Tuesday 21 February 2012

Regal Pelargonium 'Doris Shaw'


Regal 'Doris Shaw' lives up to the name 'Regal' with large blooms of pale mauve with violet markings.

It was hybridised by the late Hazel Key of Fibrex Nursery and introduced in 1973.

After the freezing weather we have had recently, it was nice to get out into the greenhouse this afternoon and pot on the remaining surviving cuttings I took about six weeks ago.  For some unknown reason, most of the cuttings I took, about 48 of them, just flopped over!  They all seemed to be doing so well, but suddenly they weren't!  The ten or so that I have left have very strong roots and I am sure they will now be fine.

I have had a few losses over the winter.  Oddly these are  mainly in the greenhouse that has electric heating.  My next task will be to have a good clear out of the plants and take cuttings from them if I can.  

Other losses I have had were the cuttings I took in late summer.  All potted on and looking good.  Then I knocked against the tray they were in and tipped them all over the greenhouse floor.  There was soil, cuttings,  pots and labels scattered all across the floor.   Some of the cuttings I recognised so was able to pair up plant and label, but the others I had no option but to put them in the compost bin.   What a shame.

Tuesday 14 February 2012

Stellar Arctic Star - Stellar Pelargonium

Stellar Arctic Star
We have been experiencing near Arctic conditions recently here in the U.K. which brought this beautiful stellar to mind.

Bred by Mrs. Marj. Edwards of Australia, Arctic Star was introduced there in the early 1960's.  It was one of the first stellars introduced by Mrs Edwards.   She had obtained some stellars, or Staphs as they are known in Australia, from Ted Both, the originator of the Stellar pelargoniums  and Arctic Star was the only plant worth introducing from her first batch of seedlings from them.  Arctic Star was introduced into the U.K. in or around 1968 as Stellar Arctic Star

Arctic Star has single white flowers which are very lightly flushed with pink.  The leaves are typically star shaped.