Geranium ‘Dusky Crûg’

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There are less than two weeks to go before winter officially begins, but what an extraordinarily mild autumn it has been. Many borderline hardy plants are still flowering their socks off in containers and I am reluctant to dismantle them because they still look so happy, despite a few frosts at the beginning of the month. However, I need to free up the pots for my tulip bulbs so I must harden my heart.

Out in the rest of the garden the autumn foliage colour is in full swing, but there are still a few small surprises to be found and this geranium is one of them. It was, apparently, a chance seedling that was found at Crûg Farm Nursery, and what excitement that must have caused; the bronzy, chocolatey-brown foliage acts as a perfect foil for the lilac-pink flowers which are strongly veined. It has a long flowering season as a rule, but this year it is exceptional.

This little geranium is a front of border suspect, happy in most soils and, for us at least, happy in part shade and very well drained. It forms a low growing (25-30 cms) cushion, neat at first and wandering further afield as the season progresses.

NB Louise has published a beautifully produced book of her plant profiles – A Plant for Each Week of the Year. It costs £9.99 and is for sale in our online shop here.

More NB If you’re not already a subscriber and you’d like a bit more gardening chitchat from the3growbags, please type your email address here and we’ll send you a new post every Saturday morning.

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