I’ve been gardening for over 10 years and have tried a lot of different ground covers. But hardy geraniums are always my first choice. These hardy perennials have done great in my garden over and over again, and today I’m going to tell you why they might also do well in yours!
Why Hardy Geraniums Make Amazing Ground Cover
Now let me tell you why I love hardy geraniums so much as ground cover. If you want to grow plants, these are like the Swiss Army knife of plants: they can handle almost anything you throw at them!
Key Benefits:
- Weed Suppression Champion: Their dense, low-growing foliage creates a thick mat that naturally blocks out weeds
- Adaptable to Various Conditions: Whether you’ve got sun or shade, they’ll thrive
- Long Blooming Season: You’ll get flowers from spring through fall (that’s serious bang for your buck!)
- Low Maintenance: Once established, they practically take care of themselves
- Pest Resistant: Deer and rabbits usually leave them alone (hallelujah!)
- Erosion Control: Their root system helps hold soil in place
Best Hardy Geranium Varieties for Ground Cover
I’ve experimented with several varieties in my garden, and here are some standout performers
1. Geranium macrorrhizum (Bigroot Geranium)
- Height: 12-18 inches
- Spread: 18-24 inches
- Best for: Sun or shade
- My experience: This is my absolute fave! It’s practically indestructible and looks amazing year-round.
2. Geranium sanguineum
- Height: 8-12 inches
- Spread: 12-18 inches
- Best for: Full sun
- Bonus: Gorgeous magenta blooms
3. Geranium ‘Rozanne’
- Height: 18-20 inches
- Spread: 24-36 inches
- Best for: Partial shade
- Pro tip: This one’s been crowned Plant of the Year and blooms forever!
How to Grow Hardy Geraniums as Ground Cover
Planting Tips:
- Spacing: Plant 12-18 inches apart
- Soil Prep: Mix in some organic compost
- Depth: Plant at the same depth as they were in their containers
- Water: Keep soil moist until established
Maintenance Schedule:
- Spring: Clean up dead foliage
- Summer: Deadhead spent blooms
- Fall: Light trim if needed
- Winter: Leave foliage for protection
Common Questions I Get About Hardy Geraniums
Do they come back every year?
Yep! These are perennials that’ll return year after year, getting better with time.
How fast do they spread?
They spread at a manageable rate – not too slow, not too aggressive. Perfect for filling spaces without becoming invasive
What about different light conditions?
One of the things I love most about hardy geraniums is their flexibility. Most varieties can handle anything from full sun to partial shade.
Tips from My Garden to Yours
- For faster coverage: Plant them closer together initially
- For continuous blooms: Deadhead regularly
- For rejuvenation: Cut back by 1/3 after first flush of flowers
- For winter interest: Some varieties keep their foliage year-round
My Personal Experience
I have to admit that I wasn’t sure about hardy geraniums as ground cover at first. But after seeing how well they work in my garden year after year, I’m sold! They’ve saved me hours of weeding and kept the plants looking great even in tough spots.
Potential Challenges
Look, no plant is perfect, so here’s the real talk about some challenges you might face:
- Some varieties can look a bit messy after flowering
- They might need dividing every few years
- In very hot climates, they might need extra water
- Some varieties can self-seed (though I usually see this as a bonus!)
Conclusion
Hardy geraniums are seriously underrated as ground cover plants. They’re tough, pretty, and super low-maintenance – what’s not to love? Whether you’re a newbie gardener or a seasoned pro, these plants deserve a spot in your garden.
Believe me, hardy geraniums will make you forget about everything else once you try them as ground cover. They changed my garden, and I’m sure they can change yours too!
Remember: This isn’t about those bright annual geraniums you see at garden centers in spring – we’re talking about the hardy perennial varieties that’ll stick around year after year!
Purple veins, purple veins
Geranium Rozanne (‘Gerwat’) is a stupendous plant making vigorous ground cover or a dramatic container specimen. From July to October, a lot of saucer-shaped flowers bloom with purple veins and a bright white center. They are set against fresh green leaves. It needs a lot of room or looks great planted as a single plant in a big pot, where it makes a blue waterfall of color. ‘Jolly Bee’ has now been pronounced as identical. 60cm (2ft). Hardiness rating H7.
With some of the loveliest foliage of all hardy geraniums, each broad lobed greyish leaf of Geranium renardii has the soft texture of sage foliage. In June and July sprays of white flowers with deep purple veins are held just above the even mound of leaves. This is a compact and slowly spreading plant, ideal for the front of a sunny border; dryish conditions bring out the best in the foliage. 35cm (14in). Hardiness rating H6.
This delicately patterned form of our
A native plant is one that originated or arrived naturally in a particular place without human involvement. In the British Isles, native plants are those that were here during the last ice age or have arrived unaided since.
native Geranium pratense (meadow cranesbill) is effective close up, where its intricate colouring can be admired, and from a distance for its haze of colour. The pale blue flowers of Geranium pratense ‘Mrs Kendall Clark’, which open through June and July, feature a network of white veins and will come again in a second flush if dead-headed. In spring, the mound of new lobed foliage is also attractive. 90cm (3ft). Hardiness rating H7.
Many varieties of this widely grown
A plant produced by crossing two distinct parents, often different species, to produce offspring that combine the characteristics of both. Hybrids can occur naturally, but crosses are often made deliberately by plant breeders to produce plants with better yield, improved flowering or vigour, or improved disease resistance.
hybrid are weedy, floppy and unremarkable but Geranium x oxonianum ‘Wageningen’ is more compact, more upright and has a long succession of green eyed, salmony pink flowers each with a shiny reflective surface to enhance the appeal. Superb under old roses, in full sun the flowers may bleach so partial or dappled shade is ideal. ‘Wageningen’ is happy in most soils. 40cm (18in). Hardiness rating H7.
The ideal ground cover
You could say that Geranium ‘Orion’ is like the old Geranium johnsonii ‘Johnson’s Blue’, but much, much better. It is one of the best new hardy geraniums. Spreading to make excellent ground cover, large lavender-tinted blue flowers have purple veins and open in huge quantities all summer. The broad petals overlap to create bowl-shaped flowers and the white centres accentuate the colouring. A seedling of Geranium ‘Brookside’, another fine AGM winner. 75cm (30in). Hardiness rating H7.
Geranium ‘Mavis Simpson’ is a low and spreading, almost evergreen plant. It has lobed silvery foliage which makes a lovely background for the pink flowers which themselves have a silver overlay as well as dark veins. Flowers open from June to October and although the stems spread widely they’re easy to restrict as they do not take root. Found as a chance seedling at Kew, and named after a Kew gardener. 20cm (8in). Hardiness rating H6.
A prolific, widely spreading and unusually long flowering ground cover, the purple-veined magenta pink flowers open from July until a hard frost. Although unhappy in dry conditions, Geranium ‘Dilys’ is valuable for its tolerance of poor drainage and enjoys part shade as well as in full sun. Named in honour of Dilys Davies, for many years an influential member of the Hardy Plant Society. 40cm (16in). Hardiness rating H7.