Pelargonium L’élégante | Ivy leaf geranium
This blushing geranium, technically, a pelargonium, has the good fortune to live in a traditional terracotta pot on a narrow ledge in a greenhouse at Stourhead, with several unusual varieties. I suppose that lends it some aristocratic credentials, although the aptly named P. L’élégante would be graceful even if a cutting somehow found itself transferred to the sunny windowsill of a greasy spoon caff. (Please don’t look like that – I’m not one of those who smuggle the odd plant cutting, though I cannot vouch the same for all people of my acquaintance).
When the pelargonium and I were formally introduced (this was at Stourhead, remember), its pretty white flowers seemed almost inconsequential compared to the foliage: tumbling, ivy shaped leaves with creamy margins, suffused pink.
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Heucheras: ground cover stars
Am I strange to think of heucheras as some of the most useful garden perennials for areas of light shade? Their flowers may be demure, but their often evergreen, variegated leaves provide wonderful ground cover. You may know them by their folk name: coral bells. Continue reading “Heucheras: ground cover stars”
Susan Rushton 