My lovely Geranium Himalayense

[Iris_Germany]

Hi,

3 years ago I found this Geranium on a construction site where a building had been torn down.
In the meantime it has grown so much and is so lovely - and the bees love it too - I am more than happy having saved it.

There is only one problem:
After it has blossomed in June, I cut it down and it blooms again later in August/September.
Now, I want to plant something between them which blooms when they are not.



Do you have any idea? Thanks for any inspiration.

I thought about bulbs maybe. Allium of some sort but they bloom also in June and July.
Only: What blooms between July and September? I can think of nothing.

[Nicos]

How about Asters or Japanese anemones ( white, purple or pink ) both are perennials too.
Personally I think a selection of alliums would look fantastic

[Iris_Germany]

How about Asters or Japanese anemones ( white, purple or pink ) both are perennials too.
Personally I think a selection of alliums would look fantastic

Allium I have some on another bed. Only: They bloom in June and July too and not in August, alas :-)
And japanese anemonum I got the "Honorine Jobert" and " Pamina" who are soooo lovely, you are really right about that.
Only: They bloom from September on (here in our climat)

What is there in August what would fill in? Between the routs of the Geraniums?

You know, when the Geranium is cut down, it looks like there is nothing at all, only some sort of little, cut branches and raw earth. Until the leaves have grown back, it is meanwhile September ...

[DannyK]

Japanese Anemones are a bit of a thug and will swamp the geraniums. Mine are now 6 foot tall thickets!

Bulbs are probably a better bet. Gladioli? Just work your way through the catalogue.

[DannyK]

These are my anemones. They have taken years to get like this but nothing could survive within the clump. It is underplanted with snowdrops which come and go before the anemone foliage.
Try gladioli byzantinus. They are less showy but a lot hardier. There are other smaller flowered ones which are supposed to be hardy. I leave all mine in but I'm in S London. Maybe a heavy mulch might protect them

[Nicos]

Japanese Anemones are a bit of a thug and will swamp the geraniums. Mine are now 6 foot tall thickets!

Hadn’t realised that …I only have one and it’s nowhere near that size - maybe they prefer your soil?

[Iris_Germany]

These are my anemones. They have taken years to get like this but nothing could survive within the clump. It is underplanted with snowdrops which come and go before the anemone foliage.
Try gladioli byzantinus. They are less showy but a lot hardier. There are other smaller flowered ones which are supposed to be hardy. I leave all mine in but I'm in S London. Maybe a heavy mulch might protect them

Thanks for the pictures. My two little japanese anemones stand in half-shade. I put them there because they are one of the few flowers (which I like) who can stand shade. When they have your size, maybe I divide them and plant them in different places where there is shade too.

Concerning the germaniums, I rummaged in my flower seeds and found these lovely rudbeckia hirta "Irish Spring". They not seem to survive the winter here, so I have to root them out at the end of their blooming. Nevertheless, this is maybe not bad because the Germanium afterwards has again the full space to grow leaves and cover the ground.

Aren't they lovely? I can't wait to sow them out.
They flower in August, which is exactly what I wanted.