Browsed by
Category: Pelargonium

Growing Regal Geranium Pelargonium

Growing Regal Geranium Pelargonium

reba-regal

Regal Pelargoniums or exotic Geraniums are getting more fancy and colourful. This pink frilled flower is called Reba Regal. I grow Regal pelargoniums for in house but they can go outside after the last frost although some flowers are a bit susceptible to rain damage.

Tips on Growing Regal Pelargoniums.

  • Pinch out the growing tips to get a bushy plant although most varieties are branching types.
  • Water Regals more  than standard pelargoniums and feed with potash feed as they near flowering.
  • Those with large blooms and ruffled petals need a sheltered spot such as in a porch where they won’t be spoilt by the wind or rain. …

    Read More Read More

Tips for Growing Geraniums (Pelargonium)

Tips for Growing Geraniums (Pelargonium)

Pelargonium

There are two great uses for Geraniums that make it worth growing these fine flowering plants. Outdoors they make fantastic border plants and the red varieties are very popular in formal bedding schemes. The second use is as a long flowering houseplant and if you deadhead and feed you plants you will get lots of geraniums from one windowsill plant.

Geranium Cultivation

Grow from seed, plug plants or cuttings. They root quite easily from spring cuttings.
Plant out when the danger of frost has gone.
Geraniums can go straight into a border/bed or be put in containers, troughs or baskets.
Pinch-out the growing tip in April to encourage bushy plants.
Feed in summer with a high potash fertilizer to encourage more blooms.
Geraniums can survive with little water so can be planted in dry conditions but they do appreciate a drink like the rest of us.

Tips and Ideas for Planting Geraniums

Use one variety or colour and plant together to get a bold swathe of colour. …

Read More Read More

Scented Pelargonium (Geraniums)

Scented Pelargonium (Geraniums)

It is the scented leaves of Pelargoniums rather than the flower that attracts growers and collectors. They are often used in scented gardens for the blind but are useful in a normal garden border where they may be brushed or touched. As indoor pot plants they are ideal as living pot-pourri and may be hybrids or species in their own right.

Top 10 Scented leaved Pelargoniums

  1. Pelargonium Fragrans Variegata a small plant with lots of scented green and white leaves with the aroma of spice, pine and lemon.
  2. Mable Grey woody and harder to grow but heavy lemon scented leaves

Book Cover

  1. P. graveolens Lady Plymouth a strong grower favoured for exhibitions with a rose like scent
  2. Prince of Orange is an old variety that as the name implies smells of orange
  3. Little gem is a dwarf grower with a spicy scent that remains fresh until late in the year

…

Read More Read More

Photogenic Pelargonium

Photogenic Pelargonium

Photogenic Regals, Angels, Zonals, Scented leaved, Dwarfs, Miniatures, Alpine, Stellar, Ivy Leaved and Uniques are all types of Pelargonium. It is this variety that makes Pelargoniums photogenic and more importantly worth growing as a hobby for house, conservatory or garden.

Geraniums
A mosaic of Pelargoniums shows the variety of flower and colours that these plants can produce.

Pelargonium
Tips for Growing Geraniums (Pelargonium)

Pelargonium
Dwarf Pelargonium aka Geranium

Pelargonium
Miniature Pelargonium

Pelargonium
Growing Regal Geranium Pelargonium

Pelargonium
The Secret of Geranium (Pelargonium) Cuttings

Regal pelargonium
Regal Pelargonium Photos and Images

Other photos, links and credits
Top 10 Scented leaved Pelargoniums
Pelargonium Grandiflorum and other ‘Geraniums’
Stellar Pelargonium – Bird Dancer Geranium
Fancy or Unique Pelargoniums Called Geraniums
Another great Photo mosaic from ‘Geraniums by robynejay’ CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Thompson & Morgan supply Pelargonium seeds and plants in season.

Secrets of Geranium (Pelargonium) Cuttings

Secrets of Geranium (Pelargonium) Cuttings

rosebud-geranium

I couldn’t resist this double pink rose bud Pelargonium ‘Something Special’ which is looking really good at the moment. I intend taking some early cuttings of this plant next month and growing them on for  specimen plants. August to October are good months for taking cuttings to flower the following year.

Pelargonium 'Lord Bute'

Tips on Pelargonium Cuttings

  • Plants flower best when they are mature, full of leaf and well grown. Geraniums need time, usually 10-12 months from cutting to flowering to be at their best.
  • A 3 inch cutting should have several leaf joints (nodes) for potential branching. Some gardeners recommend non-flowering stems but I find it isn’t significant.
  • Take the cutting with a razor blade or sharp knife just above a leaf joint from your stock plant. Trim off all bar one or two leaves and any flower buds. trim back to just below a node.
  • I use 3 inch pots but smaller pots may be suitable or 4-5 cuttings can be put around the edge of a larger pot. Cuttings can also be planted in a hole close to the parent bedding geranium and lifted with soil for potting on for winter.
  • Gritty compost or soil with added sand is a suitable medium. The sand can stimulate root growth. I do not use rooting hormone it isn’t worth the cost as Geraniums root so easily.
  • Pinch out the growing tip to encourage roots and branches.

