JAKE MOSS - ZONAL PELARGONIUM

Pelargonium Jake Moss

Released only this year through Gosbrook Pelargoniums, and hybridised by Steve Pollard,  Pelargonium Jake Moss is a basic zonal which makes a compact plant.  The flowers are single and of a beautiful mauve/pink colour with a white eye.  Quite stunning.  

I've been taking into the greenhouse in my pots of pelargoniums that have been outside all summer.   These are mainly scented, but one or two zonals.  Having checked the zonals thoroughly for signs of rust, I cut all the plants back. All pots are checked for any bugs, slugs, snails, etc., not forgetting underneath the pots.  I took a few cuttings of the scented leaf varieties.  I don't do much with these - just trim five cuttings and place them around the edge of a pot, together with a label with the name of the plant; this is Clorinda.  These are placed under the bench and don't take up much room.  In the spring I find that most of the cuttings have rooted and I can easily pot them on singly into 3" pots.

Kelly Brougham - miniature stellar Pelargonium, & a mystery solved

Stellar pelargonium Kelly Brougham

Pelargonium 'Kelly Brougham' is another of Brian West's raisings, but it is totally different from the single zonal type 'Sammi Brougham' which I wrote about last week.

A cross between 'Mini Diane' and 'Arctic Glitter', Pelargonium 'Kelly Brougham' is a miniature gold leaf stellar with double white to very pale pink flowers.  The petals are typical of stellars, being spikey rather than rounded.

'Kelly Brougham' was introduced through Sulmans Nursery.

Mystery Solved

Americana® White Splash

If you read the comments on  my last post, you will see that my friend, Mr Yong-Man Lee has discovered that the mystery Pelargonium  I brought back from France is Americana® White Splash introduced by Sygenta/Fishcher.  So, I could probably have bought the plant here in the UK.  It seems that the plant was originally introduced in 2009, but with smaller red markings.  An improved version was introduced in 2011 and this is the one that I have.   I understand that, like most of the modern varieties, the flowers go mouldy in rainy weather if planted outside.

Thank you Yong-Man for solving this mystery for me.

Sammi Brougham - silver bi-colour zonal & an unknown zonal from France

Silver bi-coloured zonal "Sammi Brougham"

Dwarf bi-coloured zonal pelargonium Sammi Brougham is a single white with red speckles.   The leaves are silver bi-coloured and the white edge is fairly wide, giving an attractive appearance.   Hybridised by the late Brian West, Sammi Brougham is a cross between Chelsea Star and Quest and introduced by Sulmans Nursery.

Silver bi coloured leaves of "Sammi Brouigham"

It's been a while since I last wrote on this blog.  August was busy with family visits and I was away for a lot of September visiting France and Ireland.   In France we stay with relatives who own a property in a small village in Normandy and just along the road is a small nursery that I love to visit whenever we stay.  Two years ago I noticed a beautiful zonal pelargonium with single white flowers and a dark pinky red blotch in the centre.  This year I bought a plant and brought it home with me.  I have no idea of the plants name, but it is quite beautiful. A small piece had broken off on our journey home, so I put this into a plug to root. and  I put the plant in the greenhouse. When I came back from my week's holiday in Ireland I noticed that the plant was covered in rust!  It was immediately cut back and the stems destroyed.  I re-potted the plant and sprayed the stems with a fungicide.  It is now growing well with new shoots.  The small cutting is rooted and potted on and showing no signs of rust.

Unknown zonal pelargonium from France

If anyone knows the name of this pelargonium Please, please, let me know.

Mont Blanc - Silver bi-colour zonal Pelargonium and pelargoniums in South Korea

This is a very cool looking Pelargonium - it certainly lives up to its namesake in the Alps.

Mont Blanc is a silver leaf bi-colour zonal Pelargonium with white single flowers.  Alan Shellard introduced this in 1981.  Not a stunning show off type of Pelargonium - but if you do go into your greenhouse or conservatory at night you will see that it sort of shines - like a lot of white flowered plants.

For the past year I have been in correspondence with Mr Yong-Man Lee who lives in South Korea.  Mr Lee loves to grow pelargoniums, but does have difficulty getting the wonderful named varieties that we have here.  However, he does grow some lovely plants and he recently sent me some photo's that, with his permission, I share with you here.

Occold Shield - A Cascade pelargonium & a visit to Wisley

P. Occold Shield

One of the brightest pelargoniums in my conservatory just now is Occold Shield, a dwarf plant with bright orange/red semi double flowers and bright gold leaves that have a large dark brown blotch.   A cascade. or P. fruitetorum type zonal pelargonium, Occold Shield is one of a series of zonal pelargopniums with the pre-fix 'Occold' hybridised by the late Rev. Canon Stringer.  Occold Shield was introduced in 1984.

Occold Shield leaves

Cascade pelargoniums are hybridised from the species P. fruitetorum, hence Fruitetorum type.  P. fruitetorum  is found in several places in South Africa and was introduced into Britain in 1932.  It has slender stems and a sprawling scrambling habit.   Other Cascade, or Fruitetorum types are Medallion, Honeywood Suzanne, Charmay Hampshire, Hilbre Island, Sorcery.

At the end of last month I visited R.H.S. Wisley Gardens and was delighted to find their pelargonium display in the glasshouse. 

The National Pelargonium Show 16th June 2012

Above is a photo of the childrens Section up to 7 years of age.
All were give a cutting of  PAC Octavia Hill to grow on.

This is the second prize winner - well done!

Ivy Leaf  "The Crocodile"

Angel Pelargonium Quantock Clare

Regal Fringed Aztex

Regal - Elaine

Regal - Kimono

Species Pelargonium P. cuculatum

Species Pelargonioum -  P endlicherianum

Leaves of Species Pelargonioum -  P endlicherianum

Species Pelargonium - P. tongaence

Basic zonal Pelargonioum - Tinkers Harmony