I love my garden, I do. It’s at the heart of my life. But just recently I’ve been drawn back and back to a windowsill by some sweet dwarf pelargoniums. Here’s one:
Dwarf Perlagonium Golden Mist – sweet?!
I wanted something small, easy and sun loving for the windowsill of the conservatory and discovered these beautiful things. I instantly ordered far too many – they cost a fortune, and some are hopeless. Ouch! They arrived as plug plants which then spent a long time in a cold frame. Some were already showing small flowers, so I was there several times a day, gazing at them. (I know)
It seemed very late in the year to be expecting anything – August – but most of them came on well. Some didn’t and haven’t.
This is still alive, three months on, and still exactly like this. I may have over potted but most of them romped away.
But the ones that flowered have just delighted me, and have drawn visitors to them with the same effect. So here they are, for you to enjoy:
Pelargonium Saga
Pelargonium David John
Elmsett – hmm, a bit too speckly??
Emma Jane Read – yes!
Perlagonium Southern Rosina
Dainty Damosel – my favourite!!!
Not sure about speckles but the variegation adds what is commonly described as interest. Sammi Broughham. Hm.
They’re still at it. Please ignore the cobweb. We look after spiders as our favourite indoor wildlife…
These do so brighten a cold wet day. Other colours are available but I wanted harmony. Trouble is, I think I might just find I’ll get interested in bigger ones too… Is this how addiction takes hold?
Is my favourite too bright??? (It’s just the photo….)
Can you get these in America or elsewhere? Or are they a UK speciality? (Ha – I’m just making you jealous!) I know that the rather subdued, very delicate scented leaved pelargoniums are fashionable amongst rather subdued, delicate gardeners. So I imagine you have those and the big ones available. But these – they are gorgeous. Can you get these??? Or are they just MINE!?
Anne Wareham is a British garden maker, and garden writer for newspapers and magazines. She has written three books, The Bad Tempered Gardener , The Deckchair Gardener, and the continuing best seller Outwitting Squirrels. (And no, she is not Bill Adler, and yes, it is a legitimate and totally different book under a similar title).
Anne and her husband, garden photographer Charles Hawes, have made the garden Veddw https://veddw.com/ over the past 33 years, with much hard labour.
And Anne has campaigned over those past 33 years for a renaissance in British gardens, focusing on encouraging serious reviews of gardens and on returning gardens to their place amongst the fine arts in British culture. To this end she has also also edited thinkingardens which has certain similarities to Garden Rant, in being challenging and provocative. She has made herself thoroughly unpopular amongst her colleagues in the process – British gardens are popularly believed to be above criticism.