How to Grow Pelargoniums – and revel in them!

I’ve previously said that I’m not a bedding plant fan. So you might justifiably wonder why I’m writing a blog on how to grow pelargoniums?

Well, there are three key reasons. Firstly, pelargoniums together with pansies and violas are bedding plants that I love; I think they’re really hard workers and inject lovely colour wherever you have them. Secondly, pelargoniums are virtually bullet-proof, so they’re a really reliable plant for new gardeners. Lastly, they have been much maligned as ‘something your granny grows.’ As a result people are far too quick to overlook them. Well I can’t stand such plant snobbery.

So I’m keen to put the record straight and, with the help of the wonderful folk at Pelargoniums for Europe, not only show you how to grow pelargoiniums and care for them, but also how to positively revel in them with some fun planting ideas!

The Types

Before I get to the revelling let me first clarify the different types.

• Zonal pelargoniums are the upright ones you see in garden centres and nurseries in a myriad of colours. They are often sold under their common name, zonal geraniums.
• Ivy-leaved pelargoniums are the trailing type; the ones to choose for hanging baskets or tumbling over the edges of containers. They often have smooth shiney leaves and again come in oodles of colours. I really like a variety called Pac Tommy which has gorgeous wine-red flowers.
• Fancy leaf pelargoniums have amazing variegated or coloured leaves. These are in shades ranging from yellow and gold to dark green.
• Regals have showier flowers, they’re often patterned, with ruffled blooms that can emerge earlier than the zonal pelargoniums.
• Angels are smaller and bushier, a kind of ‘mini-me’ version of the Regals. With small rounded leaves and viola shaped flowers, they’re a really good choice for pots and containers.
• Scented-leaf pelargoniums, have wonderful fragrant foilage. I think they’re yummy. You can get fragrances such as rose, lemon, lime, peppermint, citrus and even pineapple!

How to Grow Pelargoniums – Top Tips

OK, so now we’ve got a grip of these beauties, how do we grow them?

Avoid The Frost!

The first rule has to be avoid the frost. Just because garden centres are selling them now, doesn’t mean that’s the green light to plant them outside. Pelargoniums are tender plants. So only place them outdoors after all risk of frost is over. I know that’s a bit hard to judge this year as we seem to be getting more than our share of frosts, and hail, and even snow! But proceed with caution.

Acclimatise Them

Even if you’re confident the frosts have past, Pelargoniums for Europe suggest you still harden your pelargoniums off before putting them in their final growing positions. Just like jumping into a cold shower is a shock, so these poor plants get a shock if they are suddenly thrust outside. Imagine all they’ve known is a sheltered, cosy spot in a garden centre! So be kind, take them out in the day but bring them back in at night, for a week or so before you permanently plant them outdoors.

Your Compost is King

If planting pelargoniums in containers, fill pots, hanging baskets and window boxes with a quality multi-purpose peat-free compost. Please please go peat free if you can.

Although I always keep mine in pots, pelargoniums will grow happily in beds and borders, too. But if you are going this route, I’d dig-in well-rotted garden compost or manure a few weeks before planting. That way you will ensure the soil is packed with nutrients, as they’re quite hungry plants.

Give Them Room

It’s so tempting to plant everything really close together, to create a really full effect. But for pelargoniums the experts at Pelargoniums for Europe suggest allowing around 20cm between each plant. This will not only ensure they’ve room to grow but it also allows air to flow around leaves. This is a really good idea as I know from bitter experience that you may otherwise get outbreaks of mould during damp, warm weather.

Sun Please

Pelargoniums originate from South Africa. So they are sun-worshippers. Their leaves won’t get scorched by the midday sun. Indeed they’re probably inwardly screaming ‘bring it on.’ Some light shade might be ok for some pelargoniums, but don’t assume. I’d always check the label of the one you are going for.

Sadly, if you are planning on putting them in a shaded, north facing position, think again. Your poor old pelargonium will not be happy!

Water

Pelargoniums, thanks to their fleshy leaves, can cope with a bit of drought if you forget to water them for a day. However this isn’t a free pass to forget them all together! The plants should not be left to suffer in bone-dry soil or compost. So do water regularly throughout summer. It’s best to water first thing in the morning or just before dusk, when temperatures are cooler and moisture can be slowly absorbed by roots.

Also, another tip which I hadn’t appreciated is be careful if your pelargonium has become dense and bushy. This can prevent rain water from reaching the root area. So check that compost hasn’t dried out, even during wet spells of weather.

