Sunday, July 18, 2010

Rosebud Pelargoniums

 

Though geraniums are considered ‘old lady’ flowers
or ‘old fashioned’  I have fond memories of them being
over wintered in the kitchen widow of my grandma’s home.
Setting in her sunny window they  would often have a  few
blooms in the dead of winter and may have been the only
colorful flowers that she had in the winter other than the
foliage plants of a Snake plant or as some call them
Mother-in-laws tongue.
So call me sentimental but I love geraniums.
There are just so many varieties, they are easy to grow
and they can be over wintered so this would make them
winners to a person like myself who has trouble geminating
seeds but can even get geranium seeds to grow.
Every summer I always write about them.
Maybe because I keep accumulating more and more of
them to add to the ones I keep around all winter in the basement.
I set pots of them in the basement and when I run short
of space take them out of their pots and hang them from
their roots by a piece of twine during the winter and pot them
up again in very early spring.

Geranium_AppleBlossomRosebud2 

Last Summer Lynn over at  Flower Gardening had this
beautiful Apple Blossom Rosebud geranium that she
had propagated from a friend’s plant.
Well I fell in love with this beauty that she had with its tiny
double blooms that looked like roses, so  I had
to find one like it from somewhere. I searched and finally 
found them at Select  Seed.

Geranium_AppleblossomRosebud 

Not only did they have the Apple Blossom variety but they
also had this Red or Crimson Rosebud geranium.
So two new geraniums have joined to the geranium collection.
What is not to love about these two old ladies flowers??

 Geranium_RedRosebud2

Since I am not a very knowledgeable country gardener I
assumed these Rosebud pelargoniums were something new
to the market but while searching for them I learned that they
had actually been around since 1850. Miniature in size these
ornamental zonal geraniums were often used in button holes
or Victorian bud vases.

Geranium_RedRosebud

I found this old basket at a Goodwill store and spray painted
it a turquoise. It was just the thing to set the two new potted geraniums in out on the front porch.

Rosebud_Pelargoniums_Geraniums

Some additional information:

They like full sun, grow to 12-16 inches tall, and minimum
temperature to 35 degrees. They bloom repeatedly from spring through fall and can be grown indoors. 
They can be propagated from cuttings or seeds.

Happy Gardening Everyone !!
Lona

 

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19 comments:

Priscilla @ Homegrown Delight said...

Gorgeous Geraniums! I have red that my mom gave me, I planted it in the ground in the spring and didn't know the color until it recently bloomed. I love it that I ended up buying another one, hot pink! Thanks also for the advice on caring for them. Have a wonderful weekend :)

Anonymous said...

I'm still giggling about "Mother-in-law's Tongue." I'd love to know the history behind that moniker.

I bought a small rooted 'Apple Blossom' cutting in April. The photos I posted got rave reviews, even from people who aren't typically Pelargonium connoisseurs. But you, my dear, growing them from seed? Now there is a feat unmatched. Nice going! Love your basket and bird's nest.

Floridagirl said...

Lovely blooms! Definitely not your Grandma's Geraniums"!

Patsy said...

I liked to have Geraniums in my garden window when we lived in Texas.Sad this house has no place for one.
Patsy

Balisha said...

Why do I have trouble growing them?
I love these...
Balisha

Gardener on Sherlock Street said...

The Apple Blossom Rosebud Geranium is beautiful. I'm finding myself collecting geraniums too. I just posted about taking cuttings of the ones I have to create "back up" plants for when I bring them in this fall. I've lost some in the past so I like to have extras. I've never tried the hang 'em up by the roots trick. I don't have a good place to do that. Thanks for the info on the "new" geranium varieties.

Tammy said...

Lona, I absolutely LOVE,LOVE those geraniums. I have never seen anything like them before. Just the simple old fashioned ones. Thanks, now I have something else to add to my "want" list,lol

Tatyana@MySecretGarden said...

Lona, I love geraniums too! I've never had rosebud type. it's very pretty!Thank you for your comments on my blog. Have a great week!

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Lona when I had my old old house I did bring the geraniums into the house and hung them from the rafters in my laundry area. It did work when I potted them up in the spring, but I never did it again.

Eileen

Liz said...

Hi Lona,

Very nice! And trust me, you’ve no idea how shocked I am at myself for even considering that of a Pelargonium!

For me, although I do associate them with the older generation, it’s more a case of being unable to stand their smell. It reminds me of biology lessons at school where windowsills were filled with them, ready to be used in science experiments – chlorophyll usually. And because I sat next to the window every time I moved, or brushed past them, I’d smell their aroma and I have quite a keen sense of smell… sadly, Pelargoniums offend me! Lol (as do some of the hardy Geraniums such as phaeum!)

But these rose-bud ones, well they may just make me forgive them, they are wonderful. And I especially like the apple blossom variety, so who knows… maybe one will make its way into my garden…

Ever Green Tree said...

Such pretty flowers, inspite of being so Teeny tiny. Lovely pics n Happy Gardening to u too

Roses and Lilacs said...

Your geraniums are beautiful! They do indeed look like tiny rosebuds. I'll have to look for those next season.
Marnie

Lona said...

Liz: Some of the Scented geraniums smell better. I have the same problem of hating the smell with marigolds,paperwhites and datura.

Grace: LOL! I was lucky that my mother in law was a very good person but i have heard of some very meddling ones around.

Eileen: It works fairly well for me here unless I forget to check on them in the winter and let them get too dried out.

Marnie: I think they are just so pretty looking.Hope you had a great weekend.

Ever Green Tree: Hello and thank you for dropping by.

Tatyana: Mind the grizzlies now.LOL!

Tammy: I know, I know. That never ending list just grows and never gets any shorter. There is always something new coming along to add to it. LOL!

G.O.S.S: I envy you if you can grow cuttings. I have an awful time with getting them to root and not rot.

Balisha: Maybe you baby them to much LOL!

Patsy: I have the same problem here, no sunny windows. So frustrating.

Priscilla: LOL! I do believe you will not be able to stop at just two.

FloridaGirl: I guess the old does become the new, at least to me.I just thought they were something new.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Lona girl you have made me fall in love with these gorgeous girls !
Apple Blossom does look like an apple blossom ! and that dark blood red one .. well what can I say other than I can't help but think Halloween ? go figure ? LOL
These are are so beautiful and I don't care if they are old lady flowers or what ever .. I want them !!
Joy : )

Andrew said...

Nice pictures. I don't think I've seen a Pelargonium like that. Love that Apple Blossom one especially!

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

They really do look so much like rosebuds! I haven't seen any geraniums like that around here. They remind me of when I was little living in Southern California. There was a planter outside that geraniums lived in year round. I love having plants for sentimental reasons no matter if they are "popular" or not.

Christine B. said...

I collect the patterned leaf types and can't seem to live without the chartreuse one. The moose don't like them, so they'll always be on my must plant list.

Christine in Alaska

Lona said...

Christine: And I complain about the deer. Moose would be a much larger problem LOL!.Any plant that the critters won't eat is a good one.

Catherine: I am not a total fad gardener I guess either.I love planting flowers that have fond memories with them.

Andrew: Hello! Thanks and so glad you dropped by.

Joy: Halloween? Joy? Who would have guessed. LOL!

Gardening in a Sandbox said...

The pelergoniums are so pretty. I will have to put that on my wish list for next year.