Not Your Mother’s Geraniums
Posted on July 31, 2015 by bob in Yard 'N Garden
When I think back to my childhood, I remember huge fountains of spirea and sunshiny forsythia bushes, tall Rose of Sharon shrubs and my mother’s pots of fiery red geraniums. The geraniums brought color to summer and early fall when many of the other plants had quit blooming.
As I grew older, I learned that there are several other types of geraniums. Actually, some of the plants 
commonly called geraniums are Pelargoniums, and related plants — which are geraniums — are referred to as cranesbills.
While I have never grown those same scarlet geraniums, I have had a couple of magenta-colored ones for several years in a Florida room. In fact one has had two saucer sized blooms for several weeks before even spring flowers started blooming. These geraniums bloomed through the hottest part of summer to brighten my patio. I have others that don’t bloom very often because they are scented geraniums. I love to rub their leaves to smell fragrant orange, mint, and even nutmeg scents.
My geraniums are just two of several types available. My magenta (and Mom’s scarlet) ones are called common, garden, or zonal geraniums and are the ones you most often see for sale in stores, as they are grown for their vivid large blooms. In addition to the previous colors they also come in white, pink, salmon, a brand new yellow, and mixtures of color with white. They are usually grown in containers in sun/part shade but don’t bloom well in extreme heat. They may be propagated by cuttings or some by seed. Common geraniums are considered annuals but you may keep the same plants for several years as long as you protect them from frost. They need some dead heading and pruning but do not require a lot of time.
The next most frequently found geranium is the ivy-leafed geranium that has glossy ivy shaped leaves that cascade down containers. Their smaller loose flowers come in lavender, pink, white, red and salmon and are often used as trailing plants in combination with other annuals in hanging baskets.
Scented geraniums are used as herbs and are not grown for their flowers because they rarely bloom. The leaves may be variegated as well as scented lemon, orange, citronella, old spice, rose, peppermint, or nutmeg among others. The plants may be used in teas, jellies, butters, syrups, drinks and placed in cake batters. I have placed the ‘orange fizz’ leaves with thin slices of lemons in lemonade. You can crystallize leaves to decorate cakes and cupcakes. The leaves can be dried for potpourri, but I just love to brush across the plant’s green leaves to awaken its wonderful fragrance.
I have never seen the native or wild geranium which is a smaller plant with small pink flowers. It prefers part shade or shade and is a perennial, so it may be used as a ground cover.
When looking for a plant to perk up your patio, to cascade out your hanging planter or to add fragrance, try a geranium. You can always use my mother’s favorite, but you have many more from which to choose.
Janice Jackson, a Master Gardener in the Capital City Master Gardener Association since 2014, lives in Montgomery. For more information on becoming a master gardener, visit the website, www.capcitymga.org or e-mail capcitymga@gmail.com.
Capital City Master Gardener Association
“Lunch & Learn” (Free Monthly Programs Noon-1 p.m.)
Bring a Sack Lunch – Drinks Provided
August 5 — Camellias, Our State Flower
September 2 — Cool Weather Veggies
Armory Learning Arts Center, 1018 Madison Ave. Montgomery 36104
For more information contact the Montgomery County Extension Office at (334) 270-4133.
