My Storksbill being given some fresh air

I've been struggling with my chest infection again, having thought it was getting better. I managed some oral meetings by phone with the Town Clerk and others, and attended to some document checking and preparation of the agenda for the next, and last, finance committee meeting. Next financial year we will be moving to a re-structured committee format and if I get elected as chair of the finance related committee again it will have a more policy related role, which will be interesting.

After a long soak, interrupted by hacking coughing, I was called downstairs by Helena to see the cats playing together. Jacqueline's kitten, Illiam, is now nearly the size of Bomble, whom he seems to like to play with more than the other two cats he lives with. He has started to feel comfortable strolling around the whole of our house and today they started outside on the patio and then gradually were rained off and had to come inside the chase each other up and over chairs, sofas and stairs. I keep trying to capture images of this, but their speed is too fast for me to adjust the camera settings given the low light in the house on cloudy days.

Finally Helena booted him out (not literally) and I followed Illiam to the garden to check on the watering needs of my plants inside the cabin. I brought a couple of them out onto the garden table so they can get some rain on their leaves. and have a wash and brush up after winter.

One of my favourite plants ever is my Storksbill, or Pelargonium Ardens, which I bought about six years ago as a tiny new plant from a nursery. I was told it was a bit difficult to look after, but I have managed to get a cutting from the original plant, which I have photographed here. I've kept it in the cabin all winter and it seems to be very happy. I noticed a new flowering shoot growing a few weeks ago, and today there was the first bunch of flowers. It already has two more separate groups of the flowers extending further up and along the same new flowering branch, whose hairy stem you can just see here.

It really is such a vivid red whilst part of the petals seem nearly black, with tiny pink stamens. Once I had taken it outside I let the weak sun shine on its flowers, but I haven't exposed it too well. I couldn't show the big green of the main plant as they were too far away. I will definitely try to get better results, possibly with some fill light to bring out the detail in the centre of the flowers, which are very small.

I hope you like it as much as I do. If you ever buy one you will love it for years and years. My great friend Judy feels exactly the same way.

I searched online today and found this little summary:
Perlargonium x 'ardens' has eight stunning small brilliant scarlet flowers on long stems and has soft lobed leaves. It grows from an underground tuber and is a species hybrid - i.e. a cross between two species, in this case P. lobatum and P. fulgidum. It was raised by James Lee of the Vineyard Nursery in Hammersmith, London, around 1820-1822. It needs a very free-draining gritty compost.