Geranium phaeum Joseph Green (9cm pot)

A purple double-flowered perennial. Position: Partial shade Soil: Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil Rate of growth: Fast Flowering period: May to June Hardiness: Fully hardy ‘Joseph Green’ a ruffled, mauve-purple, double-flowered cranesbill, with blooms held in loose clusters on slender stems with conspicuous multiple lime green stigmas. Discovered by botanist and horticulturist Lynne Green, this unusual form was named after her father, who had gifted her the original Geranium phaeum from which this was a cultivar. This clump-forming, ground-covering perennial with purple-stained, mid-green leaves is highly versatile and able to cope with high summer temperatures and freezing winter conditions. Garden care:When planting, incorporate a scoop of well-rotted compost into the planting hole and water in well. Once established, in midsummer rejuvenate plants that are beginning to look jaded, by removing old flowered stems and leaves. After a couple of seasons, lift and divide large clumps in spring to maintain plant health and vigour.