Plant of the Moment – No. 7 Geranium 'Ann Folkard'

Not fashionable, rare, exotic, difficult-to-grow or otherwise out of the ordinary, Geranium 'Ann Folkard' is simply a brilliant garden plant (recognised by its RHS Award of Garden Merit) that given a reasonably light and not-too-dry position will romp happily away from a central crown, its black-lined, bright purple flowers contrasting with acid-green foliage. We have it growing through the tall, dark-leaved Actaea simplex Atropurpurea Group 'James Compton' and the bright yellow-and-green perennial grass Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola', where it carries on flowering until November – or even later in a mild year – attracting the last insects of autumn. Once it has done its stuff, a snip or two with the shears across the crown and, hey presto, job done. No tough mats of invasive rhizomes to hack through with this Geranium.