Geraniums

I never used to be a geranium person, but in the last few years I always get enough to fill a couple of pots, loving these plants now. Luckily I can get the plants for $1 each at WalMart & they're nice & healthy too.

The store doesn't carry a myriad of colours so I pick the pinks but love the deeper shades of pink, pinky red.

One thing I find relaxing & sounds silly but I really enjoy deadheading the flowers. If you know geraniums, you see there's wee stalks of flowers in each cluster so I like picking off the dead ones.

One thing I've never done is try to save geraniums before winter. Has anyone done this successfully?

Re: Geraniums

Hi Autumn, I save any favourite ones, or take cuttings otherwise. They overwinter indoors on my windowsills. I have bought two more this year, a lovely deep warm red, and a purple & white flowered, and I shall definitely take some cuttings from those. I had one particular soft pink one that belonged to someone who died about 7 years ago, and I have taken cuttings from that most years so I always have one of those even though I no longer have the mother plant.

Re: Geraniums

Like you Mups, I overwinter all my geraniums but mine are in the greenhouse (frost free) and I take cuttings too. I should think I've trebled my collection!
My daughter has mentioned a liking for the salmon coloured ones, so I have half a dozen ready to pot on for her.
My favourite at the moment is a red zonal pelargoium, vibrant and compact

Re: Geraniums

Have you tried herbaceous GERANIUMS? They have lots of useful features, hardy, free flowering, easy to propagate etc.

Re: Geraniums

No are they more expensive? I can buy normal plants for $1 so I guess that's close to £2 in UK?

Re: Geraniums

You can't really compare them because they spread or tumble across the border (some varieties don't) & are perennial. Mostly pastel pinks, blues, mauves, lilac & white.
Zonal Geraniums or Pelargonium are more compact in vivid colors. I don't try to overwinter these.

Look them up on the net

****Hardy geraniums national collection****

Re: Geraniums

I never liked geraniums much (they smell like cats piss) but have come to appreciate them recently. The flowers last for ever and you just need to break a bit off and stick it in the ground for another to grow.

They seem reasonably drought tolerant too they certain find our winter easy to survive.

Re: Geraniums

I have a couple of the herbacious ones, clump forming with small flowers.
I chop them down about now to make way for other plants. They self seed all
over the place.

Re: Geraniums

I didn't know you could just cut some off, stick them in the ground & a new plant would grow. Will have to try that.