"Sorrel Geranium"

I don't know whether many of you have tried this Pelargonium species - P. acetosum. It is one of the more unusual, carrying rather succulent blue-green, crenulated leaves and clusters of pale coral, spidery flowers each up to 8cms. across. It has a very long flowering season - almost year round under glass. For me its value lies in it appearing remarkably hardy here and flowering from April through to late December.

This plant has been outside in a hanging basket for well over 18 months and withstood some ferociously bitter north-east winds over several weeks during the last winter. It barely lost a leaf and as soon as the coldest weather was out of the way, started to produce flower buds.

It is very easily propped from cuttings, but if that's too much of a chore, established plants produce lots of offsets from root-buds and simply need cutting off once big enough to pot up. Definitely worth trying in south coastal gardens all year round and anywhere else if given frost free protection in winter.