![pelargonium purple 3.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/ewkaw/23xVRrg5A2GC6LmJ7bF6JYdiJ8yeEps2HX2e4nG2pDBzQ1qgdYYrKegUvG2X8qCmddz1N.jpg)
This post should be called "In sweet memory of...". Last week I ditched the last pelargonium pot I had. No, it didn't bloom this pretty. It didn't bloom at all cause it was dead. Those photos are from a previous season when I could enjoy the flowers for a bit. Lets start from the beginning. I was never a fan of pellies. Maybe because we always had just one type - red. They are messy when they start to drop the petals (and they bloom like crazy so there is a lot of them) and leaves.
![pelargonium purple 5.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/ewkaw/23wX7ubTE26NVibLXvSKRkDopGg6a4wgVULPxYFPnpwyLgDtT8EhtDux2F8ZTpaAr78Jq.jpg)
But they also handle sun and heat well, they bloom for a long time and are very easy to propagate though cuttings. And in case you never noticed, the leaves have this lovely aroma when you touch them. I think there are also varieties with different fragrances. So I got one as it had very pretty flowers and was cheap as a borsch (Polish saying). It was this one 👇:
![DSC_9822.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/ewkaw/23viCfpXur6x36K4QxmzxSsoZX6SYZVQGfE3nvPA19q5kCq4eTyEnreRDch56i5xGSb8V.jpg)
It grew lovely to a very big bush and I thought they are not so bad after all. Still messy, but quite low maintenance. Then I got some cuttings from 3 different plants, they rooted fast and started to bloom in no time. It was the dark one you see on most of the photos, the peach one 👇
![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/ewkaw/23wX1AhCYEhGe5wdXb2fnd8uCjJkGd9iqATuRK8RZ8U1knLWGxbwyWbfJekm9vMg63RxH.png)
... and the most common for me, the orange/red one with round leaves 👇:
![DSC_0991.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/ewkaw/23yx4DnqfqdBDE52dbf2nj4ZSgDFheEjzkNSzBhdb1fNFNhhbWkeTc1PLGxg3qtgZJnhE.jpg) ![DSC_0999.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/ewkaw/23tSYYb5qNkrT5voTMMjFREJSJEXHyudwSUVe7fJTQNnkZE2KgaNLS9CEgePj5pCy4acD.jpg)
So what happened? This bugger happened:
![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/ewkaw/23w2oGiw9uFDk6XdamUZbVh37HkuzfVfdTFNExnGWKLCqcXBj2ekt1C4KkLHvPmpjg5Mv.png)
It turns out the cute little butterflies like them too. First I thought they come to feed on the flowers, but their behavior was a bit odd. And then I figured out that they were not feeding. That would be actually cool. They came to lay the eggs on my pelargonium plants! I did notice small caterpillars and tried to get rid of them, but it wasn't enough. They munch the leaves and make holes in stems.
![pelargonium purple 1.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/ewkaw/23xL7Divg8J1i38eGY9FTyxsXM1vAYHc41TqJ6yztdp1tR65aHZBy2YpTchhVthzsV7Wm.jpg)
And that how I got rid of 4 plants this spring. Pity.. really pity. I had this idea to have them all in one big pot and when they bloom they would create a big bush of flowers. Not gonna happen. I know it is also partially my fault, cause I could have taken care of them better. Then again... an almost natural selection happened and the plants that are less attractive to insects are better for me too ;)
![pelargonium purple 2.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/ewkaw/23xyZR46zTxvakf6UfiGXz1tDMNSeJgkjWHM468a1iiZ2LyhqpBaysnPukgAJnSpiHTLB.jpg) ![pelargonium purple 4.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/ewkaw/23wX7qFbH68263Cf22W3tomTTMd9qMCpmNY5siRNoxmR6aSQewQed9oD82gTvLgFVGeJB.jpg)
Damn... I kind of want to get one and give a go again. Now that I think of it's resilience to heat and long blooming time. Shit... A couple of bonus shots of the flower leftovers (after they make a hell of a mess dropping all those pretty petals)
![DSC_1006.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/ewkaw/23w2H2htwTz2Mm8qgNNeZu3u1xESsGMtFDKYMvX8dGw6pcu4tn26TxA5SuS4FjpCVbXnS.jpg) ![DSC_1007.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/ewkaw/23wWy6BkFFHUjG4UbgQvzVa6mRczaBHmj7kifHrBLSsKr2VL89d48CfRfxAfVbY7orkwL.jpg) »« _{Shot with Nikon D5500 + Sigma 105mm lens
All photos and text are my own.}
![separator flowers.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/ewkaw/23uFwpPSqUPwGQAB6CuwEYe7n8ssjD2oqhqfFyJLYHnB9kBq81Ae6SHAYXwUHaBvFHRRN.jpg)

monster-one