Geranium Blushing Turtle

Description

Geranium ‘Blushing Turtle’ – cranesbill

Botanical name: Geranium ‘Blushing Turtle’
Common names: Cranesbill
Family: Geraniaceae
Plant type: Herbaceous perennial
Habit: Low, bushy, spreading, mound-forming
Pot size: 2–3 litre pot
Eventual size: Approx. 30–40cm tall × 60cm spread
Foliage: Deeply divided, lobed green leaves; deciduous
Flowers: A very long succession of soft rose-pink flowers with darker veining, from early summer well into autumn (June–October)
Scent: Not notably scented
Aspect / light: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Most soils; moist but well-drained, fertile; any pH
Hardiness: RHS H7 (very hardy, below −20°C); USDA zones 5–8
Exposure: Sheltered or exposed; very tolerant
Native range: Garden form; hardy geraniums are native across Europe and Asia
Toxicity / pet & child safety: Generally considered non-toxic to people and pets

Geranium ‘Blushing Turtle’ is an exceptionally long-flowering cranesbill, producing soft rose-pink veined flowers from early summer into autumn. Compact, easy and superb for borders, groundcover and pollinators.

GardenAdvice notes

A modern, exceptionally long-flowering cranesbill, ‘Blushing Turtle’ bears a continuous succession of soft rose-pink flowers, prettily veined in a deeper shade, from early summer right through into autumn. It forms a low, spreading, weed-suppressing mound of divided foliage, needs almost no attention, and its long season makes it one of the most valuable and hard-working perennials for a border or as groundcover.

Growing & planting

Plant in spring or autumn in most soils soil in full sun to partial shade — hardy geraniums are among the easiest and most adaptable of all perennials. Space about 45cm apart. Water while establishing.

Care & maintenance

Low-maintenance. It flowers over a very long season with little help; deadhead or shear over lightly if it becomes untidy in midsummer, and it will keep going into autumn. Cut down old growth in late winter. Lift and divide congested clumps every few years in spring.

Propagation

• Division: Lift and divide established clumps in spring, as growth begins.

Pests & diseases

Generally trouble-free and healthy — hardy geraniums are among the most reliable of all perennials. Slugs may graze new growth, and powdery mildew or rust can occur in dry spells. Otherwise easy.

Uses in the garden

Superb at the front of mixed, cottage and wildlife borders, as weed-suppressing groundcover, beneath roses and shrubs, and in containers, where its very long flowering season brings months of soft colour.

Wildlife value

Hardy geraniums are excellent for pollinators: their open, saucer-shaped flowers are very attractive to bees, hoverflies and other beneficial insects, often over a long season.

Toxicity & safety

Hardy geraniums are generally regarded as non-toxic to people and pets. Note that they are quite different from pelargoniums (the tender bedding and pot ‘geraniums’), which are toxic to cats and dogs.

GardenAdvice tip

‘Blushing Turtle’ is one of those plants that just keeps going — soft veined pink flowers from early summer right into autumn with barely any help from you. It makes a low, spreading, weed-suppressing mound, so it’s excellent underplanting for roses and shrubs. Unlike the old cranesbills it doesn’t really need a hard chop; just tidy it if it sprawls in midsummer.

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