If you’re after a tough and drought hardy plant then Pelargoniums might be the perfect choice. They need little effort from you - yet they’ll give you colour and perfume.
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You might think that I’m writing about Geraniums, but Geranium is really just a common name for Pelargonium and the botanical name for a different group of plants – did you follow all of that?
There are a few different groups of Pelargoniums including:
- Zonal Pelargoniums – grown mainly for its foliage. The leaves have zones (bands) of colour and are really striking.
- Ivy-Leaf Pelargoniums – these plants have a leaf shape similar to English Ivy and they have a trailing habit. This group of plants are fantastic for spilling over retaining walls and in hanging baskets.
- Shrubby Regal Pelargoniums – these form into a shrub and produce masses of spectacular flowers. Fantastic in the garden and lovely in pots.
One of the best attributes of Pelargoniums is they flower most of the year, and all you need do is pinch back the flowering stems when they’ve finished and more flowers will appear.
My favourite is Pelargonium graveolens, this shrub will grow over a metre tall and spread about one metre wide. It has hairy stems and velvety leaves. The leaves are covered in glandular hairs that release a strong perfume when touched. This particular plant has oil that smells like roses and I must admit I do give this plant a stroke every time I walk by it, I just love its scent. It has white/pinkish flowers.
Pelargoniums would be one of the easiest plants to grow by cuttings. All you need do is cut off the tip of a stem, make the piece at least 10cm long. Remove the bottom leaves and plant the stem in a mix that is free draining. I sometimes just put the cutting straight into the garden bed. It’s important to keep the water up and within a couple of months, you’ll be rewarded by a beautifully rooted plant.
