Saturday 27 January 2018

Miniature zonal pelargonium "Telstar" and the Iris at Morning Star Nursery

"Telstar" miniature zonal pelargonium

I got this miniature zonal "Telstar" when I visited Sulman's Nursery when they closed down many years ago.  It is quite a favourite of mine. The flowers are double and a deep rose pink with mid green foliage.  This was introduced by the Revd. Stringer in the UK in 1972.

On my visit to Australia last October my sister had arranged a visit to Morning Star Nursery.  This is .primarily an Iris nursery, but they also grow pelargoniums.  Sadly the owner, Anne Hazel, had lost her partner earlier in the year and the pelargonium part of the nursery was rather run down. Anne was determined, though, to build up the pelargoniums again.   There were many gems amongst the pelargoniums, and I wished I could have stayed and helped Anne to sort out the plants.  

The iris field was just beginning to come into its full glory and we all spent a very pleasant hour wandering around the field admiring the blooms and taking photographs. 

I look forward to visiting again on my next visit to Adelaide.   However, I think I will take Wellington boots to wear.  We had wondered why Anne was wearing wellington boots on such a hot day.  After we had left, she let it be known that she always wore her boots when walking around the nursery because snakes often sheltered amongst the iris plants.



































Saturday 6 January 2018

Dwarf Pelargonium "Bold Cyclamen" and Cairns Botanic Gardens


Unfortunately, I am unable to find much out about this beautiful zonal pelargonium, Bold Cyclamen.  With the 'Bold' prefix, I know it is by John Gibbons. He released a lot of plants in the 1990's/early 2000.  Purple pink double flowers with green leaves.


On my visit to Australia last October I visited Cairns and went to the Botanic Gardens there.   I saw some quite exotic plants and butterflies in what I think was the fern house.















Can you see the butterfly?
  




















































A turkey