Cranesbill Karen Wouters

Geranium Wargrave Pink is an energetically growing geranium cultivar with a very long flowering period. The flowers are pink and appear from May until August. It needs plenty of space, and once it roots well, it can spread into wide clumps and effectively cover the ground. On suitable sites, it can even self-seed and is suitable for naturalistic gardens.

This species of sage originates from the steppe regions of Central and Eastern Europe. It forms profusely flowering small clumps with straight, upright stems. In flower beds, it looks best in groups. It is traditionally planted as a companion to roses due to the matching flowering time. However, it looks equally good in mixed drought-tolerant steppe plantings with grasses. It is an excellent food source for bees. Lasts 7 days in a vase. Amethyst is an elegant variety with long stems and a pink flower color that is unusual for sages.

Bloody cranesbill is a vigorous and undemanding perennial suitable for sunny spots. In addition to the flowers, the finely divided leaves have ornamental value, coloring up spectacularly in autumn. Elsbeth stands out with deep purple-pink flowers and red autumn foliage in sunny locations.

The charming gaura comes from the sun-drenched plains of Texas and Louisiana and represents exactly the plant that can liven up any drought-tolerant planting. It is a naturally profusely blooming perennial that delights in full sun and well-drained, sandy, and nutrient-poor soil. You will receive from us an already grown seedling in a pot, which will quickly form a vigorous clump after being transplanted into the garden. From early summer until late autumn, it will delight you with a flood of tiny flowers in pure white and delicate pink tones. The flowers gently sway in the breeze and with their appearance resemble a flock of tiny butterflies, which also really like to land on the plant, as do bees and bumblebees. Although gaura is known as a short-lived perennial, thanks to its willing self-seeding, it will last for many years in your garden. Caring for it is completely undemanding, it is avoided by most diseases and pests, and it can handle frosts down to eighteen degrees below zero without any problems. It is often used in mixed borders, where it beautifully softens the overall impression, and perfectly matches various types of ornamental grasses. The Summer Breeze variety is popular for its strong and healthy growth as well as its exceptionally generous set of flowers, which grow to about one meter. If you like to create your own bouquets, do not hesitate to cut gaura for a vase. Harvesting is best done the moment the first small flowers on the stem begin to open. These delicate flowers are not suitable for drying into dried arrangements, but they will beautifully lighten up fresh bouquets.

A valuable garden and medicinal perennial, native to North America. It blooms in summer with dark purple-pink flowers. The spiky flower centers are an irresistible attraction for butterflies. They last 7–10 days in a vase. After removing the petals, the stems with the central disks can be dried or used in fresh bouquets as an interesting element. Magnus features distinctive deep pink flowers with an orange-brown center.

The bloody cranesbill is a vigorous and undemanding perennial suitable for sunny places. Besides the flowers, the finely divided leaves have ornamental value, additionally coloring effectively in autumn. The Album cultivar, as one of the few bloody cranesbills, can handle even slight shade. The leaves turn yellow tones in autumn.

*Potentilla nepalensis* is a wild mountain plant native to the western regions of the Himalayas. It has also captured the attention of gardeners and breeders. There once existed a large number of garden varieties, which are unfortunately lost and unavailable today. Potentilla fits well into mixed perennial beds. Miss Willmott has cherry-pink flowers with a raspberry-red center.

An ideal choice for brightening up a sunny terrace or balcony, where it will bring you joy with an untiring flood of flowers from late spring to November. The 'Cherry Lips' Sage forms compact, partially woody bushes that are literally dotted with bi-colored flowers in a playful combination of cherry red and white. Because the original botanical species Salvia greggii comes from semi-desert and steppe regions, this cultivar also requires full sun and excellently drained, sandy soil, where it is not at risk of waterlogging. Due to its lower frost resistance, we recommend growing it primarily in a pot and moving it to a cool, bright, frost-free room for the winter. If you decide to plant it in the open ground, choose the south-facing side by the house wall and carefully cover the plant with conifer branches for the winter. In addition to the visual experience, this sage also offers an olfactory and gustatory one. The leaves have a specific fruity-spicy aroma, and you can boldly use the sweet flowers in the kitchen as an edible decoration for dishes.

