Generous Geraniums- Part 2.

Just a quick update while I wait for winter to pass. Thanks to my regular browse through the Thompson-Morgan website, I stumbled across the (unknown to me) Geranium I had posted about in September. Just as I had described this lovely flower it appears she is very true to her given name, Geranium 'White Rose.'

Our plant at work unfortunately became very leggy and to my despair, my boss threw her away just before we overwintered the rest of the Geraniums for the winter. I salvaged her and took 5 of the healthiest cuttings I could collect and I have been desperately trying to root them over the colder months. I have one successful plant of 'White Rose' from the summer, although I am still hopeful for a few more from my newer cuttings, they're growing but I am unsure to whether they have actually rooted (some grow purely through the soils moisture. ) I will to my best to keep them stable until the warmer months. Fingers and toes crossed.

If cuttings for this Geranium are unavailable to you, here's the link for some plugs I stumbled on. Thompson-Morgan

Generous Geraniums

While I was studying horticulture, propagation-regardless of how fascinating I found it to be-was never my strongest point practically. Now that I'm on my own, I've encouraged myself to keep practicing, after all, as I'm often told by experienced professionals the best way for a horticulturist to learn is from her mistakes.

Where I work we have this lovely English country looking Geranium sitting outside our tool shed. The only one of its kind in the garden...and I wanted one. 

So after a bit of light reading on the subject, around early July I took one semi-ripe cutting from the parent. Risky taking just one I know, but ever the optimist.

I prepared the cutting, taking it down to about 10cm in length cutting just below a leaf node and removing the lower leaves, leaving two leaves and nipping out the soft tip. Dipped the cut end in rooting powder and set it in a hole in some multi purpose compost. I had read mixed things on using rooting hormone on Geraniums, some say use it others say don't as it rots the end (I can only assume creating an overly damp environment would do this) however I did use rooting hormone and after weeks of patience, my first little cutting found her legs and is now showing her first bloom.

A quietly satisfying feeling for any gardener. She will be coming inside shortly before the first frost catches her, she is definitely a fond favourite of mine.