"Bembridge" - Dwarf Zonal Pelargonium

The dwarf zonal pelargonium "Bembridge", has pretty soft pink double flowers above zoned gold foliage.   It has a spreading growth habit.   Raised by the late Brian West (IoW, UK) and introduced before 1991.   

Bembridge is a small village on the Isle of Wight.  Brian often used the names of local villages for his raisings.

It's a fairly quiet time in the greenhouses now.  We have had some heavy frosts and I have had heaters on over night and a couple of nights also covered the plants with fleece for extra protection.

January is a good time to sow pelargonium seeds to give the plants a chance of flowering this year.

                                                                                                                     Gwen Ward

Angel Pelargonium "Gabriel"

.I had no information about this pelargonium - except it was first listed in the UK in Sulman's Catalogue in 2002.  But Maria in California reminded me it was raised by Jay Kapac in the USA and is one of the archangel series of Angel Pelargoniums.  The others are Michael and Raphael.  Raphael is no longer available in the USA.  It might be still available here in the UK .  Many thanks Maria for this information.  

"Gabriel" is a very pretty Angel Pelargonium which I have grown in the past.  It has small bright cerise flowers with a paler centre. It tends to be rather sprawly so looks good in a hanging pot with lots of pinching out.

It's a quiet time of year in the greenhouses, apart from removing yellowing leaves and any flowers that appear.   I have also been checking over the cuttings I potted up a couple of months ago.   Watering is kept to the very minimum.   The angels I find do need more watering than the zonals, species and scenteds.  When I find I do need to water then I water into the pot rather than the top of the pot and try to avoid splashing water on any leaves.   It can be a slow job.

Happy Christmas to all my followers.   

Antonnia Scammell - Stellar Pelargonium

Raised by the late Brian West and introduced in the UK through Sulman's Nursery.  Antonnia Scammell has double bright pink flowers with a white eye.  A cross between Pebbles and Emma Game.   My photo was taken at Fibrex Nurseries, home of the National Collection of Pelargoniums

The weather here in the UK has, up to now, been very mild for the time of year.  We have had some wet spells, but mostly it has been very dry.   We are due to have some hard frosts this week so I must put the bubblewrap up on the fronts of the greenhouses - I leave this off until we get very cold weather to let more light in.   The fronts face south, so not so critical they have bubblewrap, but I do put it up when it turns really cold.   The main part of the greenhouses were bubblewrapped several weeks ago.   I also need to check the heaters - should really have done this before now.  

Floral Cascade - Zonal Pelargonium

"Floral Cascade" - zonal pelargonium

Double soft salmon pink flowers on long slender stems.   "Floral Cascade" is a dwarf zonal pelargonium,  raised by Miss Mary Campbell and introduced before 1966. A cross between "King of the Boars" and a seeding of "King of the Boars".  Green leaves with a central zone.

Golden Brilliantisima - tri-coloured leaf zonal pelargonium

 

Syn. Golden Brilliantissimum.  Golden tricolour.  Similar to Contrast, but base colour more yellow.   Small scarlet flowers.  Introduced in 1873 by Gibson and Park simultaneously.

I was given this plant a couple of years ago and I can never tire of it.  The leaves are so bright.  Like all the tri-coloured leaf pelargoniums, It is a slow grower, but worth growing.

I have been taking advantage of the mild weather to take more cuttings, which seem to be rooting fairly quickly.   I do have them in the heated propagator in the conservatory.     Those that have rooted are now potted up.  I will leave them in their 7cm square pots until spring when they will go into appropriate size pots.

Skies of Italy - Zonal Pelargonium

 

Zonal Pelargonium "Skies of Italy"

Raised by Derek Clifford and introduced in the UK in1970.  "Skies of Italy" has small single scarlet red flowers.   The leaves have a yellow edge, which is finely notched and have a chocolate brown zone.   Not often seen these days.

Now that autumn has arrived here in the UK I have been busy getting the greenhouses ready for winter.   All of the outside pelargoniums are now cut back, checked over for slugs and other nasties, and moved under the benches.   The bubble wrap is up, apart from the fronts which I leave until we get notice of a severe cold spell.  The fronts of each greenhouse faces south west and does not get the cold northerly winds.  I prefer to leave them un-bubblewrapped to let in as much light as I can.   So far, although we have had some cold northerly winds, it has been mild, so I have not needed to have heaters on.