Alchemilla mollis, known as lady's mantle, is an indispensable perennial for anyone who wants to bring harmony and softness to the garden. Its home is the moister environments of mountain meadows and light forests, making it a very adaptable plant that will survive even severe frosts without problems in our climate. The 'Irish Silk' cultivar is prized for its vitality and abundant blooming, where clouds of tiny, yellow-green flowers float above clumps of gray-green leaves. It is precisely this neutral color that can work wonders in a flower bed – it softens overly sharp contrasts between other flowers and beautifully unifies the entire composition. Besides its ornamental function, lady's mantle also has practical uses. Thanks to its clumping growth and ability to quickly fill in, it is ideal for edging pathways or as an underplanting beneath taller shrubs and roses. Water droplets catch on its leaves, creating a magical spectacle in the garden. If you enjoy making bouquets, you will love lady's mantle as versatile filler greenery that matches almost anything. It will last beautiful for about ten days in a vase, and its inflorescences can also be easily dried without losing too much of their color or shape. Moreover, it is a magnet for pollinators, and its young leaves are even edible, so it also finds use in a natural kitchen.

This species of sage originally comes from the steppe regions of Central and Eastern Europe. It forms profusely flowering small clumps with straight upright stems. In flower beds, it looks best in groups. Traditionally, due to the identical flowering time, it is planted as a companion to roses. However, it will look just as good in mixed drought-loving steppe plantings with grasses. It lasts 7 days in a vase. The cultivar Caradonna stands out with a long flowering period and dark, almost black-purple stems with tiny purple flowers and dark purple bracts. If we cut it back after flowering, it will bloom again in late August and September.

Lesser calamint Blue Cloud is an undemanding and modest perennial that reliably perfumes any sunny garden. Its original homeland is the sunny and dry slopes of Southern Europe, which is why it thrives best here in direct sun in well-drained, sandy, or poorer loamy soil. It handles winter without problems, tolerating frosts down to minus twenty-three degrees. You will receive a grown seedling in a pot from us, which you just need to transplant straight into the flowerbed, where it will very soon form a compact, airy small shrub reaching a height of up to forty centimeters. It does not suffer from any diseases or pests, so even complete beginners can easily handle caring for it. Throughout late summer and into autumn, it blooms with a record number of tiny blue flowers that are so typical of the Blue Cloud variety. The whole plant emits a pleasant minty-spicy scent, and its flowers, which resemble thyme, act as a literal magnet for bees, bumblebees, and butterflies. It will look great among roses or in naturally designed steppe flowerbeds, where it naturally complements lower ornamental grasses. Additionally, both the blue flowers and green leaves are edible, so you can use them to garnish summer dishes. Lesser calamint is also excellently suited for cutting into smaller fresh bouquets, adding a fine structure to them in a vase.

Hellebores are evergreen perennials that form slowly spreading clumps of leathery, dark green leaves. The stems usually bear four to five flowers. They bloom very early, as early as late winter and early spring. They are usable for vases only after conspicuous seed pods form in the center of the flower and the flower matures. Earlier, they tend to wilt and the stems cannot hold the flower in an upright position. All parts of the plant are poisonous. Double Ellen White is an almost pure white, double-flowered hellebore. The petals are slightly wavy and the bottom row of petals is lightly tinged with green.

Robin purple loosestrife is, in its original form, a native wild perennial that you will commonly encounter in nature in wet meadows, shallow waters, or on the swampy edges of ponds. It is a plant that literally loves water and sun, so if you have a wetter corner or a pond in your garden, it will be absolutely happy there. Thanks to its origin, it is extremely resilient and fully frost-resistant, which makes it an ideal choice even for beginner gardeners. In summer, it becomes a magnet for bees, bumblebees, and butterflies looking for nectar on its purple flowers. The main difference of the cultivar Robin compared to the very similar Robert variety is its narrow, unbranched inflorescences with stems densely covered with flowers and leaves at the same time. In autumn, it will also please you when its leaves turn into beautiful shades of orange and red. The sturdy stems are also suitable for cutting into a vase, where they stay fresh for a long time, but this perennial is not suitable for drying.

Feather grass flowers capture attention in beds and bouquets with their lightness and delicacy. All feather grasses love full sun and dry, stony, well-drained soil. To look most natural in beds, it is good to plant them in loose groups of several pieces together with other drought-loving perennials and bulbs. Only then do their stems and inflorescences, set in motion by the slightest breath of wind, truly stand out. Stipa 'Ponny Tails' is a species native to the steppes of Mexico, Texas, and Patagonia. Airy, dense clumps of hair-like delicate leaves resemble horsehair. The leaves are green, turning up to straw-colored towards the flowers. In a suitable location, it also self-seeds.

