Plant Labels

I think most gardeners like to know the names of the plants in their gardens’, if not the proper botanical name then at least the common name. I suspect I am not alone when I voice my frustration with plant labels. The tags that come with the plant when you buy from a nursery are fairly useless, firstly they are unattractive and secondly they don’t last, they either fade or get detached and blow away. I also don’t really want my home to look like a nursery or botanical garden with labels all over.

Remembering all my plants is never simple. Obviously the unusual or those that I have only one of it’s kind are easy, but I have many plants from the same families and then it starts to get problematic. Take the Genus Pelargonium for example, I currently have over 20 plants of 8 different species and on a recent trip to Harold Porter Botanical Gardens I couldn’t resist adding some more. I came home with another 5 different species. In the past I have tried to convince myself that I will remember the names, but I know now from experience that I just can’t do it. Trying to remember names that you can’t even pronounce is impossible.

Keeping a photographic record is a great solution, posting it on this blog, even better! If I ever lose my computer I will still have an accurate record of all my plants.

Harold Porter had a great selection this time, so I couldn’t resist adding:

Pelargonium radens

 This is a closely branched shrub usually less than 1.5m. Older branches become woody and are covered with hairs. Leaves are fragrant. Prefers moist conditions. Flowering time August to January.

Pelargoium pseudo glutinosum.

Couldn’t find much information on this one. Is it different to P.glutinosum and how? Does anyone know?

Pelargonium citronellum

Reaches almost 2 metres in height. Strong lemon scented leaves like P,crispum but these leaves are much larger.. Flowers from August to January. Can be used to flavour foods and as an insect repellant.

Pelargonium cordifolium

Pretty heart shaped scented leaves, reaches a height of 1.5m and spreading. Flowers from June to January. Found in moist places in fynbos or forest margins.

You can see from the tag that I paid R14.00 for this one, which was about the average price. This translates to roughly £1.00 or $1.60. Buying indigenous plants from our botanical gardens or specialist nurseries is really affordable. These plants if I could find them at a normal nursery would easily have cost three times as much.

Pelargonium exstipulatum

Attractive grey foilage, with a strong scent and sticky to the touch. Grows to about 1m high. Flowers from June to December.

Besides the Pelargoniums, I also bought the following:

Chironia linoides

   

Low growing shrub to 30cm often falls over. Flowers mid summer. Flowers are similar to Orpheum but the leaves are darker and finer.

Salvia chamelaeagnea

Shrub to about 2 metres. The light green leaves when rubbed between the fingers give off a strong fragrance but also leave a sticky residue behind. Blue flowers in mid to late summer.I already have a number of these in my back garden, but they are one of the few plants to flower in our mid-summer heat, so I just had to add some to the front pavement.

Nerine sarienensis

This one should be familiar to UK gardeners if called by it's common name - Guernsey Lilly. A winter growing bulb originating in the western Cape. Flowers in early Autumn.

Now that I've made a record of the new additions I am tempted to create a few more posts of my existing plants. Watch this space!

Sources: http://www.plantzafrica.com