Hardy Geraniums

Hardy geraniums - not to be confused with their tender relatives the pelargoniums - are the stalwarts of every cottage garden. Floriferous, disease-free and totally hardy as their name implies, they are a beginner's dream, a professional's diehard and everyone's good-doer. From the neat rosette of leaves first produced in early Spring, through to their Autumnal hues, they add interest to a border throughout the growing season. Cut back immediately after flowering they oblige by producing a new set of foliage within weeks and more often than not a second flush of flowers when everything else is going over in the Autumn. From dwarf alpines to statuesque Geranium madarense and Geranium palmatum (hardy in the milder regions of the UK) they come in all shapes and sizes and their flower colours range from white, pink, lilac and blue. Therein lies the conundrum - the difficulty in identifying each species through their differentiating flower colour and the structure of their foliage. Written by leading taxonomist Peter Yeo who developed the National Collection of Hardy Geraniums at the University Botanic Garden, Cambridge, this is a revised and updated version of his original 1985 publication covering the changes in nomenclature brought about by new scientific technology. Aimed more at the professional geraniologist than the amateur, it provides, through a series of keys, an invaluable aid to plant identification. Alongside detailed descriptions of more than 140 varieties are leaf silhouettes and notes on their geographical origins to assist in their classification. The original already being a classic work on this genus, the new edition brings the study up-to-date with approximately a third new and revised entries and will be an invaluable addition to all professional growers' bookshelves and those of the dedicated amateur.