Stellar Pelargonium "Lotta Lundberg", and bubble wrapping

Stellar Pelargonium "Lotta Lundberg"

Pelargonium "Lotta Lundberg" is a new plant in my collection this year.  It was a small cutting when I bought it in May and is already a beautiful zonal stellar.   Hybridised by the late Brian West and named for a Swedish visitor to his home on the Isle of Wight.   Pelargonium "Lotta Lundberg" has the most beautiful magenta purple double flowers.   The leaves are also quite striking - a bright green with dark zone.

Leaves Pelargonium "Lotta Lundberg"

We woke up to a frost last Friday morning - the first of this season.  I was completely caught out because the weather has been so mild and dry.   Fortunately, not quite so cold to cause damage to the plants but the next night, as a precaution, I covered all the plants over with fleece.  On Sunday I set to and removed all the plants from one greenhouse, gave it a clean out and put up bubble wrap.  I then groomed all the plants, taking off most of the flowers (I should take them all off, but I like to leave a few for a bit of colour).  The plants were then all replaced in the greenhouse.  This took most of the day, so the next day I set to and did the same for the second greenhouse. This is larger, so took longer. 

I know a lot of people don't use bubble wrap, but I never have a problem, despite using a paraffin  heater in the larger greenhouse.  I open the doors of the greenhouses each day - even on the coldest day the doors are open for maybe just half an hour in the middle of the day to move the air round.  

The smaller greenhouse has an electric heater and I got my husband to check it over and make sure it was working.   Actually, I really wanted him to make sure the electrics were working.  One year I fused all the power in our house when I plugged the heater in to test it.  We found the culprits were ants that had decided the double power point made a nice high-rise home.   It took an age to clean it all out and dry it.   All well this year though as I make a point of sprinkling ant powder around the base of the enclosed power cable.