Bewitched and beguiled

Pelargonium ‘Parisienne’
Pelargonium ‘Parisienne’

It’s pouring with rain today, putting paid to any idea of my getting on with the various outside jobs on my list. Instead I am finding myself looking back over the pictures I have taken in the garden this year and thinking about what I’ve learnt. I’ve written before about how I hated Pelargoniums, but I’ve just been looking at them up close again as I rescued them from the rain and took them in to the comparative warmth of the greenhouse. What’s not to love?! ‘Parisienne’ does indeed look very chic in her subtle pink ensemble.

‘Lara Jester’ looks for all the world like the high kicking girls in the Folies-Bergèere.

‘Jackie’ resembles a tiny but perfectly formed rose.

Continuing the French theme, ‘Madame Layall’ in her more definite markings could be the chic aunt accompanying the altogether more frilly ‘Parisienne’.

I’m really glad I learned, yet again, that plant prejudices deserve to be challenged – though I do still draw the line at carnations. One has to have some standards…

3 Comments


  1. Why no carnations? I grew them one year but they never came back and struggled. I do love the peleargoniums but they don’t do well here. Something about them turning mushy and giving up that makes me cringe. I’m not even sure if I’ll winter them over. You have some very pretty ones!


  2. Wow! Fantastic photos. So the rain didn’t dampen your enthusiasm for photography then? I was particularly interested in the Lara Jester pelargonium, because I have a plainer one called simply Lara. I have been trying to propagate some cuttings of it because I want to give one to my daughter Emma who has a little girl called Lara. There’s a picture of it on my 16/09 blogpost called “A Feast for the Eyes”.
    btw: How did you get the “Grabbed” badge for your website?


  3. your pelargoniums are lovely and I’ve learnt lots of new things reading your post (flower names are not my strong point!). Thanks for popping over to my blog pages. I hope your potted lavender attempts fare better than mine. I’m quite green fingered at the allotment but the Grim Reaper when it comes to pots in the yard!
    It was great that you took the time to mention the problems with looking at posts on Gardeners Voice. I contacted them and it’s all fixed now.
    Fingers crossed for a drier day tomorrow. Good gardening :o)

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