Feed Me

Multipurpose compost typically has enough slow-release fertiliser to last between four to six weeks. But it won’t sustain hungry bedding plants after that. So when thinking about how to grow pelargoniums don’t forget feed. To keep these beauties flowering, the experts suggest you feed them with a balanced liquid fertiliser around once a fortnight during the growing season. To make it easy to remember I feed all my container plants at the begining and middle of each month. If you feed when the soil/compost is moist it’s easier for the roots to absorb the goodness.

Also, don’t forget that garden soil can become low in nutrients during the season, so if you’ve popped your pelargoniums in your beds and borders, give them a feed too.

Deadhead

Remove spent flowers and damaged or dead leaves regularly. This will leave your plant concentrating all its energy on producing lots of lovely blooms. If you follow this TLC advice, your pelargonium will reward you with flowers right into Autumn only stopping with the first frosts. What a trooper!

How to Grow Pelargoniums – Now for the Fun!

Some Ideas

Ok, now time for some fun. As I promised, this blog doesn’t just look at how to grow pelargoniums but also how to really embrace and even revel in them. So if you’re looking for some inspiration here are some creative ideas – a big thank you to Pelargoniums for Europe for the fab images.

Romantic and Rustic

I think pelargoniums look wonderful planted with other things. You obviously need plants which like similar sunny conditions, but that still leaves your oodles to go for. For instance sage, mandevilla and this achillea cerise queen are also sun worshippers. I’d love to have this on my patio. In fact, with these reds, it would look perfect with the other hot coloured plants in my hot corner

If you want softer colours these pink pelargoniums, together with a pale sage, and dahlias looks really romantic.

I also love this red and purple combination, again involving sage but also verbena.

Heavenly Hanging Baskets

Hanging baskets are a great way of using vertical space, but how about this blue hanging container? It looks fabulous filled with this very pretty bi-coloured angel pelargonium. The green pot is also attractive but not as striking in this setting – I think it’s a bit ‘lost’ with all the greenery behind it. If it was against a plain wooden fence, it would look fantastic.

I also think this combination of indoor hanging containers and pots on the window ledge looks very pretty. They’re filled with edible scented geraniums. These come in a variety of different flavours. From lemon, mint and rose to nutmeg, ginger, apple, orange, peach, chocolate or even cola (not sure I like the sound of that one!)

You can of course pair so many plants with pelargoniums but how about scaevola? It’s not that commonplace but it is perfect for hanging baskets not least because its distinctive fan-shaped flowers are best viewed at eye-level. This white variety I think it’s ‘surdiva white’ looks lovely with the cascade-like growth and long shoots of this trailing red pelargonium.

A dinner party in the garden under a canopy of regal variety pelargoniums? Well, with my terrible cooking everyone would be very pleased to have these flowers as a distraction. Seriously though, while this may be a bit full on, I love this. Attached to the ceiling with jute string, the colourful painted bicycle wheels are perfect for hanging flower pots. Wonder if Mr F-W would notice if I took the wheels off his bike?

Simple But Effective

For something much simpler but no less effective, how about these white regal pelargoniums? Their larger heads make them a real statement plant. This coupled with the simplicity of the metal container makes the whole look very stylish. When it comes to how to grow pelargoniums in the regal group – just remember, their larger flowerheads will make them vulnerable in heavy wind or rain.

This summery floral arrangement is also pretty simple in terms of plant choices. A bicolour geranium, alyssum and a garden cosmos all standing in an old wire basket. The clever thinking comes in the fact that thanks to the varying growth heights, all three of these sun-loving flowers will flourish without having to out-compete one another for sun.

This next idea looks more elaborate but it’s in essence a simple DIY idea. The colour contrasts are doing all the work. The plants are not complicated and the pots are nothing more than spray painted empty jars. My only thought is that I think you would need to keep this in a place that is protected from the rain, and water it carefully, as these small pots could easily become waterlogged.

Vertical Planting

If you’ve limited space then vertical planting is a brilliant idea. Combine this with some gorgeous pelargoniums in retro containers and you have an old fence with a completely new lease of life!

Get the Colours Working

With their rich, velvety colours, pelargoniums give you scope to really test out colour wheel theory by putting different colour combinations together. You can see how to use a colour wheel in my blog here. Push the boundaries. For instance, this balcony has pinks, reds and corals all together. It doesn’t clash. The effect is breathtaking, and softens and romanticises an otherwise rather modern and austere setting.

I have an old disused wheel barrow, I’m tempted to use this colour combination as my inspiration and fill it with pelargoniums like this and wheel it to my hot corner!

Well that’s it. I hope this has given you a little inspiration on the pelargonium front. Let’s get out there and revel in these beauties! Indeed, as a final thought, how about making ice cubes with them? Ooh where’s my gin and tonic? Cheers xx