Royal Sovereign - A Zonal Pelargonium to celebrate the Royal Diamond Jubilee

Dwarf zonal pelargonium "Royal Sovereign"

"Royal Sovereign" is the only pelargonium I can find in my collection that fits in with the special occasion we in the UK have been celebrating this weekend - the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

"Royal Sovereign" was hybridised and introduced in 1967 by Sam Peat.  It is a dwarf zonal pelargonium with magenta red double flowers.  The leaves are a light green and have a broad distinct bronze zone.   Said to be a cross between Zonal Pelargonium "Medallion" and an unknown zonal pelargonium.

I have just returned from a two week Mediterranean cruise.   Of course, I could not resist taking these photo's of my favourite plant:-

Malaga - Scaffolding cover -why don't we have attractive coverings like these on our buildings?

Malaga - Where they still have C&A!!

Naples

Corsica

Bar garden in Corsica - This is One Plant - I am just under 5' tall and this plant must be at least 6'.  

Finally, nothing to do with pelargoniums but I could not resist including this  -
Jubilee celebrations on board our cruise liner Grand Princess  

Miniature zonal pelargonium "Baby Brocade"

Miniature zonal pelargonium "Baby Brocade"

"Baby Brocade" has the most delicious soft pink petals which shade to a white centre on semi-double flowers.
It was introduced in the USA in 1975.   This one that I have has the word 'original' after its name.  There seems to be more than one "Baby Brocade" since it does 'sport' to a flower with a more solid colour.  

Scented Leaf Pelargonium 'Imperial Butterfly' and an award

Imperial Butterfly

For growers of pelargoniums, 'Imperial Butterfly' is one of the best.   It has large white blooms with maroon feathering on all petals.   The leaves have a slight lemon scent and is listed under 'Scented Pelargoniums' in the catalogues.   It was hybridised by Gwen Dodge who crossed a 'Prince of Orange'  (a scented leaf pelargonium) seedling back to its parent.  Ken Dymond, well know hybridiser of Angel pelargoniums, told me that 'Imperial Butterfly' was first exhibited at the Portsmouth Club Show which was being judged by the late Peter Godwin, for many years President of the British Pelargonium & Geranium Society.  John Thorpe's nursery introduced 'Imperial Butterfly' in 1989 as an Angel Pelargonium, but when he discovered the breeding he said it should be listed and exhibited as a Scented Pelargonium.

My photograph was taken at the last B.P.G.S. show at Capel Manor and was first in it's class for scented pelargoniums.  I think it was probably grown by Ken Abel.

Anyone reading the comments on my last blog ('Carolyn's Citrine') will have seen that Ali of http://alithefrog.blogspot.co.uk/ awarded me the following award:-

Thank you very much Ali.


Now I have to tell you seven 'interesting' things about me:-


1.  I have two greenhouses filled with pelargoniums of all types
2.  I share a half size allotment with my younger son
3.  My three sisters all live in Australia
4.  I am Show Secretary for my local Gardening Club
5.  I like to cook.
6.  I love reading, particularly crime novels
7.  I am membership Secretary for The Pelargonium & Geranium Society 


I award the Versatile Blogger award to the following Blogs


http://wexthuset.blogspot.co.uk/
http://www.giga-wszystkooogrodnictwie.blogspot.co.uk/

P. cordifolium "Carolyn's Citrine"

P. cordifolium "Carolyn's Citrine"

Isn't this absolutely gorgeous?   It really is the brightest of pelargoniums.  Large well marked pink upper petals, very narrow lower petals of the palest pink, and large yellow leaves with a small light green blotch on the older leaves. Carolyn's Citrine is a sport of P. cordifolium, but the flowers and leaves are much larger, with a velvety softness to the leaves, which just glow in the sunshine. I saw this growing at Robin Parer's nursery, Geraniaceae, in Marin County, California.   Sadly, it is not available for sale yet as breeder's rights are being sought.  Hopefully we will soon be able to purchase this stunning pelargonium.

Charmay Cantelina - Angel Pelargonium

Charmay Cantelina is another smashing Angel Pelargonium from the talented Ken Attfield of Australia.   Rose pink petals with a darker rose on the upper petals.  This is a fairly large growing Angel Pelargonium with large flowers which are in proportion to the size of the plant.   Short jointed and growing fairly compactly, this Angel Pelargonium needs minimal pinching out to achieve a good shape and size.

My photographs were taken at the Annual Pelargonium Show of the South Australian Geranium and Pelargonium Society Inc. when I visited in 2008.   Charmay Cantelina is available in the UK and was introduced in 2005 by Swanland Nurseries.

'Carmel' - single zonal pelargonium

Zonal pelargonium "Carmel"

An old variety, 'Carmel' was introduced by Wm. Schmidt in the U.S.A. in 1939.  It has the most exquisite single flowers of white edged with a dark pink.  'Carmel' is a sport from 'Alice of Vincennes' which is a single zonal perlargonium with flowers that have a white centre with violet crimson to scarlet edge.

I've been re-potting some of my pelargoniums that have been in their pots for over a year.  It gives them a boost to have fresh compost.  Also potting on the few that I have left after the disaster earlier this year when I knocked a large tray of cuttings onto the floor and threw most of them away as pots, labels and cuttings were all over the greenhouse floor.  I don't like to have plants that I have no idea of the name and not prepared to wait for them to flower.