Fairfields - Stellar pelargonium

"Fairfields" Stellar pelargonium

 Introduced in 2007 through Fibrex Nurseries and raised by Brian West, UK. "Fairfields" is a beautiful double stellar pelargonium with pink and white flowers which are speckled with magenta.  The leaves are typically star-shaped with a dark zone.

With best wishes to you all for a very Merry Christmas 

and a Happy, Healthy and Peaceful year in 2019.

"Maureen" - Dwarf Zonal Pelargonium

Zonal Pelargonium "Maureen"

I don't have much success with the dwarf zonal pelargonium "Maureen".   But next year I am going to "try harder".    Although I have a note that she is a dwarf type, and she is kept in a 4 1/2" pot, I think she wants to be 'set free' so I will try putting her into a 6" pot.  Hopefully, I will then have more of those stunning flower heads.   I love the fully double salmon pink flowers on this plant, and the leaves with their dark zone around the edges of the leaves. 

This pelargonium is not listed in the International Register of Pelargoniums.   The two that are listed area Regal and a Miniature zonal.

Zonal Pelargonium "Bold Moonlight"

Bold Moonlight

Another zonal pelargonium by John Gibbons - "Bold Moonlight" was introduced in 1996.  The large single flowers are pale pink and the top two petals are white at the centre.  The green leaves have a very light zone.

Zonartics cut back.

I've taken as many cuttings as I can now - I have done the zonartics and scented pelargoniums as well as some of the species, but have now run out of space.    As I took cuttings I cut the plants back.  I also made a start on the stellars but have some to do still as well as the zonals.  Time, and space, has just run out and this is not really a good time of year to take cuttings.  Those I have cut back are growing well. 

Dwarf Zonal Pelargonium "Bold Magic", and mystery pelargonium named

"Bold Magic"

 Fully double deep salmon flowers make John Gibbons' "Bold Magic" an attractive dwarf zonal pelargonium.  The leaves are dark green with a darker green zone.   This makes a good show plant.

This is my mystery zonal pelargonium.  It is a basic pelargonium with large heads of single dark rosy peach flowers with a central white eye.  I saw this growing in my nephew's garden in Adelaide, Australia, several years ago.  It was growing like a small shrub.  I took a couple of cuttings and brought them home with me.  The plant grows well and it is a vigorous grower.  Each year I grow it in a large planter in the garden.  But I have never known its name. My sister planted it, but she had lost the label and had no idea.  I have asked on one or two Australian Pelargonium Facebook Pages but no one seems to know its name so I just called it "Dales", after my nephew.  There are now several Specialist Australian Pelargonium Facebook pages and a couple of weeks ago I spotted what I was sure was my plant.  I asked my sister what she thought and she confirmed that she thought it could well be the same as my plant as she recognised the name.   So, after investigating a bit further I am now able to put a name to my mystery plant.  She is "Lady of Spain".  This is not a great photo, but I took it to send to compare with the one on Facebook on one of the few showery days we have had this year.  Introduced by Schmidt, USA in 1947.

I see on my last Blog post that I thought life would be a bit easier now, but in fact I've had an unbelievable busy year.  However, fingers crossed, life is slowing down a bit for the time being.  I have been taking cuttings and have sown a few pelargonium seeds.  I'll update you on these in my next post.

"Bosham" - Regal Pelargonium

There are two Regals named "Bosham"  listed in The Pelargonium Register, both with the same description and introduced in the same year, so I am guessing one and the same.    Raised by Pearce, UK  before1987 and introduced through Sulman's catalogue 1987.   Bluish violet flowers, freely produced,  with blotches and feathers on top petals.  Compact and free branching.

Perhaps if there are, in fact, two Regal pelargoniums named "Bosham", someone will enlighten me?

It has been a busy summer for me.  The Village Garden Club annual show kept me busy for several weeks.  But it was my last one as Show Secretary, so life will be a bit easier from now on. 

"Alex Kitson" - Dwarf zonal pelargonium

"Alex Kitson" - Dwarf zonal pelargonium

Alex Kitson is a new pelargonium or me this year.  I bought it at the plant sale we had at The Pelargonium & Geranium Society Annual General Meeting last March.   Members attending bring along their spare plants which are sold to raise funds for the Society.  You can often pick up something new, and this was one I had not seen before.   I am not at all disappointed with this - the flowers are beautiful - large heads of soft pink semi-double flowers above green leaves on a compact dwarf plant.  The Pelargonium Register lists it as being introduced by Kitson circa 1990.