Geranium Chantilly

The perennial hybrid Geranium 'Chantilly' is adorned with pale pink flowers with porcelain hints, between June and July. Its large flowers are clearly veined with violet, around a white centre. It forms a carpeting dome of flowers, adorned with fluffy, wavy, and slightly cut foliage, similar to that of Geranium renardii but in light acid green. It is an exquisite plant, all roundness and lightness, easy to cultivate, which blooms best in the sun, in well-drained but not too rich and even occasionally dry soil.　

The perennial geranium 'Chantilly' belongs to the Geraniaceae family. This hybrid is a recent creation, resulting from cross-breeding between Geranium renardii and Geranium gracile. The bushy habit, characteristic of G.renardii, gives it a wider than tall silhouette, reaching 40 cm (16in) in height with a spread of 60 cm (24in). It blooms at the top of branched stems. The corollas, with a diameter of 30 to 35 mm (1in), are of an intermediate and strangely luminous colour, between pale pink and pale blue, white at the centre, with distinct violet veins. Each petal has a notch. The foliage is evergreen, composed of large wavy and crimped leaves, bright green and shiny, slightly pubescent. The leaves are often tinged with ruby red along the edges at any time of the year.　

Like many other perennial geranium species, Geranium 'Chantilly' is a superb plant, providing nectar and pollen for many insects such as butterflies and bees. Ideal for a cottage garden, in borders, along pathways or on slopes, this geranium will add a colorful touch to perennial beds. It will not disappoint in a sunny site, in moderately rich and light soil where it will bloom best. It will prove to be a good companion for columbines, peonies, baptisias, bellflowers, poppies, and tall daisies.