<h4>You're browser does not support iFrames - here is an exerpt of the content</h4> <a href="http://gardenerstips.co.uk/blog/flowers/pelargonium-grandiflorum-and-other-geraniums/">Click here to read the article in full</a> <p><img title="Pelargonium Grandifolium Chelsea" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4114/4849525095_bfac699507.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375" /></p> <p>I have tried to grow several Pelargonium varieties this year and been pleasantly surprised at the various forms and colours I have succeeded in producing.</p> <p>The Grandiflorum is an upright, shrubby perennial with soft smooth stems bearing lobed leaves and large, pinkish-white flowers with dark-purple markings. The plant above I spotted in Chelsea Physic garden this summer.</p> <h3>Dwarf Pelargoniums</h3> <ul> <li>I have long had a plant that resembles ‘Don’s Helen Bainbridge’ that I got from Fir Trees nursery. It has tricoloured leaves and grows only 3″ above the pot.</li> <li>After some success with this variety and liking the small habit I bought a collection of Dwarfs and they have done well in the first year. I will see how my many cuttings now perform.</li> <li>I try feed main plants with high potash feed from spring and indoor flowering has generally been good.</li> <li>Alice and Kerensa have been amongst my favourites with pale flowers tinged with pink.</li> <li>The 3″ pots, I have used, dry out quite quickly and better watering would have produced better plants.</li> </ul> <h3>Miniature Pelargoniums</h3> <ul> <li>I didn’t realise that miniature geraniums were so varied and interesting . Without a formal description I have taken miniature to mean 4″- 7″ high with smaller than normal geranium leaves.<span id="more-8392"></span></li> <li>After careful selection I have 6 varieties with neat habits and interesting colour combinations.</li> <li>Angelique has tight double flower heads of deep cerise. They make attractive ball shapes.</li> <li>I also grew an unnamed ‘Regal’ that grew like a miniature but flowered like a massive bedding plant. The fringed, single petals were pink with a white eye. I am now searching catalogues to try identify it.</li> </ul> <h3>Coloured and Scented Pelargoniums</h3> <ul> <li>The variegated plants have showy leaves that exacerbate the effect of the zonal qualities of many Geraniums.</li> <li>I found that the more variegation on the leaves the fewer flower buds and the less showy were the flowers.</li> <li>Scented leaved Geraniums were easy to propagate from cuttings. Unfortunately I have not found a use for the scented leaves other than crushing them as I walk past.</li> <li>Here are more pictures of <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/images?q=Pelargonium&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rlz=1R1GGGL_en___GB345&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1584&bih=733">coloured flowers</a> and <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=oc0&rlz=1R1GGGL_en___GB345&q=variegated%20pelargoniums&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1584&bih=733">variegated leaves</a></li> </ul> <p>I recommend developing a taste for growing Geraniums. There is something to keep the gardener interested all year and they are useful indoors, in containers or as <a href="http://gardenerstips.co.uk/blog/flowers/geraniums-dwarf-miniature-and-bedding/">bedding</a>.</p> <p>Read more <a href="http://gardenerstips.co.uk/blog/flowers/tips-for-growing-geraniums-pelargonium/">Gardeners tips</a> for growing Geraniums (Pelargonium)</p>
