The darling of all geraniums

Thanks to a good friend of mine who is an avid gardener and extremely knowledgeable of all things flora, I have loaded my balcony baskets this season with something she recommended: Ivy Geraniums (pelargonium peltatum). During her visit last year, she and I looked high and low at several garden centers and it was almost impossible to find any. Guess we were late to the party as most places were sold out. We did find one finally and I brought it home. It didn't impress me that much- maybe because it was just one lonely little guy and these plants seem to like some buddies around.

Luckily, this year I was able to score these beauties en masse at Adam and Sons over in Humbolt Park. This is a gem of a garden center, by the way. The folks there are friendly, helpful and have some really great plants to boot-all at extremely reasonable prices!

Why do I think they are "darling"? Probably because they are, in my eyes, much more interesting than their more common cousins. Dark green leaves and delicate flower heads with fantastic color? These could be a few of the reasons. I chose the palest of pink but there's a burst of dark pink in the center and that really impressed me. Nature is sometimes so generous when it comes to beauty. The best part is that they trail or cascade, if you will, and have flowers that will bloom all summer long.

So, now I feel like summer is really here- got my flowers, herbs and tomatoes rockin' out on the balcony. A welcome respite from the urban world I live in. It makes me smile every time I look at all of them. And to think...I was not a fan of geraniums before this beauty was introduced to me. Thanks, Mary!