It is regrettably unfortunate that I have never crossed the Atlantic; therefore, I am not competent to estimate the popularity of scarlet-flowered pelargoniums in the U. S. A. and Canada.
However, those visiting the Old Country during this festival of Britain this year will find these plants contributing largely to our floral displays.
Still known popularly and erroneously as “geraniums,” pelargoniums of the zone type will be seen in the window boxes of townsfolk, the front gardens of suburban houses, and the beds and borders of our public parks.
For many years past, one of the sights of London has been the gorgeous display around the Queen Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace.
Paul Crompel was the variety used for a long period, but this has given place to Gustave Emich. This brilliant orange-scarlet has just that trifle of semi-doubleness, enabling the flowers to hold on longer than single blossoms.
Gustave Emich
Last year I planted Gustave Emich in front of the greenhouses and filled three boxes with it to camouflage a coke bin effectively.
Fortunately, the lawn, the borders of delphiniums, snapdragons, and hydrangeas, and the background of big, old front trees provided a setting for a restful foil to the vividness of the pelargoniums.
We held a fete in our borough, and one of the highlights was a procession of decorated vehicles.
Our local horticultural society entered the competition and built up an imposing display on a flat motor lorry; my contribution consisted of four long boxes filled with Gustave Emich — placed along the sides. We won the premier cup!
The Heyday of Zonal Pelargoniums
As show flowers have passed, I do not expect to see a renaissance of those giant specimens exhibited at the Megvest Summer show held in the city of York half a century ago. They were models of training and timing, and many were more than 3′ feet in diameter.
An exhibition of new varieties was formerly held annually in south London, and raisers paid particular attention to the individual flowers’ size, coloring, and circular form.
Even as far back as 1846, pelargonium “fanciers” were willing to pay two pounds and two shillings for a small plant of a new variety.
A variety named Vesuvius held sway as a popular summer-bedding plant for a very long period but was superseded by F. V. Raspaie:
Then came Paul Crompel, and now we have Gustave Emich “topping the bill.” When I was at Kew, the famous William Watson, who subsequential became Curator of the Royal Botanic Gardens, asserted that the pelargonium was unsurpassed for its long and continuous display in Summer.
I still agree with him, notwithstanding the wonderful plants introduced in modern times. It lasts from June to October.
Scarlet Geraniums
So much for the “scarlet geraniums,” but I am equally fond of pelargoniums with colored leaves, particularly those of the “tricolor” group, such as Mrs. Pollock and Mr. Harry Cox, and was delighted to find that Kew had collected numerous varieties and planted a long border with them, adequately labeled last year.
Our small town used to have a little nursery consisting almost entirely of greenhouses. There was a local legend to the effect that a former proprietor had made a fortune by growing Mrs. Pollock for Covent Garden Market.
I heard this legendary story over 50 years ago; the nursery disappeared when the Great West Road was constructed. To sum up, 1951 promises to be a pelargonium year in most parts of England.
Interest In The Pelargonium Family
These observations and comments of the distinguished Editor Emeritus of the Gardener’s Chronicle of England prompt me to remark that there is a notable revival of interest in the pelargonium family in America.
Helen Van Pelt Wilson’s book “Geraniums— Pelargoniums for Windows and Gardens” has been a source of great inspiration to many enthusiasts who have searched eagerly to know more about this extraordinary group of plants — rich in color, foliage texture, and fragrance.
In these days of terraces and patios, window gardens, and penthouse living, the pelargoniums, or geraniums as they are affectionately known, are adaptable to several uses. And, what is more, the various kinds are fun to collect.
44659 by Charles H. Curtis