Pelargonium Ardens grown with caudex showing

 Let me take you through my experience with Pelargonium Ardens.  I am just an amateur gardener, but interested in plants and enjoy doing slightly different things. I only have a very few Pelargoniums.

I first acquired two little plug plants of Pelargonium ardens in 2018, as part of a challenge of growing a plant we had chosen to feature on Henton Gardening Club website of which I was webmaster. I wrote a short post then little knowing that they would still be going five years later. I had watched 'Potted Jewels' regarding this cultivar, and her video on propagating this Pelargonium. 

This is an extract from Woottens of Wenhaston, who are National Collection Holders.

Species Hybrid. Small intense scarlet red flowers with dark markings. Although appearing equal in size the two upper are larger. Flowers are borne on tall stems away from the foliage. Established plants have thick stems with an almost papery bark. If allowed can be lax in habit, preventable by repotting and ‘burying’. Tuberous, and propagated on the nursery using tubers as well as cuttings. Cuttings are difficult to strike and are usually taken from inch tall flowering stems before bloom in February. Early flowering March – July. Grey green soft foliage. Tends to go dormant in early summer. New leaves are often produced in early winter. Ht. 40cm. Sp. 35cm. Water very little during dormant season.
A wonderful plant, unique and beautiful.
A primary species hybrid of P. lobatum (1698) and P. fulgidum. Other successful hybrids of these two include P. x schottii
Introduced in 1817. Lee.

Having successfully propagated P x Ardens, I decided last year to remove it from the original pot it was grown in. In January 2019, having cut it back it successfully grew several crowns and gave an excellent display that year.

By Summer last year the plant was quite root bound, but as the pot was far too valuable to break, there was no alternative but to use everything including an old bread knife to extract it carefully so as not to cause the pot any damage.

Finally out of the pot, and thinking some mouse or squirrel would maybe enjoy it over the winter, chucked it onto the accumulation of dry leaves at the foot of the stone wall behind a shrub.

This week when having a good tidy up by the wall, I came across the root still sitting on top, quite untouched, which surprised me as I thought it would have been utterly damaged by the wet and freezing weather this winter. It was even sporting some healthy green growth.

I had been a member of the IGS for a couple of years and had much admired pictures of plants grown with the caudex showing.  I chose to leave as I did not wish to grow many different types of species, but learnt much and admired many beautifully grown plants. 

How do I explain caudex when I have no experience of such things. I found a very good explanation:

'The term "caudex" is used in botany to describe the thickened, woody caudiciform stem of a plant that grows just above or below the ground. The caudex is an important part of the plant, providing support and storing nutrients and water for periods of drought.' (Caudex Plants)

I have tried to look for examples of Pelargonium Ardens grown with an exposed caudex, and it could be that I am the first to try this.  Nothing ventured...

This is what it looks like potted up yesterday

At the same time I put up the other two specimens the first on the original in the 'wrong' shaped pot which I have yet to extricate showing the longer stems

and two cuttings taken three years ago, in a half pan already starting in flower.

I'll give an update on the success or otherwise of the caudex exposed specimen.  

Wood fired garden pots by Jacky Duncan

At the HPS plant sale a couple of weeks back, a number of beautiful clay pots were being offered for sale:

Wood-fired frostproof pots 

by

JACKY DUNCAN

(Artist potter, Winsham)

Used but not damaged!  Bargain sale to lighten load before house move

I was provacorating, had my eye on some nice ones for my succulents, but for some reason did not pick them up.  Towards the end of the sale, these four taller ones were still on the table, so I decided to have them, and brought the sale poster home!

All I can say is how pleased I am to have acquired such lovely pots.  How generous of the first owner to share these with others.  I will carefully wash them, and make sure they go to another appreciative gardener when the time comes for me to part with them.

At first I thought of planting the Japanese Fern  Athyrium otophorum var. okanum, in one of the pots.    I love its slender arching leaves where the dark purple stalks and midribs contrast beautifully with its light yellowy green leaves. I had just repotted it and covered with crown with some of the moss I had recently collected, and feared the black plastic pot just didn't do it justice.

