Friday, May 09, 2008
Pelargonium 'Abundance' - The Truest Plant Name Ever
Pelargonium 'Abundance' is a very heavy bloomer
Abundance lives up to its name in every possible way. It covers itself with blooms for a long period of time. Almost every blooms creates a seedhead. The lemon-scented foliage is thick and bushy.
I want to thank reader Jeanie for bringing Abundance to my attention. It's my favorite "new-this-year" scented geranium.
P. 'Abundance' seedheads
Sunday, April 27, 2008
The Joy of Celery
Pelargonium ionidiflorum (celery scented geranium) is engulfed in pink flowers
All my geraniums are very pretty right now. I have a lot of exciting pictures coming up. Celery scented geranium is puting on a particularly fine display. The flower stems are very thin, so the flowers have the appearance of a flock of butterflies.
Pelargonium ionidiflorum (celery scented geranium) blooms almost all year long
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
French Vanilla?
Pelargonium 'French Vanilla'
French Vanilla is very similar to Nutmeg scented geranium. I think French Vanilla's name is based on wishful thinking. To me it has a spicy citrus smell.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Heat Tolerant Scented Geraniums For Desert Dwelling Gardeners
Pelargonium ionidiflorum (celery scented geranium) blooms almost nonstop.
Desert dwelling gardeners face a daunting array of problems. Triple digit temperatures, high winds, low humidity all create difficult challenges. Zonal geraniums have a rough time in the Las Vegas summer. What about the scenteds? Good news: Many scented geraniums live happily with our weather extremes.
I thought a list of the most heat tolerant and trouble free would be useful. Everything on this list I have grown for over a year in Southern Nevada. They perform well with only the basic care - no special treatment. (Basic care is defined as water, fertilizer, repotting as needed and half day of sun.) This list is not meant to be definitive and will most certainly grow longer in the future.
Heat Tolerant Scented Geraniums For Desert Gardeners:
- Pelargonium 'Attar of Roses' (rose)
- P. crispum (lemon)
- P. crispum 'Minor' (lemon)
- P. 'Dr. Livingstone' (lemon-rose)
- P. grossularioides (coconut)
- P. limoneum (lemon-lime)
- P. lucaeflora (rose)
- P. ionidiflorum (celery)
- P. 'Mint Scented Rose' (mint)
- P. odoratissimum (apple)
- P. 'Old Scarlet Unique' (pungent)
- P. 'Orange' (orange)
- P. 'Roller's Satinique' (pungent)
- P. 'Sandalwood' (woodsy)
- P. 'Strawberry' (strawberry)
Which worthy, hardworking young scented geraniums will make it to the Heat Tolerant List next? What pitfalls await them? Which scented geraniums have been "deselected" from the List? And why, why, why? You'll read it all here first.
Posted by Dawn Hill at 1:42 AM
Categories: Heat Tolerant, Hot Weather, P. 'Attar of Roses', P. 'Dr. Livingstone', P. 'Mint Scented Rose', P. 'Old Scarlet Unique', P. 'Orange', P. 'Roller's Satinique', P. 'Sandalwood', P. 'Strawberry', P. crispum, P. crispum 'Minor', P. grossularioides, P. ionidiflorum, P. limoneum, P. lucaeflora, P. odoratissimum
Categories: Heat Tolerant, Hot Weather, P. 'Attar of Roses', P. 'Dr. Livingstone', P. 'Mint Scented Rose', P. 'Old Scarlet Unique', P. 'Orange', P. 'Roller's Satinique', P. 'Sandalwood', P. 'Strawberry', P. crispum, P. crispum 'Minor', P. grossularioides, P. ionidiflorum, P. limoneum, P. lucaeflora, P. odoratissimum
Friday, March 28, 2008
Early Bloomer: Nutmeg Scented Geranium
Nutmeg Scented Geranium is always one of the first to bloom in the spring.
Nutmeg geranium is one of the early spring bloomers. Another tiny white flower, too. I'm watching for seedheads. The leaves have a soft velvety texture.
Pelargonium x fragrans 'Nutmeg'
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Geranium Blog Set For Wild Gardening Frenzy
A is for Apple Scented Geranium
I'm completely manic with new geranium projects this spring:
- Set up fluorescent light for rooting and seed growing
- Super tough scented geraniums - I'm developing a list of scented geraniums that gardeners in desert cities can count on. Stay tuned for these sizzling recommendations.
- My little online store is now operational. Drop by Sunshine Hill Gardens for scented geranium seeds and cuttings. I've got canna rhizomes, too!
- Scented geranium leaf gallery - 'nuff said.
- In the name of better organization, some of the articles on Scented Geraniums will be moving to the Geranium Blog over the next few days.
- And how about an update on Gracie the Grackle?
- Plus more, more, MORE preying mantids, deformed vegetables, desert tortoise antics, new scented geraniums and lovely pictures.
Pelargonium odoratissimum (apple) is one of the first to bloom each spring.
Posted by Dawn Hill at 1:41 AM
Categories: Cuttings, Desert Tortoise, Foliage, Garden Fun, Grackle, Hot Weather, New Plants, P. odoratissimum, Praying Mantis, Propagation, Seeds
Categories: Cuttings, Desert Tortoise, Foliage, Garden Fun, Grackle, Hot Weather, New Plants, P. odoratissimum, Praying Mantis, Propagation, Seeds
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Amaryllis Fun
(L to R) Christmas Star, Picotee, Royal Velvet Amaryllises
I grew four varieties of amaryllis this winter. Somehow I missed getting a picture of Pink Surprise. It was extraordinarily beautiful, I promise you. Sorry you missed it.
Christmas Star was a heavy bloomer, short and neat
Picotee - Where's the beef?
Picotee is reputed to have a purple picotee edge on the flowers. What a bunch of malarkey! It has a light pink picotee edge and stands in nicely for a white amaryllis. I am still enthusiastic about Picotee. It is strong and tall and already producing babies.
Royal Velvet is exactly like it's name!
Friday, November 02, 2007
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Bizarre Mystery Pods Turn Out To Be...
Creeping Fig (Ficus pumila) with fruit
Last week my husband found two strange hollowish green pods in the rose garden. We could not imagine what they were or where they came from. This afternoon we were sitting on the patio, looked up and saw them hanging from the creeping fig on the wall. HA! We've been growing this vine for about ten years. It's never made fruit before, nor did anyone notice it flowering.
