As a beginning gardener geraniums never were my thing. I suppose it took me some time to appreciate colors other than those I found on camo uniforms or flight suits. Going thru a box of old family items, I found many watercolor paintings and sketches my Great-Grandmother Lillian did of a bright, red geranium. I do not have many memories of her but am happy she seemed to admire geraniums. Also, happy to report I got over my everything green phase. These days I grow an abundance of geraniums.
What is a group of geraniums called? If there is no name, I would like to submit calling them a glee, or maybe a glamor. At the center of my collection is an old-fashioned, bubblegum pink geranium in a galvanized bucket. Local artist and kind friend, April Oakden gifted it to me a few years ago. Her daughter tells me she remembers it in their farmhouse window as a child. April’s beauty will be surrounded by many pals shortly. Geraniums are a prolific, easy-growing plant that is often overlooked as a houseplant. Now is the time to plan for bringing in your containers or for taking some cuttings. This winter, you will be rewarded with colorful blooms that will remind you of summer when there is lots of snow on the ground. Come next spring you can take them back outside for a new season.
When you mention geranium, most folks picture a soft-leaved fragrant, colorful favorite, grown here in Fallon as an annual. They are native to southern Africa. You might often see them on the same racks at nurseries as ivy-leaved geraniums, and trailing types. There are also some very lovely, harder-to-find fragrant varieties. Mountain Valley (www.mountainvalleygrowers.com) is a personal favorite source for a whole host of scented types including nutmeg, chocolate mint, and lime. You can train some of the thicker stemmed types, like the lime, into topiary shapes. They also have many culinary uses like flavored vinegars, jams, and teas. Martha Stewart has a tasty recipe for “Scented Geranium Pound Cake.” The funny thing is all these plants are not actually true geraniums. Impress your local nurseryman or botanist friends by referring to them as part of their actual genus, Pelagonium (Latin for “stork’s bill”).
The true genus of geraniums is sometimes called perennial geraniums, hardy geraniums, or cranesbills. They are also a beautiful addition to your garden. Often delicate looking with small, colorful blooms that fill in nicely among another front of border perennials. There are also many wild species of geranium. The naming confusion came from early botanists comparing characteristics to the annual species. Both have long, pointy seed heads that look somewhat like Stork's bills for instance.
If you have a Pelegonium you plan on keeping, I would recommend taking some cuttings when nighttime temperatures are regularly below 55 degrees. They are hardy down to lower temps so that window is not absolute. If your geraniums are too big to haul in or are planted in the ground, take some cuttings now. Look for a sturdy stem around 4-6 inches long that has healthy-looking leaves with no discoloring. Using a sharp knife, make a cut just below a node. Remove any flowers and all but 3 or 4 top leaves. Some folks dry their cuttings overnight to “seal” the cut. For added success, you can dip the end in rooting hormone before planting in container potting soil. Rooting hormone is sold at most of our local nurseries and a few hardware stores. The success of cuttings usually hovers around 50%, so you might take a few extras. I have also had quite a bit of luck with water rooting cuttings.
Bright light from a south or west-facing window will keep your new houseplants blooming. Keep an eye out for any bad bugs you wouldn’t want to introduce to your house. Whiteflies or spider mites for example. If you do have an infected plant, you can always treat it with Neem oil or a mixture of dish soap and water, especially on leaf undersides. Deadhead regularly and fertilize once a month. Water when the soil just appears to be drying out. Usually once a week for my Glee.
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