THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
355 
ZONAL PELARGONIUMS EOR AVINTER DECORATION. 
BY BE. JOHN DENNY, F.E.II.S. 
fH ™™^ 00 little heed has hitherto been paid the Zonal Pelar- 
goniums, or “geraniums” of the garden, for autumn 
and winter decoration. 
Custom has consigned the scarlet geraniums of every 
class to the beds or borders of our pleasure grounds 
and gardens, while ignoring their tremendous claims on our regard 
as winter flowering greenhouse plants. Amateurs, and gardeners in 
large establishments, have alike shown a foolish and injurious in- 
difference to the splendid capabilities of the zonals for conservatory 
decoration, and especially their adaptation to supply a want during 
the dull and dreary months of autumn, when bright flowers are at 
their lowest ebb, and colour is the most needed. 
Time was, when the zonal geranium afforded but little variety of 
colour, and certainly no quality of flower. It was then properly 
regarded as merely adapted for massing for contrast and eflect, and 
not for close inspection. Hence the custom of regarding it as suit- 
able for bedding purposes only ; but painstaking and energy have 
greatly transformed this plant of late, for it may with truth be said 
now to possess flowers of almost every conceivable colour — colours 
too that put on their brightest hues in the autumn months, and 
become the more brilliant as the sun declines. It is then the scarlets 
stand out the most conspicuous ; the crimsons and maroons become 
shot, as it were, with various hues of purple ; the pinks most 
brilliant, and the various shades of magenta really turn to blue. 
AV^ith regard to form, we have now amongst the recently introduced 
varieties many that will stand the test of crucial criticism, and will 
not be found wanting^ even when florists’ qualities are taken as the 
standard of comparison, these are worthy of a foremost place in 
any conservatory. In this respect, too, some varieties are even more 
perfect in the autumn months than at any season of the year. As 
an illustration of this fact I refer the reader to the engrravins of 
Rienzi, an exact copy of a photograph taken of a truss in my house 
on the 18th of November, 1872. This variety, I consider, may 
fairly be taken as the type of a florists’ flower in the scarlet 
geranium. 
The coloured plate of Imogen very inadequately represents the 
advance I have obtained towards my goal, for I started with the 
intention of obtaining hlue, and I am not yet daunted, but convinced 
that time and patience will some day secure it. But I must confess 
that I consider myself much nearer the attainment of another point 
of equal, if not of more importance still (as it would obviate the 
greatest defect of the geranium fomily) in obtaining a strain that 
shall retain their petals until they wither on the truss instead of 
falling, in fact I have succeeded partially in many, and completely in 
one variety. Next year will tell me whether I can perpetuate this 
valuable property, and thereby found a strain which would be so 
December, 
