I'm a big fan of spreading, bushy geraniums, and this blue one is my favourite. I've long since lost the exact species, as it has travelled with me from house to house, and does well in lots of situations. The flowers are large and showy, though it only blooms once.
The small patch of garden which came with my house has several problems; thin, poor soil; limited ability to build up the soil due to its proximity to the road (soil can wash off downhill); and its dryness in the summer - under trees and in full sun (when we get it!) for several hours a day. The soil bakes in the sun and then it's hard to get water in, contributing to the soil washing off. So although I do add compost and soil where I can, a bit of lateral thinking was called for.
I decided to ensure there is a constant covering of plants across the whole bed and this consists of woodruff and geraniums mostly. This stops the soil getting baked and helps retain moisture in the soil under the leaves. This blue geranium covers the roots of the old (shrub) rose, which suffers in the heat - you can just see it behind the plant here. The rose has really benefitted and now, though I have to water in dry spells, at least it doesn't run straight off like it used to. This old rose is covered in flower buds, and I'm looking forward to it flowering soon - will post a picture then. While the bed is lacking in colour during July and August, in reality little would survive the conditions so I satisfy myself with the green and varied foliage the plants provide.
Original Article Here
No comments:
Post a Comment