Earlier this spring, I bought two cranesbill geraniums - not sure what
kind - which was supposed to flower blue. The foliage is very
delicate, a shade of grey-green, and it has grown most wonderfully,
among purple verbena, West of Ireland Irish fuschias and self seeded
nasturtium. But it hasn't even produced one flower.
What could be the problem?

Cat(h)

Sacha wrote:
On 16/8/06 17:57, in article
, "Cat(h)"
wrote:

Earlier this spring, I bought two cranesbill geraniums - not sure what
kind - which was supposed to flower blue. The foliage is very
delicate, a shade of grey-green, and it has grown most wonderfully,
among purple verbena, West of Ireland Irish fuschias and self seeded
nasturtium. But it hasn't even produced one flower.
What could be the problem?

Have you watered too much, perhaps? Our Geranium 'Jolly Bee' is doing
wonderfully on quite sharp draining banks which rarely, or never, get
watered. This is a marvellous plant BTW, which I strongly recommend. It
flowers freely and for a long time.
--

I think I watered that bed three or four times over the entire summer -
and that was mostly at the beginning, when I had just only planted the
geraniums, to make sure they settled in. And we too have had a most
uncharacteristic drought.
Would a few good soakings be too much?

Cat(h)

On 16/8/06 17:57, in article
, "Cat(h)"
wrote:

Earlier this spring, I bought two cranesbill geraniums - not sure what
kind - which was supposed to flower blue. The foliage is very
delicate, a shade of grey-green, and it has grown most wonderfully,
among purple verbena, West of Ireland Irish fuschias and self seeded
nasturtium. But it hasn't even produced one flower.
What could be the problem?

Have you watered too much, perhaps? Our Geranium 'Jolly Bee' is doing
wonderfully on quite sharp draining banks which rarely, or never, get
watered. This is a marvellous plant BTW, which I strongly recommend. It
flowers freely and for a long time.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

"Cat(h)" writes

Sacha wrote:
On 16/8/06 17:57, in article
, "Cat(h)"
wrote:

Earlier this spring, I bought two cranesbill geraniums - not sure what
kind - which was supposed to flower blue. The foliage is very
delicate, a shade of grey-green, and it has grown most wonderfully,
among purple verbena, West of Ireland Irish fuschias and self seeded
nasturtium. But it hasn't even produced one flower.
What could be the problem?

Have you watered too much, perhaps? Our Geranium 'Jolly Bee' is doing
wonderfully on quite sharp draining banks which rarely, or never, get
watered. This is a marvellous plant BTW, which I strongly recommend. It
flowers freely and for a long time.
--

I think I watered that bed three or four times over the entire summer -
and that was mostly at the beginning, when I had just only planted the
geraniums, to make sure they settled in. And we too have had a most
uncharacteristic drought.
Would a few good soakings be too much?

I wouldn't have thought so. I may be wrong, but I get the impression
that most of the geraniums which insist on sun and good drainage are
pink or white flowered.

Maybe they were just very young when you got it, and has concentrated of
foliage and getting a good root system. Worry if they don't flower next
year.
--
Kay

In reply to Cat(h) ) who wrote this in
, I, Marvo, say :

Earlier this spring, I bought two cranesbill geraniums - not sure what
kind - which was supposed to flower blue. The foliage is very
delicate, a shade of grey-green, and it has grown most wonderfully,
among purple verbena, West of Ireland Irish fuschias and self seeded
nasturtium. But it hasn't even produced one flower.
What could be the problem?

I have loads of geraniums on the boat, all in pots or troughs. They flower
better when it's hot, and the soil is very dry because it's loose in straw
so drains really well.

Recently, the wind (or chavs) took one of my large plastic pots away down
the river. My neighbour saw it whilst returning from downstream, it had
probably gone for days, and brought it back. No flowers. I put it back on
the boat and left it, it is now flowering again. AIUI geraniums are not
indigenous to GB, and they are fundamentally mediterranean plants, so love
the hotter drier weather we're having.

IMHO overwatering is usually the problem, they don't need more water than is
provided by the weather.

I don't know why, but tomorite seems to make for deeper coloured flowers on
most pelargoniums.

"K" wrote in message
...
"Cat(h)" writes

Sacha wrote:
On 16/8/06 17:57, in article
, "Cat(h)"
wrote:
I think I watered that bed three or four times over the entire summer -
and that was mostly at the beginning, when I had just only planted the
geraniums, to make sure they settled in. And we too have had a most
uncharacteristic drought.
Would a few good soakings be too much?

I wouldn't have thought so. I may be wrong, but I get the impression
that most of the geraniums which insist on sun and good drainage are
pink or white flowered.

Maybe they were just very young when you got it, and has concentrated of
foliage and getting a good root system. Worry if they don't flower next
year.
--
Kay

The only grey leafed one I have noticed being shy flowering is G. renardii,
I have always found it flowers better in a crack in paving rather than the
beds. but there are varieties which only flower once so you may have missed
it for this year and there is nothing wrong. Did I miss the name? I may not
have all the posts. But the best grey foliage one I grow is G. robustum
which flowers well in May and June then comes back into flower about now so
you may still get something! and as an evergreen has beautiful foliage over
winter.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

Uncle Marvo writes
In reply to Cat(h) ) who wrote this in
.com, I, Marvo, say :

Earlier this spring, I bought two cranesbill geraniums - not sure what
kind - which was supposed to flower blue. The foliage is very
delicate, a shade of grey-green, and it has grown most wonderfully,
among purple verbena, West of Ireland Irish fuschias and self seeded
nasturtium. But it hasn't even produced one flower.
What could be the problem?

