New National Collection of Geranium for Plant Heritage
Plant Heritage is delighted to welcome a new Collection of Geranium sylvaticum and renardii - forms, cvs. & hybrids, to its programme of National Plant Collections.
The Collection has been established by Susan Clarke in Cheshire who first became interested in the genus after purchasing some plants from former Collection Holder, Judith Bradshaw of Catforth Gardens, in the later 1990’s. Being new to gardening she was impressed with their adaptability and soon started collecting.
With Geranium being such a large genus Susan decided to concentrate on G..sylvaticum which thrives in the shadier part of her garden under fruit trees, and G.renardii which prefers the sun. Being a member of both the Hardy Plant Society and hardy Geranium Group Susan has built up a comprehensive Collection but has a few plants she is still keen to find including G..‘Afrodite’, ‘Michael’s Pink’, ‘Toon Lambrect’ and ‘Connie Wilson’ in sylvaticum types and ‘Rothbury Skyline’, ‘Blue Robin’ and ‘Dominique Finet’ in the renardii types.
Geranium is a species of hardy flowering plants in the Geraniaceae family and is native to Europe. The flowers from this herbaceous perennial produce a dye which was used in ancient Europe to dye war cloaks, believing it would protect fighters in battle.
Speaking on the new Collection Plant Heritage Plant Conservation Officer said, “It is good to welcome a new collection of Geranium to the scheme; it is a large and popular genus, and Susan Clarke is able to demonstrate that growing just parts of a potentially big collection can be appropriate in many garden situations .I do hope that she is able to find the few plants that she is looking for.”
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