Please recommend me some hardy ground cover geraniums

[WellTidy]

I'd like to plant some ground cover geraniums under the established shrubs to stifle weeds and give some colour. I am looking for ones that flower for as long as possible, and stay fairly low. I've already got Rozanne, Bloomtime and Pink Pouffe in my Thompson & Morgan basket - any other suggestions please? Incidentally, I thought they would be super cheap for some reason (I have no idea why)! Hopefully they will spread quickly.

[Cantspell2]

If you want cheap go to wilko and buy geranium splash splash. Fast growing ground cover geranium of white with purple splashes. £2 a root. Start in a pot in your greenhouse or window sill then plant out after last frost has passed.
Wilko also sell top Johnson blue geranium again £2 and quick spreading but it is a lavender blue colour.

[WellTidy]

Cantspell Are they there now, do you know please? I'm happy with anything with a white, pink, purple or blue flower, so geraniums are good for me! I don't like yellows (unless they're daffodils), reds or oranges really.

[Cantspell2]

Yes they are in store now. Wilko do a click and collect service so you can also order online and then pick up in store so no postage. Or if you want them delivered it is £4 postage.

[WellTidy]

Thank you Cant. How many would you recommend that I buy so that they don't get completely lost in my garden? I have about 30 feet in a border to fill.

[Cantspell2]

Do you want to carpet the whole area in planting this year or wait for them to naturally spread?
Each root will produce a spread of around 15 to 20 cm and given time will produce new plant growth.
You could put in one each foot to allow for spreading and plant other this in between. I have sedums, hostas, ajuga and bergenia forbshady ground cover.

[WellTidy]

That's good to know about the spread Cant. I will have to also plant in between, I think. I have avoided hostas due to the slugs (none in our garden and I don't want to encourage them!), and I have so much bergenia in other parts of the garden, I don't want to have more of that. But I do like sedum and ajuga is a good call, I'd forgotten about it.

I will go to Wilko in person I think. I've looked online and the only geraniums splash splash and top johnson blue I can see are bulbs. Whilst looking, I did see nerine bulbs, which I have been looking for, and they're so much cheaper than elsewhere.

[Cantspell2]

Geranium mixed with oxtalis bulbs in a shady bed with very poor soil at the bottom of my garden.
Oxtalis bulbs can be bought very cheaply in places like Poundland. Throw the whole bag in a hole in the soil and you will get a nice round clump.

[Knittedfairies]

Yes, when geraniums/cranesbills are happy, most will spread like the clappers - and they are pretty easy to grow from seed too.

[Cantspell2]

The geranium will come as bare roots. Depending where you are in the country will determine whether they can be planted now or wait awhile.
I am on the south coast so would probably stick them straight in but if you are up north i would wait awhile.
I have bought a lot of plants, bulbs and seeds from wilko and even though they are cheap I have not had any problems with them.
Their dahlias are very good at £1 a tuber and once grown you would not know the difference between them and my more expensive garden centre ones.

[Ffsnothingworks]

Geraniums are very easy to divide too. Blue ones flower for ages too.

[WellTidy]

I am in Kent, inside the M25. Pretty mild here compared to the rest of the country. Are these Wilko bulbs the ones I should be buying? I am getting quite excited!

[Cantspell2]

That’s them but are are not a bulb they are a bare root.
When you see them in store you can often see ones that are beginning to shoot. I would buy these ones and pop them in a pot in the greenhouse for a few weeks. If you don’t have a greenhouse then on a windowsill or even buy a cheap plastic grow house for them.

[FuzzyCustard]

J. Parkers (online plants, I have used them a lot) often do a range of hardy geranium collections, so you get 6 different plants or so at a good price.

[FuzzyCustard]

www.jparkers.co.uk/5-geraniums-hardy-mixed

[applespearsbears]

Thanks for the thread I was looking into this exact thing! Now how do I spin a trip to Wilko into a fun half term activity.....

[WellTidy]

I bought the bare root geraniums today in wilkos among other things. I bought all of the geraniums that they had, which was only 6. Hoping they will have some more stock soon.

[Cantspell2]

You could always do click and collect it you want a few. Just order online for collection in store so no postage.

[WellTidy]

I have ordered more with click and collect Cant. Thank you, that was a good idea. Homebase had some too so I got those as well, they are a pink variety. I think I have about 15 now so should see some good results this year.