Bursting with flowers, hardy geraniums also feature a lush foliage which adds valuable texture in the garden. Incredibly tough, pest and disease-resistant, they give a lot and require very little. Most hardy geraniums are ridiculously easy to grow. All they require is moderately fertile, well-drained soil. A few species are even reliably drought tolerant in normal summer conditions.

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.

The best hardy geranium species and cultivars for rock gardens are those which require sharp drainage and gritty, rocky, or sandy soil. They will thrive and flourish, provided they are provided at least half a day of sun, except in hot summer climates where some protection would be preferred.

Most bloom profusely over a very long season, extending from late spring to late fall (if cut back hard after the first flush of blooms starts to fade in early summer).

To beautify your rock garden, there is a broad array of colors and textures to choose from. If you are looking for a beautiful, low-maintenance, hardy geranium that will sail through the challenges of the seasons, you may want to consider these top-performing varieties. As you will note, some of them have received the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society!