Anyone like regal pelargoniums?

[Grandma]

They are my favourite pot plants! Here are a few pics of those I have in flower at the moment. Hope you like them!

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Uploaded with ImageShack.us[/center]

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Uploaded with ImageShack.us[/center]

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[Grandma]

[betula]

They are exceptionally beautiful..........wonderful pics.

[Squash64]

Fabulous! Do you have a favourite?

[Jayb]

Absolute stunners  ;D

[lottiedolly]

beautiful pics, they are my favourites too and i have a few that have pride of place in my raised beds and my pots  ;D

[Bugloss2009]

fantastic.

impossible to pick a favourite

[honeybee]

Stunning!  :)

[GrannieAnnie]

I've never seen such beauties!  How old are your plants? Do they stay in a greenhouse all year?
Great work, Grandma

[Duke Ellington]

Beautiful !!:)

[Grandma]

Glad you like them and thanks for all your nice comments :-*!

Squash64 - it's hard to have a favourite, they are all so different. With some it's the colours and markings on the individual flowers that I love, with others it's the sheer profusion of blooms. If I was forced to pick just one it would probably be Rimfire (pic #9) for its lovely markings - or possibly Aztec (#1) it seems to be the one that catches my eye first when I go into the greenhouse - or Louise (#5) for it's striking colour contrast - or Tornado (#12) cos it just doesn't know when to stop flowering - or........................... !!!

GrannieAnnie - thank you! Most of the plants are first or second year cuttings. I do keep my 'stock' plants but they are getting a bit too big for the space I have for them and, as the cuttings root so easily, I may have to keep only the younger plants for next year.

I wouldn't trust my old greenhouse to be frost-proof - (especially during a winter like the one we've just had!) so I bring them into my (unheated) lean-to and a spare (also unheated) bedroom for the winter.
Thanks again! xxx

[Squash64]

Grandma - how do you look after them over the winter? 

[Jeannine]

They are so beautiful, and please share some growing tips, I have them in my balconi window boxes 7 different colors, and flowers usually die on me but I couldn't help myself buy them.!! I am watering, feeding and dead heading .

[Grandma]

Squash64 - they need minimal care through the winter but, as they continue to grow all year, they do need to be kept moist and, on milder days, well ventilated. I trim them a little when I bring them indoors, just to keep them in a neat shape - and I use the tips for cuttings (cos I'm addicted to taking cuttings!) I don't feed them again until about February/March. Hope this helps! xxx

Jeannine - you seems to be doing all the right things! I probably spoil my 'regals'! They're not as tough as the zonal pelargoniums (the ones we all call geraniums) and they CAN be grown outdoors but it's always windy in Worthing and the petals don't look as if they could stand a battering! Also, I never water overhead and they'd get thoroughly wet outside on occasions. I read somewhere that the rule with regals is 'dry at the top, moist at the roots'. They are thirsty beasts, too: in hot weather watering twice a day isn't too often, in normal, warm weather every other day will be ok for all except the most vigorous plants.
Dead heading is a must - as soon as one petal drops, I cut off the whole flower cluster - I think that helps keep the flowers coming. They do like good ventilation - so they're getting plenty of that outdoors!

How deep are your window boxes? I find I need to pot my plants on quite frequently - some of the bigger ones are now in 9" pots.

Keep up the good work Jeannine - anyone as clever as you are with veggie stuff can't be too bad with flowers!

Love and best wishes across the pond to you and your lovely John. xxx

[GrannieAnnie]

Oh, duh, now I get it. Regal pelargoniums are a different type than just plain geraniums. I thought you'd picked an adjective to describe yours, Grandma!  So no wonder they are so huge and beautiful.
Did you grow your stock plants from seed initially?

[Jeannine]

Thank you Grandma...oh it is nice to say that, I never had one!!

I looked on the tag in the pot and it reds Geranium-Pelargonium. They are not like what I call geraniums, the kind my mother kept as a kid.

Mine are on window boxes fixed to the balcony railing,about 8 inches deep x 30 inches long x 7 iches wide. It is part  shady, we are the top floor and have an overhang sio they can't get wet from above. There is two in each, apart from the end one which is sharing with a clematis vine growing up the wall. there is a pale pink, a cream, a hot pink, a maroon, and a varigated pink and deep pink one. They all seem to be doing well, which in my case is more by luck than judgement, normally all but houseplants die on me.

Thank you about the dead heading bit, I started by just removing flowers but noticed a few days later that the stem holding them seemed to wither and wondered if I should remove the whole haed.

I am amazed that they are still going,as I tend to let the top go a bit dry then I notice soak them.. bet that is dead wrong too.

Thank you for the help,and good to know they can live on past this year, although not much hopoe with me !!

XX Jeannine

[Grandma]

GrannieAnnie - it's confusing, isn't it? There are several different types of pelargonium. What we know as 'geraniums' are actually zonal pelargoniums; geraniums (the cranesbill family) are hardy perennial plants.

Named varieties of regals don't come true from seed. I bought my original plants as little rooted cuttings in Jiffy 7s from a specialist grower. You've got me thinking, though: if I let a couple of my plants go to seed perhaps I would get some interesting offspring! I just might try that! xxx

Jeannine - How sad that you've never had a grandma! I'm happy to be your honorary one!

Your window boxes sound lovely and if the plants are thriving on what you're doing then don't change anything. Maybe you could try taking a few cuttings later - then, if the original plants don't make it through the winter, you'll have some babies ready for next year. xxx

[Jeannine]

Ok Grandma, but I willbe asking you how later on

XX Jeannine

PS I think I am older than you XX