Words: JOHN VAN KLAVEREN Pictures: Louisa Jones
They were once the staple of almost every garden, testament to their amazing number of varieties.
So popular were they around the region that Geelong was once known as a centre for the flowering plant, the humble pelargonium.
That is now part of the history of Geelong Pelargonium Club, recently celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Part of the geranium family, pelargonium have been part of the Geelong Botanic Gardens plant collection for many years, grown as general garden plants in borders and shrub beds.
The Florence E Clarke Geranium Conservatory was built in 1972 to display the collection.
The Pelargonium House displays the diversity of cultivars, with more than 200 different varieties on display.
“The beauty of pelargoniums is that they are easy to grow and propagate, with some varieties flowering all year round,” club publicity officer Laurie Cocking observes.
“They are often seen in gardens around the house, but thrive as well in pots, say on a verandah or balcony, and can even be indoors for periods of time.
“We all love the varieties you can get in pelargoniums, not just the flowers but also the leaves. Some flower all year round.”
The world renown of club members extends to a number of varieties developed locally, with 31 cultivars boasting the name Moolap in their titles, a reminder of where they were developed.
Indeed, the local pelargonium enthusiasts contain among their number a couple of members known the world over for their floral knowledge and skills.
Member Cliff Blackman developed a brand new class of pelargonium, named after the suburb of Lara where he lived at the time.
“Cliff produced a yellow flowered plant, which won awards and is recognised in gardening circles in England.
“Developing a new class of flower is difficult to achieve. It’s very time consuming and needs a lot of attention to detail,” Laurie explains.
The club also boasts as a member Brian Nolan, known in world pelargonium circles for his extensive knowledge.
“If Brian doesn’t know it then it’s not worth knowing when it comes to pelargoniums,” Laurie declares.
“It’s great to have people like that in the club because the rest of us can learn so much from them.
“Needless to say, Cliff and Brian are life members.
“Some have scented leaves and there are so many different colours and various flower shapes. They even come in miniatures.
“They’re good for small gardens and even for flats because they survive well in pots. They’re so hardy.”