The original natural species comes from the Caucasus. The Philippe Vapelle cultivar is valuable for its evergreen and distinctive gray leaves. It combines excellently with drought-loving and gray-leaved perennials and grasses. It spreads via rhizomes and forms dense velvety carpets over time. The flowers are large, blue-violet with darker veining. It is suitable for rock gardens, troughs, and tolerates hot flowerbed edges.

A valuable garden perennial, native to North America. The Big Kahuna cultivar blooms with apricot yellow-orange flowers. The spiky and fragrant flower cones are an irresistible attraction for butterflies and are a shade darker than the petals. They last 7–10 days in a vase. After removing the petals, the stems with the central cones can be dried or used in fresh bouquets as an interesting feature.

This species of sage originates from the steppe regions of Central and Eastern Europe. It forms profusely flowering small clumps with straight, upright stems. In flower beds, it looks best in groups. It is traditionally planted as a companion to roses due to the matching flowering time. However, it looks equally good in mixed drought-tolerant steppe plantings with grasses. It is an excellent food source for bees. Lasts 7 days in a vase. Adrian is a white-flowering cultivar.

This species of sage originates from the steppe regions of Central and Eastern Europe. It forms abundantly flowering small clumps with straight upright stems. In beds, it looks best in groups. Traditionally, it is planted as a companion to roses due to the matching flowering time. However, it will look equally good in mixed drought-loving steppe plantings with grasses. It is an excellent food source for bees. It lasts 7 days in a vase. The cultivar Ostfriesland blooms with a strikingly dark violet-blue color.

A species of spurge native to the Mediterranean, from stony and dry slopes. It grows in clumps, forming prostrate shoots with spirally arranged leaves. Here, it is cultivated as a rock garden plant. Thanks to its trailing growth, it works well in containers, on low walls at the edges of terraces and walkways.

The Canon Went toadflax is a delicate-looking perennial with upright, thin stems, originally hailing from the Mediterranean. Even though it looks fragile at first glance, it is a resilient plant that creates wonderful vertical accents in the garden. It loves sunny locations and well-drained, even sandy soil, where it thrives best. It blooms repeatedly throughout the summer until autumn, so it will bring you joy for a really long time. The Canon Went cultivar boasts tiny flowers in a light salmon-pink shade, resembling miniature snapdragons. The leaves are also delicate, linear, and have a grayish-green color. In flower beds, it perfectly complements ornamental grasses or other drought-tolerant perennials, adding lightness and airiness to them. It is also a great magnet for pollinators, especially bees. Although it is a short-lived perennial, it reliably self-seeds in a suitable location, allowing you to enjoy it for many years. If you like to decorate your home, you will be pleased to know it is suitable for cutting and lasts up to 14 days in a vase.

Cosmos 'Cherry Chocolate' will win you over with its distinct cherry red color and unique chocolate fragrance. Its original wild ancestors come from sunny Mexico, which is why even here it prefers full sun and well-drained sandy or loamy soil. The fresh green bushes of the 'Cherry Chocolate' cultivar stand out among all chocolate cosmos with the largest flowers, which grow up to seven centimeters in diameter. You will receive a well-rooted seedling from us. You can place it on the terrace or sink it along with the pot directly into the flower bed at a spacing of about fifty centimeters, where it will beautifully complement ornamental grasses. Botanically, it is a short-lived perennial suitable for more advanced growers, as it is grown as a portable container plant. For the winter, we recommend removing it and moving it to a frost-free room; it only tolerates temperatures down to minus twelve degrees. The flowers appear from July to October and act as a magnet for pollinators. The plant does not suffer from diseases or pests and requires medium watering. The radiant cherry flowers are excellent for bouquets; cut them fully open for the vase.

An original wild perennial with a large distribution area from Europe to Siberia. Suitable for natural and wild plantings. It grows in meadows and dry grassy places. A very adaptable and undemanding plant, it grows in clumps and spreads by runners. By cutting back after the first flowering, we encourage a set of new flowers. For bouquets, we harvest when the florets are fully open. It lasts 10 days in a vase. Summer Pastels is characterized by a changeable and soft range of colors from white and vanilla to salmon, brick red, and bronze.

