Wordless Wednesday 13/04/11 - "Ray Bidwell", Coloured leaf pelargonium

Coloured leaf pelargonium "Ray Bidwell"

Angel Pelargonium "Henry Weller" & some ace acers

"Henry Weller" - Angel Pelargonium

Hybridised by Ken Dymond and introduced in the UK in 2000, Angel Pelargonium "Henry Weller" flowers prolifically on a strong growing plant. The top petals have a white edge and feathering on maroon and the lower petals are a paler maroon colour with a white throat.   Photograph was taken at Fibrex Nursery, home of the National Collection of Pelargoniums,

I have a few acers in the garden which I have purchased in the past few years.  Some are in pots and some I have planted out.  I usually keep them in pots for a while until I have decided where to place them in the garden.  Suddenly this weekend they have all produced the most glorious coloured leaves - surely they are really good value for money?  The leaves will change colour again in the autumn, hopefully giving another wonderful display.  One has even produced flowers which the bees are buzzing around.

Grandad Mac - everyone seems to have one.

Stellar Pelargonium "Grandad Mac"

Whenever I've shown this plant someone always wants a cutting - "because I have a Grandad Mac".    Hybridised by the late Brian West, Pelargonium "Grandad Mac" makes a wonderful show plant.   It is a semi double stellar pelargonium with the usual spiky flowers in an attractive dark peach colour.   As you can see, it flowers prolifically, which makes it ideal for a show plant.  The leaves have a very dark blotch surrounded by a lighter green.   Pelargonium "Grandad Mac" was introduced in 2002.   The plant in the top photo is not mine, but was taken at a BPGS National Show.

Leaves Stellar pelargonium "Grandad Mac"

Today has been a long day - had my first visit to the allotment with younger son who shares the allotment with me.   It was our first visit this year.   The weeds were not as bad as envisaged, although half the site had been covered in black plastic all winter.  Underneath the soil was beautiful since Daniel had spread compost before laying the black plastic.  We planted our first early and second early potatoes.

This afternoon I went to up to the heath with my neighbour.  We both have an interest in photography and both wanted to take more photographs than we have been doing at the U3A photogaphy class we belong to.
It was an interesting afternoon and we were out for two and a half hours.  At first we planned taking only ten photographs each as an exercise in photography observation, but we both ended up taking far more - in my case 92. Here are a few:-

Wordless Wednesday 06/04/11 - Treasure Trove - coloured leaf pelargonium



"Treasure Trove" - coloured leaf pelargonium



Pelargonium "Shannon" - species hybrid

Species hybrid pelargonium "Shannon"



Hybridised by Jay Kapac of California, Pelargonium "Shannon" flowers profusely all summer.   The flowers are a very pretty peach colour with darker feathering on the upper two petals.  The leaves are dissected and the plant has a fairly lax growth habbit and looks good in a hanging pot.   Pelargonium "Shannon" is also known as "Silena".

More flowers in the garden:

Snakeshead Fritillary - I love the checkered patterning on the petals



Flowering Cherry - tree was bought about 3 years ago un-named.



Pelargonium cordifolium - and some garden flowers

Pelargonium cordifolium has to be one of the most exotic looking pelargoniums.    Although the flowers are only about 3/4" (or 2cm), they are most unusual with the two pink larger upper petal attractively curved back slightly and with the usual darker feathered markings.  The three lower petals are paler in colour and are much thinner.  The leaves are an attractive grey/green and heart shaped, which is what gives Pelargonium cordifolium its name - heart-leaved pelargonium.

Found growing mainly near the coast of South Africa,  P. cordifolium was introduced into the UK by Frederick Masson in 1774.

Described as being spreading and branched, I find P. cordifolium tends to grow straight upwards without much branching and so needs frequent pinching to get a bushy shape.   It grows naturally in moist areas, so does need watering more often.   Easy to strike from cuttings.

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Flowers in the garden this week:-

Magnolia stellata

Hyacinth

Pulsatilla

Tulips

Double muscari

Physocarpus opulifolius "Dart's Gold"