Geranium pyrenaicum Bill Wallis

The Geranium pyrenaicum Bill Wallis is a generous, prolific and easy to grow perennial geranium, just like its tough ancestor, the Pyrenean Geranium. It forms a beautiful cushion that is covered with small blue-violet flowers throughout spring, takes a break in summer, and then blooms again from the end of August to October. It is a carefree plant, spontaneous, both light and refined, perfect for adding a touch of poetry to a natural garden where it will generously self-seed, even in less desirable areas.

The Geranium pyrenaicum, from the Geraniaceae family, is native to central and southern Europe, western Asia and North Africa. In nature, it can be found in clear undergrowth, meadows, along paths and in fields, up to 2000 meters (6562 feet) altitude. It is a plant that prefers sun and rather clay-limestone soil, poor in organic matter (humus), with a tendency to be moderately dry.

The 'Bill Wallis' cultivar, slightly more compact, was discovered by Bill Wallis in his nursery 'Useful Plant Company' in North Carolina, USA. It is a perennial plant with a relatively short lifespan, but it easily perpetuates itself through spontaneous self-seeding. At maturity, this geranium forms a large cushion about 30 cm (12in) tall and 50 cm (20in) wide. Its dark red stems, upright or spreading, emerge from the ground in spring. They bear hairy, slightly soft, generally rounded leaves, but incised into 5 to 7 lobes along the edges. The abundant and very long flowering starts in May and continues in June-July, slowing down during the peak of summer if the soil dries out a bit. Removing faded flowers promotes the appearance of a second wave of flowering, which extends from the end of August to late October. The flowers of 'Bill Wallis' are small, measuring 1.2 to 2 cm (1in) in diameter. They consist of 5 relatively thin petals, vivid blue-violet in color, arranged in a cup around a similar-toned stamen center. This flowering is followed by the formation of numerous elongated fruits (beak-shaped).

The 'Bill Wallis' geranium possesses the charm and temperament of wild plants. Undemanding and requiring little maintenance, it finds its place in a bed of wild or more sophisticated flowers, freely self-seeding in neglected areas of the garden, between the stones of a rockery, along a path, among tall grasses. Its stems eagerly weave through neighbouring plants, adorning them with bouquets of stars. For example, it can be associated with silver basket, chamomiles, aubrietas, creeping baby's breath, or Montpellier soapwort. It will be stunning with blue or white forget-me-nots, hellebores, ground cover roses (The Fairy), or even heucheras. The possibilities for associations are endless for this truly accommodating and poetic variety.