Geraniaceae 2021

[ashley]

Pelargonium australe Tasmanian form
P. iocastum
P. 'Radula Roseum'
P. 'Renate Parsley'
P. 'Trudy'

[Lesley Cox]

These are beautiful Ashley. Are they all - or any - grown undercover? I've tried a couple of the commoner species but lost both, I think due to lack of summer water. Fermi grows them well in inland Tasmania so they must be pretty tough.

[ashley]

Hello Lesley.  They overwinter in an unheated greenhouse then usually holiday outdoors for summer (although this year we've had a long, cool spring so they've yet to go out).  Our damp winters can be a challenge despite limited watering so I just enjoy the ones that make it

Terrible rain & floods there on the South Island, but north of you, so I hope all's well where you are.

[fermi de Sousa]

... Fermi grows them well in inland Tasmania so they must be pretty tough.

I haven't moved, Lesley! Still on the mainland (also known as The West Island). Our PM is currently visiting yours - wanna swap??
Pelargonium iocastrum perpetuates itself by self sowing in the rock garden, which is good because individual plants aren't long lived.
Pelargonium is a "local" in this area but can get quite large, so is better in a garden bed. However in pots (where they self sow) they tend to be quite restrained.
I haven't got any of the named hybrids you've shown, Ashley, they are lovely,
cheers
fermi

[shelagh]

Hi Ashley. We grow quite a few Geraniaceae here are the ones that are flowering at the moment.

Erodium Spanish Eyes. Erodiums are Brian's favourite because they flower for so much longer than many other plants.

Erodium Pippa Mills this one was new to us last year but seems to have settled well.

Geranium Elka.

Geranium Apple Blossom rather pale but pretty.

[shelagh]

Tucked under a big Box is Geranium sanguineum lancastriense.

Geranium Ankrum's Pride not as floriferous as some.

Pelargonium Frank Headley. Brian overwintered this one in the greenhouse and garage.

A shot of the raised bed where most of them are situated with Frank Hedley in his big stone pot at the side.

[Lesley Cox]

Sorry Fermi. I'm well aware that you are in VICTORIA, not Tasmania. I put the mistake down to a mixture of old age, residual effects of anaesthetic and just plain stupidity. Wherever you are, I hope all is well with you and you are surviving the pandemic totally.

Yes Ashley we have indeed had some shocking flooding recently, the worse because the forecasts were for it to happen rather north of the actual area that it DID happen. Our farmers and others are really expert at preparing for such events and if the forecasts are accurate as they usually are nowadays, loss and damage are kept to a minimum. this time while the land loss is great, animals have suffered much less than many times previously. Whole rivers have changed course and the cleanup will take months to put right. We in the south had only the edge of the rain and actually needed a good dowsing so things are OK here. At last snowdrops and other early bulbs are showing their tips.

And Fermi again, no thanks, we'll keep ours and you can keep yours. One of 3 doctors who looked after me over these last few weeks was from Brazil but sounded American and had spent the last 10 years in the USA.  I commiserated with him about Brazil's and the American situation re Covid-19 and his comment was that he had seen the worst possible response to a pandemic in both countries but was now seeing the best. We in li'l ol' NZ are very aware of how fortunate we are in our current leadership.

[ashley]

Sarcocaulon vanderietiae