Friday 21 June 2013

geraniums or pelargoniums

geraniums

biokovo, tiny monster, ann folkard
pat, splish splash, ballerina
terre franche, pink cinereum, spinners
After I counted the roses I began to wonder
just how many geraniums I have.
Well it seems I have totted up 12 species
though have many more clumps.
I couldn't be without geraniums
they are great space fillers
that said they can become a bit unruly.
Don't be fooled by a geranium with a name like tiny monster!
My favourite at the minute would be 
the terre franche bottom left 
(local plant lady purchase)
I just love the heart shaped petals!
pelargoniums
It has come to my attention that there is still confusion
between geraniums and pelargoniums.
Pelargoniums and geraniums both belong to the Geraniaceae family,
which is where the confusion began.
For a great explanation click here.
Here in the UK
geraniums are hardy, whereas pelargoniums are not
end of discussion!

14 comments:

  1. I have the bottom two (right hand side) They are pretty in the garden. They were in my garden well before we moved in and we have been here for 23yrs!
    Julie xxxxxx

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  2. I love both! Have just bought Johnson's Blue geranium as i always love to have this in my garden. Lovely photos and thanks for naming them - terre franche and spinners I must look out for..although they are all so pretty!
    I love the pelargoniums in summer too, and bought 24 small plants a while back for pots and baskets - all potted up but not yet flowering.
    Have a great weekend Clare!
    Gill xx

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  3. Wow! So many! I have a geranium that is very hardy. It is spreading everywhere...but I do really love the vivid flowers against the deep green leaves. Gorgeous garden, Clare!

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  4. Not sure I still know the difference!! LOL!! They are all beautiful whatever they are called!!

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  5. Maybe there are some countries where they are both hardy Clare?? Not here though! I know and love both - used to collect the scented leaved pelargoniums! Mint, lemon, rose scented leaves but the flowers were not so big!

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  6. Handy that you had 12 which fitted nicely into a mosaic!
    I shall now sound knowledgeable about these 2 plants when I talk about them!
    Lisa x

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  7. I love geraniums - it's like magic when they suddenly reappear in the spring!

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  8. Lovely garden. My favourite spring/summer/autumn plant. What's the one right in the middle please?

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  9. Hi Claire, love your geraniums...I have masses and they are invaluable. I love the way they form neat clumps ( mostly ) and the masses of flowers. I don't know the names of mine except one a bought at a summer fair a couple of years ago . It had a label I read as " morning window" so I guessed it would be light blue. But when it flowered in was really dark maroon, almost black. I was a bit puzzled till I read the label again and realized it said " mourning widow " ! ooops. It's lovely anyway but I still need to get a blue one :0)
    Jacquie x

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  10. Gorgeous photos!
    I'll be watching your blog for photos of your trip.
    Do you travel with a needle work lap project?
    I'll bet you do. Your quilting projects are so beautiful that it is easy to see that each piece has very much of your heart sewn into it :)
    Have a lovely day.
    Your blogging sister,
    Connie

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  11. Hi Clare, how nice of you to visit. I must admit I am envious of your garden. Mine is full of weeds. I am so ashamed of it and need to take control. I like geraniums too.

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  12. Just found your lovely blog through Jacquie. Our pictures of geranuims and roses are almost identical! I had forgotten that we used to have splish splash. I love your terre franche it looks a lovely one.
    Sarah x

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  13. Didn't know this. I call all my pelargoniums geraniums. And suddenly I don't have any geraniums at all in my garden. Make sense? Maybe I should go and get me some. The purple ones we call Midsommarblomster in Sweden. They grow wild on fields and in ditches and we pick the for midsummer, therefor the name.
    Annette
    My Rose Valley

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