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The Thug Garden

Now, remember, folks, when you're old and grey and some spritely
green-fingered infant asks you, "Do YOU remember who invented the
phrase and gardening-style we all use nowadays, The Thug Garden? It
must date back to your time..." you can pat the innocent-cum-ignorant
little head and say, "Why, dear, I remember just as if it was
yesterday - though it was back in the last millenium - when that nice
Australian, Rod Randall..."

The mentions of Geranium robertianum remind me that, if you're
gardening in too cold an area for G. maderense, there is a sort of
half-way-house between G. robertianum (though much bigger; much more
rumbustious, both in growth and in seeding habit: yes, truly) and G.
robertianum (same virtues of huge size, evergreenness, profuse
flowering, though much hardier). It's G. rubescens, also, I think,
from Madeira and the Canaries. It's either an annual, a biennial or a
short-lived perennial, depending on who you read, how you think and
(maybe) on how the plant likes you. It has another virtue, too: unlike
most geraniums, it seems positively to prefer damp and shade, so will
usefully and prettily-exotically fill otherwise difficult areas.  

The other two Canary geraniums I don't find as profuse with me, more's
the pity. Indeed, G. palmatum tends to fade away, given any
encouragement to fade or no encouragement to thrive. A plant which
needs positive discrimination... G. canariense is doing well so far
here but it certainly isn't self-seeding and it hasn't so far faced a
really cold winter. Does anyone else on the list grow this species and
if so do they find that it lives up to 'the book description' of
having scented flowers? The flowers are very pretty (say an inch
across; flat; deep rich magenta-ish pink; prominent stamen cluster;
and flirty white backs - like a sudden flash of underwear...) but
scent? Darned if I can detect anything. But then I'm a (reformed)
smoker so smell isn't my strong point. 

If anyone's interested in any of these, just let me know. I usually
have lots of seed to spare. Except of G. palmatum.
Tim Longville
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