Tuesday 18 January 2011

Golden Harry

Golden Harry Heiover

No, not my grandson Harry, although we do think he is a golden boy, but the old zonal pelargonium Golden Harry Heiover. 

First introduced by E.G. Henderson of Henderson's Nursery, North London at the RHS Chiswick Trials in 1873, Golden Harry Heiover is a dwarf pelargonium.  It has a spreading habit and in Victoria times was used in the front of borders as a bedding plant.  The flowers are a single bright red which contrast nicely with the light green leaves which have an attractive bronze zone.  I don't find it a very robust plant, in fact it is quite spindly, but looks good in a mixed planter.   I wonder who Harry Heiover was?

It was quite exciting to notice this morning the first true leaves appearing on the first bee pollinated pelargonium seeds I chitted and 'sowed' on 5th January.   The radicle appeared after about three days, fairly quickly followed by the cotyledon leaves.  These tiny plantlets were then potted into Fertiss plugs and placed in my small propagator.  Today - true leaves.   I do have to admit that not all the seeds germinated - probably about a third of them, but not all the seed was last years.  I chitted and 'sowed'  a few more seeds after I planted out the first seedlings, and these are now also potted up into Fertiss plugs. Again, only about a third germinated.   

Noticed rhubarb and garlic appearing in the vegetable garden.   

Yesterday vegetable seeds arrived from Medwyn's - I am hoping for prizes in the village show again this year.  






1 comment:

  1. Kaye Barrett gave Peter a Golden Harry to put in an upside pot to grow. I have yet to get around to planting up but it is doing really well. Kaye won a prize for her Golden Harry.

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