Columbia Road Market 44
I returned from the market laden with fifteen of these Geraniums (Vancouver Centinial) that I bought for ten pounds. “Ah’m givin’ ya’ twen’y five quid’s worth fer a tenner,” explained the plant seller with the characteristic magnanimity that distinguishes the traders of Columbia Rd. It gave me a dozen for my window box, one for a pot on the dresser and two as a gift for my neighbour. Geraniums are the most egalitarian of plants, and so I was delighted to have surfeit of them, thanks to the keen prices at Columbia Rd Market.
Years ago, I used to restrict myself to just white Geraniums. A shameful aberration that I have now thankfully renounced, embracing the glorious gaudiness of the red Geranium. The smell of their leaves is irresistibly evocative with its delicious bitter scent, and it was the dramatic variegated foliage which attracted me to this particular variety, as well the vivid scarlet flowers.
For months, I was wary to replant my window box for fear of disturbing the family of Blue Tits that nested in my bird house this Spring, but they have safely flown weeks ago, and I have been seeing the mature young birds flying around the garden. Now my window box is ablaze with a mass of flaming red Geraniums, greeting me as the first glimpse of life that I see upon waking each morning, to inspire me to roll out of bed and seek the day.
I woke up to find that a snail had climbed all the way up to my window box to munch on my loverly succulent Butternut Squash plants! In my yard I have fenced of the view from the park to my house with a 6 ivy fence including an Ash tree, Honeysuckle and a wild Rose. A heavan for snails. So growing anything around my yard is almost impossible. I had a familly of Great Tits feeding on my bird feeder but 3 weeks ago I noticed that they had left. While cleaning up the corner of my yard for my latest window box vegies I found a dead Wood Pigeon. I know that this had scared of all the other birds as they must know somehow that one of my cats is actually a vampire and they must be in mourning for the poor Wood Pigeon!
That’s variety of geranium is splendid. You’ve made an excellent choice. Thanks for giving your readers a glimpse of your window view. The flowers are so pretty, and I also so love the look of those old London bricks.
Best wishes.
I too have discovered the beauty of the vivid hues of geranium. Sometimes I feel rather late in life.
Lovely to see a wider view of the plants in their setting – window box framed by window, with trees and chimneys beyond. All the plants you show are very pretty in close-up but a garden is so much more than just the plants, e.g., as Frances points out, the quality of the old London brick walls, paving, arrangement of plants and pots, etc. I’d love to see more wider views of your garden, and I’m intrigued to see what you have done with a small inner-city plot. Very much enjoy the variety of subjects in your blog, the people and their activities as well as plants and places.