I have loads of geraniums on the boat, all in pots or troughs. They flower
better when it's hot, and the soil is very dry because it's loose in straw
so drains really well.

Recently, the wind (or chavs) took one of my large plastic pots away down
the river. My neighbour saw it whilst returning from downstream, it had
probably gone for days, and brought it back. No flowers. I put it back on
the boat and left it, it is now flowering again. AIUI geraniums are not
indigenous to GB, and they are fundamentally mediterranean plants, so love
the hotter drier weather we're having.

IMHO overwatering is usually the problem, they don't need more water than is
provided by the weather.

I don't know why, but tomorite seems to make for deeper coloured flowers on
most pelargoniums.

It's important to distinguish between pelargoniums, which are popularly
called geraniums, and behave as you describe, and the genus Geranium,
common name cranesbill, which is what the OP is talking about. There are
at least half a dozen species of Geranium which are indigenous to the UK
- Field geranium (large plant with big blue flowers), wood geranium
(large plant, blue flowers with white centre), G. phaeum - dark purple
flowers, herb Robert (small, pink flowers, invasive), a series of small
creeping small pink flowered ones (cut leaved geranium, round leaved
geranium, etc), G. sanguineum - bloody cranesbill - large vivid dark
pink flowers, and in addition G endressii which is not native but widely
naturalised.

Not all of these like dry soils and sun - certainly the first three
don't, and G phaeum prefers dappled shade. If you have these, or
varieties of them, in the garden, they *won't* have enjoyed the hot
weather unless they're in reasonably moisture retentive soil.



--
Kay

Uncle Marvo wrote:
In reply to Cat(h) ) who wrote this in
, I, Marvo, say :

Earlier this spring, I bought two cranesbill geraniums - not sure what
kind - which was supposed to flower blue. The foliage is very
delicate, a shade of grey-green, and it has grown most wonderfully,
among purple verbena, West of Ireland Irish fuschias and self seeded
nasturtium. But it hasn't even produced one flower.
What could be the problem?

I have loads of geraniums on the boat, all in pots or troughs. They flower
better when it's hot, and the soil is very dry because it's loose in straw
so drains really well.

Recently, the wind (or chavs) took one of my large plastic pots away down
the river. My neighbour saw it whilst returning from downstream, it had
probably gone for days, and brought it back. No flowers. I put it back on
the boat and left it, it is now flowering again. AIUI geraniums are not
indigenous to GB, and they are fundamentally mediterranean plants, so love
the hotter drier weather we're having.

IMHO overwatering is usually the problem, they don't need more water than is
provided by the weather.

I don't know why, but tomorite seems to make for deeper coloured flowers on
most pelargoniums.

The geraniums I am referring to are not pelargoniums, but cranesbills -
perenial plants that survive in our climates, whether they are native
or not. Think of something looking more like herb robert on speed than
like a pelargonium. My crop of pelargoniums have fortunately escaped
wind and passers-by with ill-intent, and they are flowering beautifully
at the moment. I have one pot filled with three with single red
flowers - the red is between pillar-box and fuschia - and big round
leaves with beautiful black markings in the centre, which is a pure
delight.

Cat(h)

K wrote:
"Cat(h)" writes

Sacha wrote:
On 16/8/06 17:57, in article
, "Cat(h)"
wrote:

Earlier this spring, I bought two cranesbill geraniums - not sure what
kind - which was supposed to flower blue. The foliage is very
delicate, a shade of grey-green, and it has grown most wonderfully,
among purple verbena, West of Ireland Irish fuschias and self seeded
nasturtium. But it hasn't even produced one flower.
What could be the problem?

Have you watered too much, perhaps? Our Geranium 'Jolly Bee' is doing
wonderfully on quite sharp draining banks which rarely, or never, get
watered. This is a marvellous plant BTW, which I strongly recommend. It
flowers freely and for a long time.
--

I think I watered that bed three or four times over the entire summer -
and that was mostly at the beginning, when I had just only planted the
geraniums, to make sure they settled in. And we too have had a most
uncharacteristic drought.
Would a few good soakings be too much?

I wouldn't have thought so. I may be wrong, but I get the impression
that most of the geraniums which insist on sun and good drainage are
pink or white flowered.

Maybe they were just very young when you got it, and has concentrated of
foliage and getting a good root system. Worry if they don't flower next
year.
--

That's the plan. I was wondering whether they were competing with just
too many other things in the bed, but the foliage is growing like mad.
To be honest, the foliage alone, delightful as it is, looks fab in
contrast to the other flowers and plants in the bed. But it would be
nice to get flowers.
We'll see how it goes next year.

Cat(h)
Kay

Charlie Pridham wrote:


The only grey leafed one I have noticed being shy flowering is G. renardii,
I have always found it flowers better in a crack in paving rather than the
beds. but there are varieties which only flower once so you may have missed
it for this year and there is nothing wrong. Did I miss the name? I may not
have all the posts. But the best grey foliage one I grow is G. robustum
which flowers well in May and June then comes back into flower about now so
you may still get something! and as an evergreen has beautiful foliage over
winter.


You didn't miss the name, I didn't mention it, because I don't
remember. I'll check if I still have the label planted in the bed - I
try to keep them, but I'm only human :-)
It's definitely not renardii. The foliage is very deeply dented.
Words fail me miserably to describe the leaves. Let's say that in
shape they look a bit like those japanese maples, with the edges of the
leaves following closely the veins. It's not robustum either, the
leaves are even skinnier than those.
I would say "tres decoupees" in French, if that helps :-) Sorry, the
brain is slowing down - must be Thursday evening :-) I can't find
photos that look like the foliage of my geraniums, so time permitting
this week end, I'll take a photo and upload it on tinypic.

Cat(h)