Geraniums are notoriously long-flowering, with most varieties lasting from late spring to autumn if cut back hard after the first round of blooms begin to die off in summer. However, a variety that’s long-flowering, prolific and has the RHS’ approval when it comes to benefiting pollinators? It must be Geranium Dreamland!
How to grow Geranium DreamlandFlowering time: May – September Location: In beds and borders as ground cover, underplanting for roses, or in containers Soil: Will tolerate most soils, but fertile, well-draining soil is best Light: Full sun or partial shade Water: Water regularly throughout the summer Care: Geraniums are known for requiring little care, and are forgiving if neglected a little Size: Height and spread of 30 – 45cm |
How was this plant created?
Geranium Dreamland was created by Alan Bremner in the Orkney Isles, Scotland, in 1998. Known for raising some of the best sterile hardy Geraniums around, Alan often prefixes his hybrids with ‘Orkney’, for example Geranium ‘Orkney Cherry’. However, his best plants are given truly individual titles – one being Dreamland, said to be his ‘dream’ Geranium.
After discovering Dreamland, the plant then went through five years of trialling in The Netherlands, where it was deemed highly productive, reliable, hardy and long-blooming.
What’s different about this plant?
Dubbed a breakthrough in breeding, Geranium Dreamland pairs green/grey foliage (which comes from Geranium traversii) with charming soft pink blooms.
Flowering throughout summer, the plant has received the RHS Plants for Pollinators certification, which means that it’s perfect for attracting bees and other pollinating insects to your garden.
Where can you plant Geranium Dreamland?
A low-growing plant, Geranium Dreamland works well as ground cover in beds and borders, spilling out onto paths or softening the edges of lawns. Grow it under well-spaced roses to fill in gaps and create a lush display – even better if the roses are pink too!
Alternatively, grow these pretties in a container and admire them as they cascade over the sides.
Where can you buy this plant?
You can find Geranium Dreamland at RHS Plants and Crocus in the UK.
Plant of the Month is sponsored by Plantipp, a company based in The Netherlands who handle the introduction of new plants into Europe.
See every Plant of the Month here.
Michael has been involved with gardening and plants since he was just five years old. He is a self-professed Plant Geek, and was listed in the Sunday Times top 20 most influential people in the gardening world, thanks to his plant hunter role at Thompson & Morgan.
Michael was responsible for new plant introductions such as the Egg and Chips plant and the FuchsiaBerry and keeps busy travelling the world in search of new plants as well as lecturing worldwide, including stints in Japan. He is very active on social media – so why not give him a follow at @mr_plantgeek or Facebook. You can also listen to The Plant Based Podcast with Michael and co-host Ellen-Mary on iTunes, Spotify and Google.
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Jane
Dreamland is so lovely that I intend to plant it. Thank you for sharing it with us. . . I have a small ‘plant rant’ to make. I wish that growers, nurseries, etc., would stop simply saying “attractive to bees.” Many plants may attract bees but do they go the distance and provide nectar for the bees and pollen to be transferred? Gardeners could be making more informed planting choices for their garden and wildlife if they understood this. While I appreciate your stating that some of the grower’s geraniums are sterile, nothing was said pertaining to Dreamland. I don’t have a full handle on all this yet myself but making the distinction seems important–at least when it pertains to bees. Could you comment a little further on this? Thanks.