Specializing in Pelargonium Species Pelargoniums situated in a mountainous area of Crete, Greece with the natural beauty of the fauna and Flora.
The Pelargonium species are unquestionably an enchanting and beautiful species with their graceful flowers and range of fragrant leaves in a variety of shapes that make these plants simply unique.
These amazing species native to South Africa are equally as appealing as Cultivars, Zonals & Regals and can look attractive in hanging baskets,pots and window boxes for any garden type.
The elegant & graceful flowers can range in tone from brightly coloured shades of red-pink to pastel shades of pale pink-purple & even light green making these plants ideal for adding that extra colour to your patio or balcony.
The Delicate & heavenly aromatic fragrance of Rose, Apple, Peppermint, Fruit,Lemon, Balsam,
Musk & more all have their own unique aroma and a delight to add to any scented garden.
The fancy leaf shapes also have their own special charm and can resemble that of an Oak, Vine, Southernwood, Birch, Dicondra, Gooseberry, Maple & Currant shaped leaves with a range of textures.
Autumn has now arrived and the days are getting shorter, with the arrival of orangery red & warm yellow hues that fill the landscape. The swallows are migrating south and the cicadas have halted their song. It is now a rest period for the Pelargoniums & other plants in the garden after the intense heat of the summer sun, and yet only three pelargoniums are currently flowering after the first rains of the season – Pelargonium abrotanifolium, Pelargonium graveolens & Pelargonium denticulatum
P. denticulatum grows under the large mulberry tree which provides shade during the summer and helps to preserves moisture in the soil, its dark green sticky shrubby branches visible with one single pink flower.
P. abrotanifolium grows in a pot on a table, its long trailing aromatic foliage grows towards the light displaying its bright reddish-purple magenta flowers. P. graveolens also grows in a pot and has a more upright growth than P. abrotanifolium with soft velvety triangular leaves and one light purple flower with darker markings.
The Rosemary and Passiflora are also in flower & the pomegranates are growing well, along with the succulents that provide a hiding place for lizards
Orchids of Spili and the surrounding villages– which covers several orchids that grow in the area of spili, Rethymno, Crete, Greece and nearby villages view here
Wildflowers of Spili and the surrounding villages– with many wildflowers that grow in Spili and the surrounding villages view here
We now have fresh seeds of scented leaf and species pelargoniums which include P. capitatum, P. odoratissmum, P. denticulatum, P. mollicomum, P. grossularioides, P. longicaule, P. vitifolium, P. ranunculopyllum and betulinum. View our online store
There is also new wildflower seeds on the ‘other plant varieties’ page (online store), the latest seeds are Trifolium stellatum-star clover with spherical white flower heads, pink or yellow toned with red sepals and vicia villosa with purple butterfly-like nodding flowers. view other plant varieties
We now have new seeds available at our online store featuring beautiful natural wildflowers of Crete and other varieties in a range of flower colours, leaf forms and plant sizes. Many are grown naturally in our garden and are carefully picked by hand.
Galactites tomentosa also known as the purple milk thistle is a lovely wildflower native to Crete. It has large purple flowers with thin thorn-like petals which attracts bees and butterflies, the leaves are long and lance-shaped with small thorns around the edges and white mottled-markings. It is an upright annual that grows to about 100 cm in height and prefers slightly sandy/loam soil in full sun. This plant makes a lovely addition to a wildflower meadow especially when combined with natural grasses and flowers.
Geranium robertianum pictured below is another wildflower which has tiny pink flowers and deeply dissected leaves which release an aroma when crushed and when rubbed on the skin are believed to help repel mosquitoes. It is an upright annual that grows to about 10-30 cm in height with reddish hairy stems and prefers slightly sandy loam soil conditions in full sun to part shade. This plant looks attractive as a ground cover in large pots under trees or large shrubs such as roses.
Other plant varieties include erodium cicutarium which has bright pink flowers and Erodium trifolium with clusters of white flowers and violet markings. There will also be more seeds available later in the year.
The scented leaf pelargoniums catalogue is now available to view and download.
Fresh leaves of various scented leaf pelargonium species can be used in food and beverages, essential oil, skincare, aromatherapy and potpourri. More seeds will be available at our store later in the summer www.pelargoniumspeciesworld.com
The attar of roses leaf scent of Pelargonium capitatum has a lovely soft & delicate romantic feminine aroma which is released when bruised and can be added to fragrant bouquets, food and beverages, essential oil, fragrant pillows and potpourri. it is a lovely species with soft delicate ovate crinkled leaves on long trailing branches and beautiful purple pink flowers arranged in an inflorescence of 10-20 blooms making it an attractive plant for pot & containers or the scented garden.
