Hardy Geraniums

The Hardy Geranium Group was formed in 1974 when interest in the plants was booming. There are now approx. 110 species and 600 cultivars in British gardens. They range in height from a few cm. to 1m. and in colour from white through pink, mauve and pale blue to deep magenta, violet and blue. There is a geranium for every site in the garden: hot and sunny or dry shade. Margery Fish famously said “When in doubt, plant a geranium.”

We are still the only association dedicated solely to this large family of garden-worthy plants, which have been voted the Hardy Plant Society’s favourite flowers. Our members provide advice and information about the plants to gardeners, nurserymen and journalists in the UK and abroad. Membership is open to all members of the HPS and we welcome those who are not specialists but would like to know more.

We produce two newsletters a year in Spring and Autumn, host an annual AGM and Geranium Day at different venues around the UK, and organise a geranium and erodium seed exchange each year (free to members).  The seed list is usually sent out in November. You can find full information below on how to join at the beginning of the ‘Further Information’ section.

How can you join?

Subscriptions are renewable on 1st January, or on the anniversary of your membership, when paying via the HPS website post 2024.

• U.K. members: £7.00 p.a. This covers up to two people at the same address.
• Overseas members: £9.00 p.a. to be paid with the main HPS subscription unless members have a UK sterling bank account.
• Please note that these fees are in addition to the National HPS subscription.

Join this group online by visiting our shop.

If you have any queries, please contact Karen Tolmie, the Hardy Geranium Group’s membership secretary – hpshggmembership@gmail.com or 07855 758752.

New members will receive a free copy of the latest newsletter and an e-copy of ‘Geranium People’, a booklet by Margaret Stone, a former HGG chairman, about many of the people who have introduced geraniums or had geraniums named after them. If you have not received these within 14 days after joining us please let Karen know via the contact details above.

Activities

Geranium Day 2024

Join us in Norfolk on Saturday 8th June to celebrate the Hardy Geranium Group’s 50th anniversary! It will be a very special day, featuring two great nurserymen: Tim Fuller and Adrian Bloom.

We’ll meet in the morning at Garboldisham Village Hall (Garboldisham, Diss, IP22 2SE) for our AGM and prestigious plant sale, then visit Tim Fuller at his nursery, The Plantsman’s Preference (South Lopham, Diss, IP22 2LW). Tim, who is the Registrar for the International Geraniaceae Group, will give a brief presentation before letting us loose in his inspired nursery, with its wide choice of geraniums and other delights.

In the afternoon we’ll move on to Bressingham Gardens (Bressingham, Diss, IP22 2AA) for a personal tour led by Adrian Bloom, the owner and famous plantsman. There could hardly be a more appropriate venue, as it was Blooms of Bressingham who introduced Geranium ROZANNE, voted ‘Plant of the Centenary’ at the 100th Chelsea Flower Show. Afterwards there will of course be another opportunity to stock up on plants!

With only 50 places available, we recommend booking early. We are offering a discounted rate of £10 for HGG members with a standard rate of £17 for non HGG members. HPS members paying £17 will get complimentary HGG membership for 2024.

Please complete the booking form and return it to Sue Brown, sueb2304@gmail.com.

Once the exact details have been finalised, Sue will send everyone attending an information sheet for the day, giving a full timetable; directions to the three venues; parking details; and full particulars about plant sales.

Geranium Day 2023

Geranium Day 2023 was held on Saturday 3rd June at Powick Village Hall near Worcester in glorious sunshine. Following our AGM and excellent plant sale we were treated to a delightful talk on Geraniums in Public Gardens by Margaret Stone.
During the afternoon we visited Margaret’s large and interesting cottage garden where many of her geraniums were flowering in amongst other plants. We also had the pleasure of more plants for sale!