Newly acquired 'second hand' wood fired garden pots by Jacky Duncan

The geraniums were in the queue ready to be repotted with fresh compost.  In the end all the pots were used for a little collection.  

Pelargonium hybrid sidoides x reniforme “Burgundy”, Pelargonium coriandrifolium, and Pelargonium ardens x 2  now fill the pots.

Less than a couple of weeks ago, I had decided to cut back the ardens in an effort to get a multi shooting plant.  I am pleased to report that it appears to be working.....

Pelargonium Coriandrifolium update

After a year this 'lacy' leaved Pelargonium has put on growth, but hasn't flowered at all this year.

This Pelargonium myrrhifolium v coriandrifolium did flower last year with about a six individual single large blooms.  

Pelargonium ardens

I have a couple of recently acquired Pelargonium ardens growing in free draining medium in terracotta pots.   As I helped set up the website for the Henton Gardening Club, and then the Facebook group for members, I was impressed by the photograph by one of our members of Pelargonium ardens which we used as the banner picture.

At the Kenilworth gardening club, each year we had a growing a plant from a small plug challenge, and when I suggested this to Sally Gregson, she bought in some recently propagated Pelargonium ardens plantlets.  Some of the members bought one or two...I had two.

My two plants, now that they have regrown their leaves,  are slightly different as to their leaf arrangement.  On one plant they are well balanced, on the second the leaves have varying length stems, and each has yet to flower.  However I was not even put off as during the very hot period this summer, they shed their leaves. I have read that they can have a dormancy period, and when a few weeks ago the hot temperatures abated, and I had moved the plants to a cooler area, fresh leaves started to grow from the small surface root crown.  With cooler night time temperatures at the moment, should they look like falling below 5 C I shall move them to a sunny windowsill.  They will not doubt go into a 'winter dormancy', requiring a little less watering.

They are quite tricky, but I shall nurture them in the expectation of flowering when they are ready!  I shall 'injure' the growing point of the less well endowed plant and hopefully this will encourage branching.

Pelargonium hybrid sidoides x reniforme “Burgundy”

In the conservatory there are three species or near species, is there a term for this, pelargoniums:


I've placed the pot in the shade in order to get a better picture

I have been 'nurturing' Pelargonium hybrid sidoides x reniforme “Burgundy”' which I first acquired from my friend and plantswoman Janet a few years ago.  I have two plants in the same pot, and this year it has been outside, until recently.

In the conservatory, sitting on the side table, with its silvery grey green velvety leaves, it shows off its long flowering stems along which the very dark crimson black flower clusters grow sequentially along the long lax stems.

To get the detail of the blooms, I set the flash, which shows up the black markings near the centre.

Finding out more about this plant has been interesting...the best part is that they can tolerate low temperatures if kept on the dry side.  Unless it is going to get very cold, I feel happier knowing that they will not suffer if left in the conservatory overnight.

Pelargonium coriandrifolium joins my collection

Last week, we visited Stourhead.  This National Trust property has a superb garden.  Of particular interest to me was the Geranium House.   Sir Richard Colt Hoare was an avid collector and loved pelargoniums.  I find the species plants charming and some have wonderful form...the leaves and their arrangement, their colouring and shape are so varied.

I am in a restraining mode...so chose just one of the many species plants on offer at the very good shop to bring home with me.  I love the foliage  it is much divided and almost fern like, ranging from bright acid green in the younger leaves to older one having purple tones.    Here is my new plant: 
Pelargonium myrrhifolium v coriandrifolium, though the plant label read Geranium coriandrifolium.  

It originates from the Western Cape Province of South Africa.

As soon as there is a flower, I'll add a picture.

Just in case you want to read more and find sources leading to more about Pelargoniums, you really must try Pellynut's site.

The other sPelargonium currently in the conservatory is Pelargonium hybrid sidoides x reniforme “Burgundy”..of which I have now two newly rooted cuttings.  I love the round grey leaves and the purple flowers just keep on growing on the same stalk!