Pelargonium cordifolium means ‘heart’ referring to its heart-shaped leaves which are dark grey green and finely to coarsely toothed with a light apple scent. The attractive flowers are pink to purple with large ovate upper petals with purple veins and three narrow lower petals. It is an upright hairy spreading shrub which grows to a height of 150 cm, woody at the base with soft green branches. The flowers and foliage are used in flower bouquets and potpourri.
We wish all our customers & followers a Merry Christmas & a Happy New year from Pelargonium Species World
Image by Couleur-pixabay.com
Our online store will be closed during the Christmas holidays on the 25th & 26th December, and also on the 1st January and the 6th January (epiphany) 2023.
All orders will be dispatched before or after these dates when the post office is open. Please also be aware that recent orders could be delayed due to public holidays during the Christmas period & New years.
Top image tree & Merry Christmas text by Pezibear-pixabay.com
The summer dormant pelargoniums of P. triste, P. gibbosum and P. echinatum are now beginning to grow new foliage.
Pelargonium triste with new foliage
Pelargonium triste was the first pelargonium to be brought to Europe during the 17th century because its thick tuberous root could withstand long periods without water and would grow again in the rainy season, native to the Northern & Eastern Cape in flat sandy coastal areas or on mountainsides. It is a succulent geophyte with a thick fleshy tuber and hairy feather-like leaves, the flowers are cream in colour with dusty pink stripes which are only scented at night, producing a clove-like aroma to attract moths that pollinate it. It was grown in the UK as early as 1632 and was known as the night-scented Indian geranium first believed to have come from India, as it was discovered at the Cape before proceeding to the East by Ship and was used in the treatment of dysentery. Its botanical name ‘Triste’ means sad and dull due to the drab colour of the flowers, yet it is believed its scent can spread over an entire room. It is lovely to see its fern-like shoots emerge in Autumn which turn into its carrot leaf-like foliage, we have had this plant for several years on the window sill but has not yet flowered and although it doesn’t do much during the Summer it certainly is a fascinating species.
Pelargonium triste when a young
New leaves of P. gibbosum
Pelargonium gibbosum is another summer dormant species that is now growing new foliage, a low-growing scrambling pelargonium with succulent stems and swollen nodes which become woodier as it matures and over time can become quite brittle and may break with ease. The leaves are bluish-grey and pinnately lobed, toothed or with lobed leaflets. It is also called the gouty or knotted pelargonium and is believed to have been grown in Chelsea Physic gardens, London in 1714 known for its wide range of medicinal plants and herbs for apothecaries. Cuttings are easily made in Autumn when the stems have become too long and when cut and added to a new compost-filled pot they begin to grow almost immediately.
pelargonium gibbosum in flower
Pelargonium echinatum has now also developed new leaves in Autumn, a small compact succulent shrub with thick stems, bearing attractive three to eight white blooms with deep reddish purple blotches on long flower stalks in winter, the leaves are oval to heart-shaped with rounded toothed margins. Its botanical name ‘echinatum’ means spiny and is also known as the prickly stemmed pelargonium because of its spiny stems, when in its dormant state in Summer it absorbs sunlight through its thick stems. This plant is native to the Northern and Eastern Cape on dry rocky slopes, on cliffs or under bushy shrubs, it was brought to the gardens of Kew in 1789 by the botanist Francis Masson during his search for rare and unusual flora in South Africa and was grown at Chelsea Physic Garden, London in 1780.
New seedlings of P. hispidum, P. rober’s lemon rose and P.capitatum ‘attar of roses’ have now germinated.
Pelargonium capitatum ‘attar of roses’ is similar to that of the species P. capitatum but has a stronger scent and brighter flowers. it is a trailing plant which is more upright than P. capitatum.
Rober’s lemon rose (pictured above) is a charming pelargonium with rose lemon-scented velvety leaves and resembles that of a goose foot or tomato leaf. The flowers are purplish pink with deep purple veins and are believed to be a cultivar of graveolens. This plant grows well in a pot near the house so you can inhale its lovely scent as you brush past or as a garden plant to admire its delicate pastel pink blooms throughout the year. It shows some similarities to its parent plant P. graveolens, also known as the sweet scented geranium which has rose minty scent and triangular deeply incised leaves, soft to the touch with a velvety texture. known in Europe as early as the 17th century when its leaves were used to make perfume and potpourri as well as added to food and beverages.
Pelargonium Species world 