Macedonian scabious is an abundantly and long-blooming, undemanding perennial that will bring the untamed charm of summer meadows to the garden. Its wild form originates from the sun-drenched Balkans, where it naturally grows on sunny hillsides and in warm thickets. You will receive from us a mature seedling in a pot, which just needs to be transplanted into well-drained loamy or sandy soil in the sun or partial shade. Here it will quickly take root and form a vigorous clump. The Red Knight cultivar enchants with slender stems up to ninety centimeters tall, which all summer from June to September carry a flood of dark burgundy to deep wine-red flowers. These edible flowers act as a huge attraction for bees, bumblebees, and other insects. The plant is an ideal choice for beginners because it reliably resists frosts down to minus twenty-eight degrees and does not suffer from any pests or diseases. Although it belongs to short-lived perennials, in a suitable place it gladly self-seeds. It will fit perfectly into naturalistically designed plantings with ornamental grasses and is popularly used in sweeping meadow bouquets. We recommend cutting the flowers fully open; they will then stay beautifully fresh in a vase for several days.

A beautiful, delicate woodland grass with evergreen overwintering leaves and interesting white inflorescences. An interesting element for spring beds. The flowers are suitable for fresh bouquets as well as for drying.

Cantabrigiense cranesbill Cambridge is an invaluable perennial that will reliably conjure up a dense and fragrant green carpet in the garden. It naturally originates from the crossing of mountain species coming from the Balkans and Southern Europe. Because of this, it is exceptionally tough and adaptable. It thrives best in full sun or partial shade, where it is perfectly happy with standard well-draining loamy soil. It is a low-maintenance plant that handles summer droughts and severe frosts wonderfully. From the received potted seedling, a compact cushion growing to a height of thirty centimeters will soon grow after transplanting. It will serve as a versatile groundcover perennial. From May to July, striking purple-pink flowers on upright stems emerge from the aromatic foliage. The garden will come alive thanks to them, as they reliably attract bees and butterflies. The flowers are also great for cutting into summer bouquets, where they beautifully complement other species. The Cambridge variety will also delight you with a beautiful autumn transformation. With the arrival of cold days, the green leaves change to impressive red tones. It does not suffer from pests or diseases, and caring for it is a joy even for beginners.

The Dusky Cranesbill grows in wetter meadows and light forests. The leaves of the 'Samobor' cultivar are divided, with brownish-purple spots at the notches. Flowers are in a dark bordeaux shade. It sprouts early in the spring and spreads into dense carpets. Suitable for naturalistic plantings.

Baby's breath Snowflake is an absolute classic that should not be missing in any traditional or modern garden. This perennial plant originally comes from the sandy steppes and sunny slopes of southern Europe and Central Asia, which predestines it to love full sun and well-drained, even sandy soil. It has been grown in botanical gardens since the eighteenth century, and thanks to its low maintenance, it quickly found its way into private gardens as well. It forms rich, airy clumps that look like white clouds when in bloom and bring a unique lightness to flower beds. The Snowflake variety stands out with a flood of pure white, mostly double flowers that appear from June to August. It is an ideal plant for modern steppe plantings, where it perfectly complements ornamental grasses and drought-tolerant perennials, but it is also traditionally planted as a delicate companion to roses. For florists, baby's breath is indispensable. It is excellent for cutting into fresh bouquets, where it adds volume and softens the overall impression, and it can just as well be dried for winter decorations. The plant is frost-hardy and long-lived, so it will bring you joy in the garden for many years.

Great burnet is a native meadow plant that naturally grows in wet meadows, where it forms dense clumps of dark green pinnate leaves. In the middle of summer, tall, richly branched stems grow from them, topped with tiny dark red to burgundy flower heads that gently sway in the breeze. This perennial is absolutely indispensable for the life cycle of the rare scarce large blue butterfly, which it will reliably attract to your garden with its flowers. In perennial beds, it stands out especially in naturalistic compositions, where in combination with ornamental grasses it creates an airy and light effect. The inflorescences are also an excellent material for florists, adding an unusual structure and color accent to bouquets, while staying fresh for seven to ten days in a vase. If you don't harvest them fresh, you can dry them for winter decorations, as they hold their shape for a long time.

*Potentilla nepalensis* is a wild mountain plant native to the western regions of the Himalayas. It has also captured the attention of gardeners and breeders. There once existed a large number of garden varieties, which are unfortunately lost and unavailable today. Potentilla fits well into mixed perennial beds. Shogran is a low-growing cultivar with pink flowers and a contrasting raspberry-red eye.