welcome to the pelargonium exchange

The Pelargonium Exchange. (2010-) Though sometimes derided by garden aesthetes, the humble pelargonium is a staple of gardens all over our region. The Pelargonium Exchange is a collection of pelargoniums and their stories from the most unassuming gardens to the most reknowned. Cuttings in this collection were taken from gardens ranging from a world famous botanical garden; the Colonia Federal neighborhood at the US/Mexico border; a romantic perennial garden in Beverly Hills; suburban gardens in Los Angeles; to a 76 gas station along the 5 freeway in Orange County. You are also welcome to leave a cutting of a pelargonium, to add to the collection. The collection is currently seeking a permanent outdoor home in a public space. When the cuttings are mature size and established in the garden, visitors will be welcome to take cuttings from the plants they like best, passing on these plants and their stories. Below is a sampling of some of the plants in this collection, which continues to grow. A big thank you to Casa del Túnel, Owen Driggs, the artists of Performing Public Space, and to Fred Portillo. Estan uds. invitados a plantar y traer recortes de plantas para agregar a esta coleccion. Coloque la flor en agua dentro de un florero, teniendo cuidado de no olvidar incluir todo el dato sobre su flor en la hoja de papel qu servira de archivo y referencia. Gracias! Cuando las flores hallan madurado, seran plantadas en espacio publico para distribucion libre, para que cualquier persona pueda tomar un corte y trasplantar las por su propia parte.
	CHOCOLATE MINT, the Eagle Rock garden of Ivette Soler, thegerminatrix.com Ivette says the leaves make great bookmarks that leave a scent in your book as well. "This is one of the first plants I bought when I started gardening, over 15 years ago-- before I became a professional garden designer... I estimate I've transplanted this one plant about 7 times, at least."	MENTA DE CHOCOLATE dada por Ivette Soler de Los Angeles, California thegerminatrix.com Ella dice que las hojas de esta sirven bien como registro o separador para marcar un libro que este leyendo, ademas dejando un aroma natural como huella.
	JULIA, the Colonia Federal garden of Mara in Tijuana Mara's house is surrounded by well-tended planters and many varieties of pelargoniums. This one, with flower clusters in both pale pink and white, was planted by her mother when Mara was young, before she passed away in 1964. When I asked Mara what we should call this cutting, she immediately thought of her mother's name, Julia, "a woman full of love."	JULIA, Colonia Federal, Tijuana
	JEANNE 1 Variegated, Beverly Hills Jeanne's garden is richly textured and personal. I collected 4 pelargoniums from her garden, but this one, with its variegated leaf color, exemplifies the delicate and romantic character of her garden.	PELARGONIO VARIEGATADA desde la ciudad de Beverly Hills, y Jeanne Jeanne es una diseñadora floral genial.
	Farmer Dave, York Boulevard, Los Angeles At least since 2003, the planters of my local neighborhood postoffice, have become a local community garden, a living conversation between gardeners in the neighborhood. In Fall, 2009, Farmer Dave installed some awesome drought tolerant plantings and left a calling card in the form of a rock with his web address on it, as well as this boldly leafed pelargonium. For additional history, click here	... ...
	PELARGONIUM CITRONELLUM, A Very Important Garden near Los Angeles Some people use this like an herb. The oils in the leaf also have insecticidal properties.	PELARGONIUM CITRONELLUM (una variedad de geranio)... desde un jardin Muy Importante en Los Angeles. Hay quienes lo tratan como hierba. Los aceites de la planta tambien tienen propiedades insecticidas.
	HP TOUGHIE, York Boulevard, Los Angeles The original plant grows in a blazingly hot planter in full sun. It reminds me of those contorted trees that grow on tough mountaintops. I've never seen it bloom but can't imagine anything much tougher than this.	FORTACHONA de Highland Park, York Boulevard, Los Angeles. La planta original crece dentro un plantador de barro que se mantiene a temperaturas altisimas en pleno sol. Me recuerda de de aquellos arboles torcidos y retorcidos cuales crecen en cimas altas robustas. No he logrado verlo en persona pero, no puedo imaginar muchas flores mas fuerte que esta.
	ELECTRICALLY PALE PINK, the garden of Shirley Real, former president of the Los Angeles Pelargonium Society, Highland Park One year, my job was to find flowering plants for an English themed garden in Los Angeles. Very few plants can flower year round in Southern California and still pretend to be English! The color of this bloom seemed both civilized and exciting when I found it in a shady corner of my yard. But when I moved it to a sunny location, the pink darkened and became too wild-looking to fit into an English garden!	ROSA PALIDA ELECTRICA de Shirley Real, ex-presidente de la Sociedad Pelargonium de Los Angeles Un año, mi trabajo fue hallar plantas que dan flor para hacer un jardin tipico Ingles en Los Angeles. Muy pocas plantas pueden florecer todo el año y aun pretender ser Inglesas! El color de estas flores parecian ser emocionantes y tenue simultaneamente cuando lo halle en una esquina con bastante sombra. Pero lo trasplante a un lugar soleado, lo rosita obscurecio, y parecia demasiado salvaje para ser un jardin Ingles!
	PALE PINK IN THE SUN, the garden of Juanita, Eagle Rock, Los Angeles Because of the previous story, I collected this pale pink flower from neighbor Juanita's garden.	ROSA PALIDA "BRONCEADA" DE JUANITA, Eagle Rock, Los Angeles Por la ultima anecdota, tome este geranio, que es palido en pleno sol, del jardin de un vecino.
	76 GAS STATION, OSO PARKWAY/5 Freeway, Orange County On our second trip to Tijuana from LA, the artists of Performing Public Space stopped at this gas station to use the restroom. It seemed to have exactly the same layout and parking lot as the gas station we stopped at on our way home (to LA) from Tijuana last time. However, this time when we stopped there, we were travelling south, and last time we were travelling north. Is this the same gas station we came across on the first trip? Or are there two identical stations on each side of the freeway...? In other words, is this the same pelargonium I admired on our first trip, or simply its mirror image?	76 GAS STATION, OSO PARKWAY/5 Freeway, Orange County ...
	NEON LIME/HOT PINK, San Marino The foliage glows turns wonderfully fuzzy lime in the shade.	FOLLAJE NEON LIMA-VERDE/FLORES DE COLOR ROSA SATURADO o, "Hot Pink" desde la ciudad de San Marino El follaje se transforma en un color lima-aterciopelado cuando en sombra.

A big thank you to Casa del Túnel, Owen Driggs, the artists of Performing Public Space, and to Fred Portillo.