Geraniums and Carnations

'Geraniums and Carnations', a watercolour painted by Eric Ravilious in the 1930's, evokes the unique smell of geraniums, always with those inimitable fluorescent salmon pink flowers and biscuit-brown crispy dead leaves and stems, on dusty shelves in porches on childhood visits to elderly relatives.

My opinion of these plants as rather dowdy was transformed by a visit, many years ago now, to Wootten's of Wenhaston. The owner, Michael Loftus, has amassed a huge collection of pelargoniums (as geraniums are known) some with scented leaves, others with fat heads of frilly petals or delicate sprays of flowers - with colours from white through to black purple. Here I rediscovered Pelargonium x 'Ardens'. Last seen years ago at an RHS show in Victoria, at Woottens I saw its flowers glowing like embers in the far recesses of the poly tunnel. Another favourite spotted here is P. sidoides. with its tiny magenta purple flowers suspended on fine wiry stems above delicate grey-green leaves.

But pelargoniums are just some of the plants on sale at Woottens. They specialise in perennials,  displayed according to growing conditions. You'll also find a huge range of irises, auriculas and hemerocallis (day lilies). The nursery is a treat to visit, tucked away in the Suffolk countryside not far from Blythburgh. Get there if you can.

Wootten's have a comprehensive handbook illustrated with lots of photographs and written with informative and individual entries . Available from the website. Mail order available too.