As I am cleaning out my beds for winter, wondering how others treat their geraniums. I have been cutting them back to about 3" even though they still have some pretty good leaves. This opens up the plant so I can then clean out the dead stalks that have previously flowered. Some of them (renardii in particular) seem to grow vertically, new starts on top of old ones, making the mound be rather scrunched. Some die back more than others, and my chickens have been scratching the heck out of the ones below my grapevine (looking for treats) so who knows what will happen with those ones. I'm wondering if I should plan to dig up my overcrowded plants this spring and separate them so I don't have the skyscraper look? Can't locate camera at the moment for a photo of this particular situation, but here's renardi in bloom (one of my favs, I love the soft leaves).

I have a couple of geraniums that I cut almost to the ground, leaving just a couple of inches to snag blowing tree leaves. They serve as extra winter mulch. I do that with most of my perennials, and sometimes some annuals, too.

I have 2 Rozanne's that never seem to get any attention from me. They bloom well into November even as we hover near freezing temps. Right now it's 19° out there, and they look dead. Their frozen foliage has snagged leaves and mulched itself for the season. I most likely won't touch it until spring.

You can't imagine how much I hate winter.

Karen

@kqcrna, Wow, they sound wonderful.

@Bonehead, yours is pretty also.


I am looking for a short pink one, hopefully as vigorous as Rozanne. Any suggestions? Anyone?

Susan, I have 2 Rozannes and I think they're about the best plants I've ever tried. They start blooming in May here in my zone 6 yard, located in half day sun, and keep blooming into November.



I also have a few Wlassanoviums


This past summer I added Tiny Monster. It stayed pretty small and didn't bloom much, but I'm hopeful for future years.

Karen

Those are awfully nice. I might forget about the pink ones. I really like the blooming machines, especially those with low maintenance. LOL.

The best things about them:
- they're pretty carefree, require little to no fussing
- long bloom time
- in the few years I've been growing them, they've been pest and disease free.

Karen

Well, it don't get no better than that!

oh my gosh, I think I bought one from SRG! ..Yup, I got one on my spring order. How often can you divide them? Do they set seed? Maybe I should just get a few more.......

Rozanne and Tiny Monster are sterile, they don't set seed. Wlassanovium produces lots of seed.

I've not tried to divide my perennial geraniums. A local nurseyman said it's tricky and could easily kill the plant. But maybe he was just hoping to sell me more plants.

I wintersowed the Wlassonovium and they're easy to grow that way.

Karen

That's a good possibility! Nurserymen are smart aren't they?LOL.

That is good to know about it being sterile, I was reading about some that put off lots of seed and can be a problem. What about cuttings? Does Wlassonovium bloom good?

Wlassonovium does have a long bloom time, and produces lots of seeds.

I've never tried starting geranium cuttings.

Karen

I better stay away from that one, just my luck I will end up with a hundred seedlings. Hummmm, If you try the Rozanne over the winter let me know how it goes. I have seen these plants before and I will get a couple more in spring. I am putting in an order with GHS in spring because I am ordering Lantana for the butterflies, I have bonus points. Whoohoo!

I find them quite easy to divide and do so often. A soft pink variety is "Vision in Pink" which is about 1' tall. I think this is it, although the focus is a bit off:



A bit paler pink is Wargrave's Pink:

Thanks Deb. Interesting. Maybe I'll try dividing one next spring.

Karen

If I can join in, Ballerina geranium is also long blooming. It is a smaller variety but the foliage is very pretty and it's a heavy bloomer. I don't think I got pictures of it this summer but it's in the data base.

Karmina is a nice one as well.

Nice! Very pretty foliage.

Karen

[quote="pirl"]Karmina is a nice one as well.


I really, really, like the foliage.

4susiesjoy said:If I can join in, Ballerina geranium is also long blooming. It is a smaller variety but the foliage is very pretty and it's a heavy bloomer. I don't think I got pictures of it this summer but it's in the data base.

Thanks Susie! Ballerina is wonderful, I love the dark burgundy eye and veins which would make a nice echo for a burgundy plant like my Lace-leaf maple. Yippee!



I am still glad I got Rozanne but I want this also.

Bonehead said:I find them quite easy to divide and do so often. A soft pink variety is "Vision in Pink" which is about 1' tall. I think this is it, although the focus is a bit off:

• Bloody Cranesbill (Geranium sanguineum 'Vision Violet')
• Uploaded by Bonehead

A bit paler pink is Wargrave's Pink:

Is this 'Vision Light Pink', that is the only thing in the database and there is no picture. Hint, hint.

That second photo by Tabby is so interesting. It looks hand painted. I'd want that in a special spot so people would have to stop and take notice - like at the top step so people couldn't enter the house without seeing it.