Geraniums in Bloom is a sure sign that spring is finally here. If you enter the word Geraniums in Plum Bird Corner’s search, you will see that I have posted several times about my Geraniums blooming. It just goes to prove that every spring I’m so excited when I see their vibrant colors.  I’ve loved geraniums ever since I was a small child. I always connect them to my Aunt Helen in Toronto. It would be wonderful if I could have a piece of one of her plants. That is impossible now, because she moved from that house many years ago, and I now live in California. I remember hers being a red-orange hue. There are so many different colors available now. I linked to an article that shows some of those colors available. See here. I have shown some of those colors here, and in my earlier posts.

Geraniums can be grown both indoors and out, although indoors they need plenty of light for blooming, but can tolerate moderate light conditions. They like to be kept at 65-70 degrees F. during the day and not below 55 degrees F. at night. Here in Southern California during the winter, we sometimes go below 55 at night, and have occasional frosts, but my geraniums do fine outdoors, so the 55 degree rule does not always hold true. They like well draining potting soil. Water deeply when the top of the soil begins to feel dry, allowing them to drain well after. They do need to be watered more often than the succulents I also enjoy collecting. Water soluble fertilizer applied every four to six weeks during their active growing season is a good idea. Be sure to re-pot them when their roots become cramped. You should remove flowers once they have dried. This encourages longer bloom times. Geraniums root easily from cuttings. The photo below is also from my garden and is, as best I can remember,  the color of my aunt’s geraniums. Perhaps that is why it is one of my favorites.