242 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



May, 1914 



put together. Many of the tone-colors 

 too are quite different, and some of the 

 most delicate shades (especially among the 

 pale lavenders) to be found anywhere in 

 the flower world, are to be had in the ivy 

 geraniums. Among the regular Ivies beau- 

 tiful particularly for vase and for veranda 

 or window box decoration, six of the best 

 sorts are Caesar Franck, soft rich crimson; 

 Mrs. Banks, large semi-double blush white, 

 with reddish feathering; Roycroft's Sur- 

 prise a fine rich pink, compact habit; Bal- 

 lade, very large semi-double of soft violet, 

 feathered with maroon; Corden's Glory, 

 bright red, pendant habit; Scarlet Crousse, 

 deep cardinal red, large trusses, strong 

 grower. 



Among the Ivy-hybrids, which more 

 closely resemble the Zonab in habit of 

 growth, Alliance, delicate lilac, Achieve- 

 ment, soft pink, and Rival (see below), are 

 three of the best. The ivies as a class are 

 very free flowering as house plants. 



Of the Zonals particularly adapted to 

 house culture six of the very best are these: 



Mrs.E.Rawson, bright 

 scarlet (s'ngle). 



Rival, salmon red, up- 



The diversity of form and coloration in the foliage is a feature of interest as well 



as the flowers 



per petals blotched 

 (single.) 



Double Dry- 

 den, light cen- 

 tre, shading 

 out to lilac- 

 crimson. 



Jules Vass- 

 eur, bright 

 cardinal red 

 with white 

 eye and vio- 

 let shading. 



Mme.Jaul- 

 in, delicate,' 

 charming, 



fresh light pink ; unique and beautiful. 

 Mrs. Lawrence, bright soft salmon 

 pink, with lighter shadings. 



The "Cactus" type in manv 

 ways most interesting has not proved 

 altogether satisfactory for out-door bed- 

 ding in our climate; it is better fitted 

 for blooming indoors in winter in the 

 window or conservatory. The petals are 

 narrow and curved and twisted like those 

 of a Cactus dahlia, the flowers very freely 

 borne and the plants small and compact. 

 Fire Dragon, light brick red, J. R. 

 Greenhill, attractive soft pink, 

 and Diabolo, brilliant fiery 

 scarlet are three of the best. 



The variegated foliage 

 geraniums include many of 

 the above types. The best 

 known is Mme. Salleroi, a 

 compact dwarf grower with 

 soft green foliage edged with white, 

 which is sold by the hundreds of thou- 

 sands every spring for edging beds of 

 geraniums and other flowers. L'Eleganta 

 and Alpha are variegated Ivies very 

 attractive for vases and baskets. 

 Mrs. Parker, with double pink, Mme. 

 Languth, with double red, and Silver- 

 Leaved S. A. Nutt are three of this 

 class valuable for both flowers and 

 foliage. The latter especially makes 

 a very attractive pot plant if pro- 

 perly branched; like its parent, S. 

 A. Nutt, it is apt to grow leggy if 

 left to itself. The older tri-colored 

 sorts are prized for their foliage. 



The sweet-scented foliage geraniums — 



such as nutmeg, rose, and apple-scented — 



are favorites in many an old 



garden. The foliage shows 



great diversity of form. 



One of the most in- 

 teresting and remarkable 

 results which has so far 

 been accomplished in ger- 

 anium hybridizing is the 

 recent introduction of a 

 new type of the "Pansy" 

 or Lady Washington ger- 

 anium, or pelargonium. The 

 pelargoniums have al- 

 ways been admired 

 for their wonderfully 

 beautiful flowers. But 

 their blooming period 



has been short — only a few 

 weeks in the spring. In Easter 

 Greeting, a German hybridizer 

 gave us the first of a new race 



The so-called M irtha Washington type which has lately 

 been improved by the introduction of a constant bloom- 

 ing form 



which blossoms through the season. 

 Furthermore, it is the first type of pelar- 

 gonium which gives promise of being valu- 

 able for bedding out. It is too soon yet to 

 predict its ultimate success for this purpose, 

 although I know from my own experience 

 that it will bloom outdoors, and the Ohio 

 Experiment Station reports good success 

 with it bedded out. The petals of Easter 

 Greeting are dark amaranth red, with dark 

 fimbriated spots on each; Swabian Maid 

 is carmine in color, with very regular large 

 black blotches; Lucy Becker is similar 

 to Easter Greeting but rosy pink. 



And now as to the name "geranium." 

 Curiously enough the plants that we com- 

 monly call by that word, and to which 

 this present article has reference are hot 

 geraniums at all. They are one and all 

 species of Pelargonium and all are native 

 of South Africa. If you pull apart a single 

 flower of the bedding, Zonal, Ivy or Martha 

 Washington geranium you will find a 

 nectar-tube extending from the base of 

 one of the sepals and running down in- 

 side the "stalk". The flowers are really 

 irregular. In Geranium proper the flow- 

 ers are regular and there is no honey 

 tube. The common herb Robert, the 

 meadow cranesbill, etc., are the true 

 geraniurrs. 



