Angel Pelargonium "Simple Sister"

"Simple Sister" - Angel Pelargonium

One of the earliest pelargoniums to flower in my greenhouse "Simple Sister" has, as her name suggests, simple flowers of white with a large pink blotch on each petal.  It is most charming as it is covered in these simple flowers all summer long. It has an upright growth habit, with small leaves. Raised by Jay Kapac, USA

I have just taken down the bubble wrap and hoping we don't get a sudden hard frost as we did last week.    I have also made a start on potting on the plants I brought back from Sweden.  They are in 3 1/2" black square pots, and most of them now are desperate to be moved on into a larger pot.   

I've also made a start on potting up a few more Unique's and larger scented pelargoniums into planters for display outside in the summer. I did lose some over the winter, but have replacements.   I will be so pleased to get these planters out of the greenhouse and into their summer home.   They are moved outside each day to harden off and hope they can be moved out permanently by the end of this month.  

Hanging Pots have also been potted up with Ivy Leaf Pelargoniums and hope for a good display this summer.    I think there are six hanging pots, each with a different variety of Ivy Leaf Pelargonium.

"Hilda Lea" - Coloured leaf Zonal Pelargonium & Shopping trip to Sweden

The coloured leaf zonal pelargonium"Hilda Lea" is one of my favourites,and I look forward to her flowering every year.    Raised by Ken Lea, UK.   The double salmon coloured flowers above the gold tri-coloured  leaves, make this a most attractive plant for any pelargonium collection.

Which leads me nicely to the recent shopping trip I made to Sweden to stay with my friend Anne.   Anne had very kindly invited both me and Liga to stay and to visit with her the well known Sune Trygg nursery.  After picking us up from the airport, Anne took on us a trip to two garden centres and a wonderful nursery with an orchid exhibition.   On the Saturday we set off for our planned trip to Sune Trygg, picking up Gunilla on the way.  Sune Trygg had opened their nursery just for the day to members of the local pelargonium clubs. Here are a few pictures I took at the nursery.

Liga making her selections

 

Anne and Gunilla chatting to the owner

Thank you Anne for a wonderful visit.

If you want to see more of the Sune Trygg nursery and the visits Liga and I went on with Anne, head over to You Tube for Liga's excellent videos

Day 1, part 1   https://youtu.be/i-Fy-ehxnyM

Day 1, part 2    https://youtu.be/hsBDc0nS6S0

Day 2         https://youtu.be/k7RRAJ2mivk

"Gemston" - Angel Pelargonium and some free cuttings

"Gemston" Angel Pelargonium

Gemston, Angel Pelargonium.  I have no other information other than it was first mentioned in the 1992 Year Book of The British and European Geranium Society.  It must also be in the National Collection of Pelargoniums at Fibrex Nursery where this picture was taken.   Gemston has magenta pink flowers, top petals slightly darker and with white centre and feathering.    As with many of the Angel Pelargonium, the foliage is scented.

Steve Pollard gave a talk at  the Farnborough Fuchsia & Pelargonium Group that we both belong to – Steve is Chairman of the Society, and also of the Pelargonium & Geranium Society.    He told the members what we should be doing with our club cuttings at this time of year to be ready for the Annual Pelargonium Show in June.    He also brought along several of his plants that needed cutting back.  He did say this should have been done at the end of last summer but, as happens to all of us from time to time, he had not been able to get round to all of his plants. It is not too late to do this job, so luckily for us, he showed us how to take cuttings and many of us came away with cutting material for some new plants.   Thank you Steve.

"Gemston"

Miniature Zonal Pelargonium "Gosbrook Clifford Taylor"

"Gosbrook Clifford Taylor" Miniature zonal pelargonium

Raised by David Taylor, "Gosbrook Clifford Taylor" was introduced through his nursery in 2010.   This is a miniature zonal pelargonium with dark green leaves which have a small bronze zone.  The plant flowers profusely with pale pink double blooms.  Sady Gosbroojk Nursery closed down in 2014, but the plant can be obtained through Fibrex Nurseries UK

This past week has been considerably milder than the first three weeks of the year.   I have not had the heating on at nights recently, but have covered over the plants with fleece as a precaution.   Fleece is taken off during the day to let more light to the plants as I still have bubble wrap up.

On a sad note, the cuttings I took earlier this year and which have been in my small heated propagator have not rooted.  Carefully lifting them from the compost I can see they have rotted at the ends.   This is very odd because the cuttings are still growing.  New growth shoots and new leaves are being produced.  It is very odd.   Maybe it is because he light levels have been very low so far this year . So next week I will be taking a few more cuttings and hope to have better luck with them.

Gosbrook Gillan Martin - miniature zonal pelargonium

Gosbrook Gillian Martin =- miniature zonal pelargonium

Miniature zonal pelargonium raised by David Taylor and released in 2010.  Deep lavender pink double flowers.   A strong growing miniature  with green leaves that have a thin bronze zone.   This was named for David’s mother in-law, Gillian Martin.  David says this would make a good show plant.

There is not a lot to do in the greenhouses just now.  The weather has been bitterly cold for the past week with 24 hours frosts.  The garden is beginning to look as if it has had a sprinkling of snow.    The plants are covered over with fleece in one greenhouse which seems to be in a colder part of the garden.   Heaters are on late afternoon or early evening.   I am keeping the plants very dry just now, even the potted on cuttings.

Zonal Pelargonium "Dream"

"Dream" zonal pelargonium

This beautiful zonal pelargonium was first listed in the Australian Gardening Magazine "Australian Garden Lover" Vol. 36 in 1958.  The flowers are single and a delicate white flushed with pale pink. The leaves are mid green with no zone.

I am still lighting heaters most nights, and covering plans over with fleece.  

This is a perfect time to browse the specialist nursery catalogues.   Many of them have good websites and are easy to navigate and order from. I have a list of the current ones which do mail order on one of the pages above.