Hardy geraniums are a staple in the garden and are among the best-loved and most widely grown plants. The Plant Lover’s Guide to Hardy Geraniums, by nursery owner Robin Parer, highlights 140 of the best species and cultivars. Featuring information on growth, care, and design, along with suggested companion plants and hundreds of gorgeous color photographs, it covers everything a home gardener needs to introduce these delightful plants into their garden.
Scented Geraniums are plants for all seasons. They are a delight in the garden, whether grown in the ground or in containers. The joy of these plants is that they can be brought indoors to overwinter, and you can take pleasure in them throughout the year. The authors offer easy-to-follow instructions for growing these olfactory delights both indoors and out, recipes and ideas for using them in the kitchen, in flower arrangements, in potpourri, and more.
Hardy geraniums are an undeniable asset in the garden - not only do they produce flowers in a wide variety of colours, but they also have equally varied growing habits, ensuring them popularity among all gardeners and a suitability for almost any garden. Within this guide geranium enthusiasts and amateur gardeners alike will find helpful instruction on where and how to plant the best varieties, and how to use them in association with a range of other plants. Specially written features by Roy Lancaster and Bill Baker as well as contributions from enthusiasts from all over the world, together with introductions to the best of the national collections, serve as an irresistible inspiration to the armchair gardener. With glorious colour photographs and detailed line drawings this is a visual feast for gardeners of all levels of interest.
Provides detailed background on geraniums (pelargoniums), including scented leaf pelargoniums, zonals, dwarfs, stellars, regals, angels, and more. Hundreds of stunning photographs provide a visual reference of the many colors available. Also includes information on propagation and hybridization, pots and potting soils, food and water, and dealing with diseases and insect pests. A wonderful reference for everyone who enjoys beautiful flowers, on windowsills or in the garden.
Hardy geraniums were the first plants to shrug off the rigours of her coastal climate and grow in Birgitte Husted Bendtsen's garden every bit as well as they did in the fertile, sheltered plots further east in Denmark. Add to this their tolerance of dogs and children, resistance to pests and diseases, interesting foliage, and delightful flowers in a wide range of colours, and it is little surprise that Birgitte developed an insatiable passion for them. In this book, she shares her knowledge of cultivating the plants and highlights the most garden worthy species and varieties. Expert cultivation advice, including comments on soil preferences and hardiness, is followed by fascinating information on pollination, and failsafe propagation secrets. Captivating colour photographs display key characteristics of hardy geraniums including their legendary range of flower colour and intricate, often highly marked, foliage. Here readers may marvel at the many cultivars of Geranium x oxonianum, enjoy favorites like Geranium 'Ann Folkard' with its striking black eye against magenta background, and covet the fine-leaved, blue-flowering Geranium himalayense. Smaller varieties ideal for growing in rockeries, containers and troughs are described along with perfect geraniums for associating with roses of all colours. Birgitte Husted Bendtsen communicates like a true enthusiast and the text is peppered with interesting anecdotes including news of an exciting variety that is prized for its blue flowers and modest stature. With over 400 species and hybrids of hardy geraniums and 450 beautiful colour photographs, this book is both rich in information and beautiful to browse. It is a long-awaited reference that will delight seasoned enthusiasts and introduce a whole new generation of gardeners to the charms of the hardy geranium.
They are sometimes called storksbills and originated in South Africa. They may be star-shaped or funnel-shaped, and they range in color from white, pink, and orange-red to fuchsia and deep purple. The geranium and its many species, much loved and also much loathed, have developed since the seventeenth century into one of the most popular garden plants. In this book, Kasia Boddy tells the story of geranium’s seemingly inexorable rise, unearthing the role it has played in everything from plant-hunting and commercial cultivation to alternative medicine, the philanthropic imagination, and changing styles in horticultural fashion. Boddy shows how geraniums became the latest fad for wealthy collectors and enterprising nurserymen after they were first collected by Dutch plant-hunters on the sandy flats near present-day Cape Town. She explains that the flower would not be rare for long—scarlet hybrids were soon found on every cottage windowsill and in every park bedding display, and the backlash against the innocent plant followed quickly on the heels of its ubiquity. Today, geraniums can be found throughout the world, grown as annuals in the regions too cold for them to regenerate. In addition to exploring the history of geraniums, Boddy reveals the plant’s other uses, including how they are cultivated and distilled for their scents of citrus, mint, pine, rose, and various spices to use in perfumes. With their edible leaves, they are also used to flavor desserts, cakes, jellies, and teas, and some people believe that certain species provide an effective treatment for a cough. Featuring over one hundred illustrations, Geranium shows how the plant is portrayed in painting, literature, film, and popular culture, and provides an intriguing example of the global industrialization of plant production.
Confusion about the genera Geranium and Pelargonium existed even before Linnaeus' binomial system of classification bundled both into the former category in 1753. Despite later evaluations that separated the two, many practitioners of alternative medicine and aromatherapists, among others, remain unaware of the distinction. Laymen and plant sales personnel are often equally in the dark, as the majority of garden center 'geraniums' are Pelargonium species and cultivars. This work aims to dispel myths and peel away layers of incorrect and muddled information which contribute to the unclear image of the genera. Geranium and Pelargonium: The Genus Geranium and Pelargonium features discussion and new information on some of the following areas: * taxonomy and history of usage and nomenclature * cultivation for essential oil production and retail purposes in different countries * phytochemistry of the genera * chemistry of Geranium and Pelargonium oils * theory and practice of distillation of Geranium and Pelargonium oils * pharmacology an therapeutic properties of Geranium and Pelargonium oils and extracts * use of Geranium and Pelargonium products in aromatherapy, perfumery, cosmetics, food processing and medicine * new research into Geranium and Pelargonium This book will be of interest to graduate students, scientists and professionals in the Geranium and Pelargonium growing and retail industry, the perfumery, food and cosmetics industries, and to those interested in Geranium and Pelargonium for alternative and conventional medical use. * Theory and practice of distillation
Since 1973, Storey's Country Wisdom Bulletins have offered practical, hands-on instructions designed to help readers master dozens of country living skills quickly and easily. There are now more than 170 titles in this series, and their remarkable popularity reflects the common desire of country and city dwellers alike to cultivate personal independence in everyday life.