Pelargonium peltatum

  • Dwarf and miniature plant cuttings can be proportionately smaller but the method is the same.
  • Water the pots from the bottom. Bottom heat will only be needed for late October cuttings
  • Dwarfs, Ivy and miniature Pelargoniums root quite well. I find Regals a bit harder as cuttings.
Nodal Shoot cutting
Nodal Shoot cutting
  • A nodal shoot cutting above is taken by trimming by branching stem into two cuttings.
  • Other than Regals which need nodal cuttings, they can be taken from the  most suitable point of the host plant.
  • A leaf Axil cutting below can be taken if the plant has no other suitable cutting material.
Leaf Axil cutting
Leaf axil cutting

Other links and information on Pelargoniums

Top 10 Scented leaved Pelargoniums
Pelargonium Grandiflorum and other ‘Geraniums’
Stellar Pelargonium – Bird Dancer Geranium
Photogenic Pelargonium
Growing Regal Geranium Pelargonium
Miniature Pelargonium
Dwarf Pelargonium aka Geranium
Tips for Growing Geraniums (Pelargonium)
Other Resources and Credits
Pelargonium ‘Lord Bute’ by douneika CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Pelargonium peltatum by DowianA CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Royal Horticultural Society RHS ‘Gardening for All’
National Council for Conservation of Plants and Gardens ‘Conservation through Cultivation.’
Garden Organic National Charity for Organic Gardening.
BBC Gardening
Thompson & Morgan supply seeds and plants in season.

Regal Pelargonium Images

Regal Pelargonium Images

Sumptuous flowers from a houseplant we often call a geranium.
Regal pelargonium

Regal Pelargonium prefer a clay pot and plenty of calcium, so hard water is ideal for watering rather than rain water which will be softer.

Regal pelargonium

Regal Pelargonium do not require as much cutting back and require a slightly higher winter temperature than zonals.

Regal pelargonium

Never allow Regal Pelargonium plants to dry out completely as the roots will seal and blackleg will kill your plant.

Regal Pelargonium Mrs Innes Rogers

Deadhead old flowers frequently and feed regularly with high potash so that they will perform as well as your Zonals.

Pelargonium regal
Growing Regal Geranium Pelargonium

Regal Pelargoniums

Build Your Regal Geranium Collection

pink regal pelargonium

Crimped edges on some petals add to the allure.

IMG_2434

‘Apparently this is a Regal Pelargonium’ sure is David(ed).

regal pelargonium

Other links and information on Pelargoniums

Top 10 Scented leaved Pelargoniums
Pelargonium Grandiflorum and other ‘Geraniums’
Stellar Pelargonium – Bird Dancer Geranium
Photogenic Pelargonium
The Secret of Geranium (Pelargonium) Cuttings
Growing Regal Geranium Pelargonium
Miniature Pelargonium
Dwarf Pelargonium aka Geranium
Tips for Growing Geraniums (Pelargonium)

Credits
Regal Pelargoniums by Destinys Agent CC BY-NC 2.0
pink regal pelargonium by Chris & Angela Pye CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
IMG_2434 by DavidQuick CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Swanland Nurseries Pelargonium Cultural tips
Thompson & Morgan supply seeds and plants in season.

Stellar Pelargonium – Bird Dancer Geranium

Stellar Pelargonium – Bird Dancer Geranium

Pelargonium

These special zonal pelargoniums are often mistakenly called geraniums. The Stellars have star shaped flowers that give the cultivars their name. The petals are not as full as other zonals but the leaf markings are quite striking. There is a lot of bud at the moment and they are massing in the garden quite well.

As with other geraniums they like a free draining soil but are not troubled with pests (famous last words).

The zonal leaf marking became more apparent when the plants were put outside from the greenhouse.

Plants are easy to propagate from now all through summer and autumn. Just keep the plants on the dry side and frost free in winter. Plants last several years but are more robust and floriferous from new stock. Seed can be sown in warmth from February or raised from plug plants.

The flowers repay close attention and can be inspected on the geranium flower web site

Other links and information on Pelargoniums

Top 10 Scented leaved Pelargoniums
Pelargonium Grandiflorum and other ‘Geraniums’
Photogenic Pelargonium
The Secret of Geranium (Pelargonium) Cuttings
Growing Regal Geranium Pelargonium
Miniature Pelargonium
Dwarf Pelargonium aka Geranium
Tips for Growing Geraniums (Pelargonium)
Thompson & Morgan supply Pelargonium seeds and plants in season.

Dwarf Pelargonium aka Geranium

Dwarf Pelargonium aka Geranium

dwarf

This dwarf Pelargonium (called Geranium) is shorter than a paperback (I mean not as tall) and the leaves are correspondingly small. A perfect little miniature plant with all the habits and leaf colouring of a zonal Pelargonium.

Dwarf Pelargonium Tips and Hints

  • I guess you could grow them outside in summer in the rockery after the Aubretia and spring flowers have finished or in pots indoors and out..
  • I have several cuttings coming along very nicely that I took from this plant in March as I wanted to reshape it for this summer and couldn’t waste the trimmings. I used gritty compost and a normal window ledge and all 6 have rooted. I will cut them back in Autumn for growing slowly onward next spring.
  • I am looking  for other miniature Geraniums to complement this one as they are easier to maintain in good condition than the larger varieties.
  • The following varieties are suitable for exhibitions and I might give one or two a try; Dibbinsdale, Dovepoint, Barnsdale and Clatterbridge according to Fir Trees nursery where I buy my Pelargoniums.
  • I may also try a Dwarf Regal Pelargonium like Lily The pink or Tammy Ann

…

Read More Read More