At this time of year our main border would look pretty bare without the wondrous hardy geraniums to add colour at the front of the border. Up above, the self-seeded aquilegia and welsh poppies and the reliable red valerian are performing but they are not enough on their own. We have six geranium varieties and I have had difficulty identifying some of them. These days I keep a record of new plants but years ago I didn’t. I would be grateful for any identification of these lovely plants.

Probably Geranium x magnificum

We have two pink varieties. Both have quite small flowers and one has curved-back petals. The latter will flower throughout the summer.

Our white geranium looks very much like G. Kashmir White and very pretty it is too, shining out from the shade.

All these geraniums have been divided and spread around the garden, but G. x magnificum is definitely the most successful. Lately I have added Geranium macrorrhizum ‘Ingwerson’s Variety’ and Geranium phaeum ‘Album’ in another border where they are doing well in their first year.

After this flowering I will trim them back and hope they will flower again later in the year, allbeit not so prolifically.