The MGS Forum
Plants for mediterranean gardens => Perennials => Topic started by: Caroline on July 27, 2015, 07:36:53 AM
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Does anyone have any experience in growing Geranium maderense? I have two healthy plants in pots which a friend gave me, and now want to plant them out. I know it needs free-draining soil (will have to dig some compost and grit into my unlovely clay) but my various reference books are giving me conflicting advice as to whether it does best in shade or sun. All thoughts welcome!
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Hello Caroline, I first saw G. maderense growing at Portmeirion in Wales. It was a magnificent specimen, in full flower. And I wonder if that mild estuary climate might be something like your island climate. It was such a magnificent plant that I bought two at the attached nursery. A crazy thing to do as I was taking it back to Northumberland. But to my surprise they did well in a conservatory, the only heating being a blow heater on frosty nights. I still remember it flowering happily when there was 10 cms of frozen snow melting on the conservatory roof. So it should do well whatever conditions you throw at it. Keep us posted.
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You won't have any trouble on Waiheke. With us it grow roughly 1m x 1m plus 2m flower head - vast. The white form is no less big.
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Thanks Trevor - I'm going to hedge my bets by planting one in a slightly shadier position than the other!
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The best internet discussion I've seen on Geranium maderense is by Dan Cooper in his blog The Frustrated Gardener: you can find it by clicking here (https://frustratedgardener.com/2012/06/06/geranium-palmatum-versus-geranium-maderense/)
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Thanks Alisdair - I am about to try again (both my earlier specimens succumbed). so very timely!
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Good luck, Caroline! We've got ten or eleven strong young plants from seed (here in Sussex, England), and are going to risk some outside in various places that we hope might be mild/dry enough for them in the increasingly mild winters that we usually have here, with others in big pots under cover. Fingers crossed!
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Sally used to grow and propagate this at Sparoza so a few of us had it from her, but a cold winter killed the lot. I remember it being pretty spectacular.