I wrote a post about these flowers last year, but I bought some new varieties in the autumn in small 6 cm pots and they are in flower now so I thought I would introduce you to them. In early May I spent a weekend potting up all my older pellies and removing the cuttings from pots that I had stuck in when bits broke off. The scented leaf ones have done really well and I might leave some of the larger plants out this winter. I really have far too many plants in pots and have to stop taking cuttings!
The species Pelargonium is a half hardy shrub first collected in South Africa and brought to Britain in the mid seventeenth century by sailing ships from the Dutch East Indies Company. NOT a Geranium as it is still often mislabelled in nurseries around the country. The name Geranium rightfully belongs to a group of hardy herbaceous plants native to Great Britain, Northern Europe and North America.
There are over a dozen varieties including Regal, Zonal and Scented-leaved which I tend to favour, though the new Stellar Pelargoniums which were bred as recently as the 1970’s in Australia, are quite exotic looking. You can use these flowers in the borders, in tubs or containers or in hanging-baskets or in a glasshouse. They are cheerful, colourful (from white to dark purple and almost black) and fairly resistant to pests and diseases. Even the S&S leave them alone which is one good reason for me to grow them. In winter I bring them indoors and now that I have a cold conservatory they do very well, continuing to flower most of the year.
- Fairy Fantasy. A large bushy growing Stella Pelargonium with plenty of flowers that have creamy white lower petals shading to salmon pink. The upper petals are salmon pink shading to white at the edge.
Fairy Fantasy
Fairy Fantasy
Fairy Fantasy - Mr. Wren. This is a very old variety of Zonal Pelargonium. An upright vigorous plant with these amazing single flowers of scarlet red and a wide white border.
Mr Wren
- Nellie Nuttall. This is a Single Zonal Pelargonium with a close compact habit. The flowers are white with a dark salmon ring at the centre.
- Berkswell Golden Aniversary. A lovely golden leaved Angel. Profuse lilac-pink flowers have a purple blotch on upper petals and the petals are lightly clipped. The plant is well shaped and the golden foliage always stays a good colour.
Berkswell Golden Anniversary - Carisbrooke is one of the old Regals. Classic flower shape. Soft shell pink with purple feathering on upper petals.
- Black Prince is a very old Victorian Regal variety which means it has an old fashioned look. With its purple black flowers edged white and with a white throat it certainly stands out.
I had ordered 8 new plants and only one has failed to survive, Lord Bute. I might have to order him again… in fact a few more of these lovely plants might join him. They do after all keep me happy during the winter months.
See here for the participant’s guide.
Cornwall in Colours 
Ooooooo – I could get addicted to them as well. I have a few scented leaf varieties but I don’t think they’d survive outdoors here so they just add to the pot total.
A real treat, thank you.
My pleasure 🙂
I do like a pellie, I always have some, but I haven’t yet gone beyond the tray of basic plants bought in a hurry in the spring. Some of the ones you have there are really lovely. Not sure I can be bothered to try keeping them alive over the winter….
They are fairly easy to keep alive. Cut them down by half and then store in a frost free and sunny place and water when the compost is dry. A porch, sunroom or conservatory are excellent places for the pelargonium family in the winter, and sunny windowsills are suitable. Mine flower best in the winter as I don’t cut them back, just give them a tidy-up! And given all the faff you go through with your cuttings they would be easy peasy! Alternatively you can remove them from their pots and hang them upside down in a dry shed and then repot in the spring. Or even wrap in newspaper! Never tried either method though 🙂
I’ve never seen a golden leaved pelargoniums before. It’s very striking. I saw another variety I liked at a show recently: P. ‘Eva’, but in looking it up to check I had the name right, I notice it’s named mosquitaway by some suppliers, which seems optimistic.
The golden leaved one is lovely, but I haven’t seen many flowers since putting it outdoors.
The golden leaved one didn’t make it through the winter sadly, despite being kept indoors.