Geranium Day 2022

Geranium Day 2022 was held on Saturday 11th June at the village of Stillingfleet near York.  We welcomed attendees from as far away as Scotland, Devon, Cumbria and Norfolk, and many points in between, and were blessed with wonderful weather.  As usual, the plant sales table featured an abundance of great plants at a great price, including, this year, beautiful rarities such as Geranium ‘Orkney Flame’ and G. yoshinoi.
After our AGM, Vanessa Cook of Stillingfleet Lodge nurseries and gardens gave a superb presentation on the geranium family and the development of the gardens from a derelict grass field in the mid 1970’s to their current series of distinct areas like the ‘Rill Garden’ and the ‘Wattle Garden’.  We all admired the wonderful planting schemes after lunch – it’s no surprise at all that Gardens Illustrated has praised Stillingfleet as ‘one of the best cottage gardens’.  The nursery was superb too, with several HGG members going back for a ‘second helping’ of plants, having found that they’d not quite filled their car boot the first time!  A good time was had by all, and we’re very grateful to Vanessa for being such an excellent host.

Zoom Talks

On Thursday 9th November, 2023, Nik Martin-Turner gave an inspiring Zoom presentation on ‘Incorporating Hardy Geraniums within Garden Design For Maximum Impact and Seasonal Progression’.  Nik is well known for his superb postings on the Hardy Geranium Group Facebook page www.facebook.com/groups/634752353347749/ .  Drawing on his extensive experience of designing eye-catching display schemes for major retailers, he demonstrated how we can all plan better and make sure we have a succession of beautiful plants (especially geraniums!) in flower in the same flower-bed at every stage of the growing season.   His harmonious combinations of colour and height were simply amazing!

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In November 2022 Anthony Nichols gave us a fascinating presentation on his national collection of Geranium phaeum.  Anthony’s garden is in Leicestershire and the 2023 open days for viewing the collection are Saturday 20th May and Sunday 21st May, between 11 & 4, by appointment (admission £5).  You can find Anthony’s contact details, and information on the other national Geranium collections, at the foot of this page.
We hosted three very enjoyable zoom talks in 2021 from: Julie Ritchie of Hoo House nursery on ‘Geraniums and Friends’, which included many helpful suggestions on planting associations; Sue Clarke on ‘A National Geranium Collection and How to Start One’, about her national collections of G. renardii and G. sylvaticum; and Robin Parer, who owns the largest geranium nursery in North America and gave us an intriguing tour of geraniums worldwide

Plant Heritage (NCCPG) National Collections of hardy geraniums are held by:

Susan Clarke, Wren’s Nest, Wrenbury Heath Road,Wrenbury, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 8EQ (map)
wrenburysue@gmail.com
Geranium sylvaticum and renardii.
Open by appointment. Please email wrenburysue@gmail.com for details.
From Nantwich town centre follow A530 towards Whitchurch. At Sound School on R take 1st R onto Wrenbury Heath Rd.

Margaret Stone, Brockamin, Old Hills, Callow End, Worcs. WR2 4TQ. (map)
stone.brockamin@btinternet.com
Geranium x cantabrigiense, macrorrhizum and sanguineum.
Open by appointment February-October.
½ mile S of village. Pull into Old Hills car-park; walk towards houses, keeping right.

Joan Taylor, Silverwood House, Gardeners Lane, Romsey, Hants. SO51 6AD (map)
joanvtaylor@hotmail.com
www.birchwoodplants.co.uk
Geranium nodosum.
Open by appointment.
Take A3090 to Romsey. At top of hill take left turn into Gardeners Lane.
Silverwood House is on the left, beyond bend, approx. 1 km

Anthony Nichols JP, The New Barn, 92 Newbold Road, Desford, Leicestershire, LE9 9GS (map)
anthonyrnichols@rocketmail.com
Geranium phaeum.
Open by appointment.
Follow signs to Tropical Birdland, Desford from J22 M1. Follow Newbold Road – New Barn is on right hand side inside old farmyard for Gables Farm. 7 miles from Leicester city centre and train station, with decent bus links to Market Bosworth.

Rachel Wilkinson, Rowan Bank, West View, Castleside, County Durham, DH8 9QP
rachelvawilkinson@gmail.com
Geranium species
Open by appointment.
At the A68 crossroads in Castleside take the turn for Stanhope. West View is about one hundred yards along on the right.