-resistant and mostly disease-free.

Most hardy geraniums are ridiculously easy to grow. All they require is well-drained, fertile, and moist soil. A few species are even reliably drought tolerant in normal summer conditions.

There is a broad array of colors and textures to choose from. If you are looking for a beautiful, low-maintenance, border geranium that will sail through the challenges of the seasons in the Pacific Northwest region, you may want to consider these top performing varieties. As you will note, some of them have also received the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society!

Guide Information

Plant Type Perennials
Plant Family Geranium - Cranesbills
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Late)
Summer (Early,Mid,Late)
Fall
Water Needs Average
Maintenance Low
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics Showy
Tolerance Deer, Drought, Rabbit
Attracts Butterflies
Landscaping Ideas Beds and Borders, Edging, Patio and Containers, Underplanting Roses and Shrubs
Garden Styles City and Courtyard, Gravel and Rock Garden, Informal and Cottage
Compare All Geranium - Cranesbills United States Plant Combination Ideas Great Plant Combination Ideas with Geranium - Cranesbills Guides with Geranium - Cranesbills United States Guides

inawa / 123RF Stock Photo

While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.

Guide Information

Plant Type Perennials
Plant Family Geranium - Cranesbills
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Late)
Summer (Early,Mid,Late)
Fall
Water Needs Average
Maintenance Low
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics Showy
Tolerance Deer, Drought, Rabbit
Attracts Butterflies
Landscaping Ideas Beds and Borders, Edging, Patio and Containers, Underplanting Roses and Shrubs
Garden Styles City and Courtyard, Gravel and Rock Garden, Informal and Cottage
Compare All Geranium - Cranesbills Great Plant Combination Ideas with Geranium - Cranesbills Guides with Geranium - Cranesbills United States Plant Combination Ideas United States Guides

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