Friday 11 March 2011

A popular Australian pelargonium, and a rescue mission



Stellar Pelargonium ' Judy Swinbourne'
 Hybridised by the late Ted Both of Adelaide, South Australia, Stellar Pelargonium 'Judy Swinbourne' was introduced in 1962.  He named it for Judy, wife of Robert F G Swinbourne, F.L.S. Botanic Gardens, Adelaide, South Australia.

I have admired this plant on my several visits to my family who live in Adelaide.  It is a good show plant and is often seen on the show bench of the South Australian Geranium & Pelargonium Society Inc annual show. 'Judy Swinbourne' has double salmon pink flowers with typical narrow petals and star shaped leaves.

Not a lot happening in the garden this week. Just a bit of weeding and tidying.  I have been on a mission to rescue elderly pelargoniums!   I should really have done this at the end of last summer, but as always, time gets the better of me and some things just never get done.  So I was determined to take cuttings of plants that are well past their best and now have two trays each holding 24 cuttings in two small propagating units.

This time of year is a good time to take cuttings of coloured leaf pelargoniums - they always seem to root better in the spring.

The three (yes I have failed miserably with the seeds I sowed earlier this year) are looking good and I see they have roots beginning to appear through the Fertiss plug sleeves.

4 comments:

  1. Hello. Too bad I live so far away and I can not come to you after a few rescued seedlings. May beautiful color. To grow in the boxes on my balcony. Yours

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  2. Hello Giga - I am looking forward with great anticipation the flowering of my three seedings. I only know the parent seed is a stellar, and was sitting besides other stellars. The first leaves are definitely star shaped. Thank you for looking at my blog. Gwen

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  3. Very beautiful coral color that doesn't look too bright. I wish I had it!

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  4. Wish I had it as well - one that did not survive the trip home to the UK. Prob. won't bring back plants again as v. expensive.

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