This is one of my favourite plants for those dry, shaded areas of the garden. The sort of place, usually under trees, where plants start off well, but then flag and eventually give up.
Geranium macrorrhizum Album, also known as the Rock Cranesbill is a vigerous grower, making it perfect for those challenging areas.
It’s apple-green leaves form dense mats that cover the ground. The leaves are strongly scented, not unpleasant, just not a sweet scent, but a small price to pay for a plant that ticks all other boxes.
It’s evergreen, which means that it does a good job of smothering most weeds. The small white flowers begin to appear in early Spring and go right through to the middle of the summer.
vital statistics:
30cm tall x 50cm wide.
Happy in sun, part shade or deep shade and most types of soil, just as long as they aren’t water-logged.
Get it off to a good start by adding plenty of chunky compost to the planting hole, but my top tip is to make a shallow depression around the base of the plant, this allows water to stay put and have time to soak through to the roots.
It looks best planted in large groups forming a mass of plants.
Rather than regularly replacing plants, planting the right plant in the right place where it will thrive, is a sustainable way of gardening, saving time, energy and money. Much as I love pottering around in my garden, I’m all for having enough time to sit and enjoy it too.
Jill
