Zonal Geranium 'Mrs. Quilter'

"Fancy-leaved" geraniums (Pelargoniums) were quite popular for bedding in Victorian gardens, so many of the fancy zonals grown today were bred/ discovered during the Nineteenth Century. One of the lesser-known cultivars is 'Mrs. Quilter.'

Striking leaves of 'Mrs. Quilter'

Nondescript pink flowers

The leaves feature prominent bronze-red zones on a chartreuse ground. The small flowers, like those of many other fancy pelargoniums, are not the focal point, and are a pretty but rather plain pink. The plant is not dwarf, and can become leggy, so for the bushiest plants rigorous pinching is required-- or the grower can regularly root new plants and discard the older shrubby ones.

According to the nursery Geraniaceae.com, 'Mrs. Quilter' was bred by Laing in the UK in 1860.

Kyuzo Murata's Rose Bonsai

Years ago I found a copy of Kyuzo Murata's (1902-1991) Four Seasons of Bonsai at a local library. I was delighted for several reasons:

• Murata used relatively unusual species for bonsai-- for instance, Virginia creeper, hydrangea, redbud, spiraea, and fothergilla. 
• He grew his plants in a very naturalistic style, with loose branching and a semi-wild look.
• The plants were often photographed in a garden setting where they grew normally, rather than in the polished confines of an exhibition hall.

Much of his work is a strong contrast against the multitude of tightly-wired, manicured juniper, pine, and maple bonsai. I've always had a predilection towards a more naturalistic style and Murata was perhaps the quintessential practitioner of this. 

His use of roses-- semi-woody plants not immediately suitable for traditional bonsai treatment-- is really magnificent. A photo of Murata's Rosa bracteata bonsai is widely circulated on the internet, seldom with attribution. The book also contained specimens of R. rugosa and R. wichurana, which are apparently not widespread across the net. These images are from a rather mediocre scan of the book:

Rosa bracteata. Growing roses in this manner requires years of diligent sucker removal-- the plant's natural tendency is to constantly replace the old woody growth with new basal shoots.

R. rugosa, for some reason called "Sweet briar," which usually refers to R. rubiginosa.

R. wichurana. Although there's a good grouping of woody trunks, the naturally spreading nature of wichurana is still evident. The plant is shown in fall, with its hips.