Sheryl/Canadiangirl wrote this to me:
"Love this, Glenda!!! Thank you so much for sharing. I thank God for His protection and blessings all through my life and for sunny days. :-) - I love your blog. Can you tell me how to get 'big' gorgeous Geranium blooms or perhaps, you can recommend a varitety that gives bigger blossoms??? - SherylCanadianGirl "
Where in Canada is this little friend from? Tell me!!!!! I am in central Alberta....I have my fingers crossed that you are near me! (if you told me and I forgot...please forgive...see the pic to the right?....yea...I am ....BLONDE!!!! -okay and a little neurotic as of late)
Geraniums come in all sorts of colors and bloom-types and size of plants....wooo hooo....and they are so pretty! The smell of the leaves just announces that spring has to come soon....
Geraniums are a plant that is hardy to zone 6. DEFINITELY NOT here! I have to start mine from seed each spring...but hey...that is why I am here right? lol I start mine in January each year but the package says to start indoors at least 12 weeks before the last frost. Cover the seed lightly and provide warmth and moisture.
Plant in full sun to part shade. Tuberous geraniums are early blooming, from April until mid June. For the rest of the summer they are dormant and all but disappear, so plant with late blooming beauties such as Lilies and Glads. These tuberous geraniums require dry soil, especially in their dormant state. Plant roots quite close to the surface, up to 3 inches deep.
Most of my Geraniums that I save from year to year are already in a pot....However....should you decide that you are partial to one that is planted in the ground...and want to over winter it..you can . Before the first frost arrives, carefully dig up the plants and shake the soil from the roots. Pot each plant in a planting mix, using pots which are no larger than necessary to hold the roots. Cut the stem height by half and cut off all yellowing leaves and flower heads. Put the pots in a cool, dark, place. Do not feed, but provide a small amount of water to keep the soil moist. In spring, move to a bright spot and increase the amount of water. When vigorous growth begins, fertilize with a well-balanced fertilizer. You should have another year of beautiful geraniums
Black Velvet Series Geranium
These amazing geraniums are grown as much for their attractive foliage as for the large showy blooms! Charcoal black leaves are outlined with a narrow strip of green. Well-rounded blooms are held above the foliage on sturdy stems. Very prolific and easy to grow. Notice the dark green leaves with an almost black detail....it has been my experience that this type of Geranium does best when not in full sun. It also comes in many different colors including scarlet red and salmon (which is sort of a pinkish orange)Multi-Bloom series
The greatest number of flowers per plant! A striking mixture of bright rose, coral-rose, lavender-pink, soft salmon, bright pink with light eye, true red, mid-salmon, bright scarlet, scarlet with white eye, and bright white. A great plant for pots and will get to about 12 inches tall. I also use these ones. The only thing that I don't like about ordering these is that I like knowing what color I planted when I do the seeding.Orange Appeal Geranium
The best true orange geranium on the market with its nicely branching habit. This hybrid ensures a blaze of appealing orange in beds, borders or containers. Height about 13 inches. I love these...they just pop when used with Dusty Miller...Ringo 2000 Series Geraniums
Ringo 2000 Series is the earliest F1 hybrid flowering geranium on the market. Performs extremely well in our trial gardens every year. "Ringo 2000" does not give up any quality for its earliness; it still offers outstanding garden performance and large rounded flower heads. Its compact plant habit makes it ideal for window boxes, hanging baskets, house plants, planters or beds.Deep Scarlet is a bright orange red and Cardinal Red is a true blue-toned red.
I love all the colors of these....
Summer Showers Geranium
The first true ivy-leaf geranium from seed. Single flower heads and distinctive foliage provide showers of colour for window boxes or hanging baskets. Lovely colour mix. I tried these last year, and might be so inclined to do do again next.... now the blooms are not as large...but they do trail...Now Sheryl...I can't say that I have any tips for how to make the biggest blooms...but I can say that I will plant either two or three plants together in a pot-provided the pot is a big enough one. If the pot is not larger than 12 inches I would only use one plant. This makes for more blooms and in turn will be more showy. I fertilize weekly and I always have large amounts of blooms on each plant. My favorite and most successful type of Geranium has to be the ringo series...it comes in lots of colors and they are a very prolific bloomers.
