Geraniums Gardening In Pots and Boxes

Geraniums Gardening In Pots and Boxes

Wherever you will travel in this country you will see these great looking flowers in a variety of colours, such as pink, scarlet, rose or red.

They can be seen everywhere, from boxes put in the windows of suburban or country houses, on rooftops, patios, terraces or in boxes on fire escapes, as well as on the porches of cottages, nicely arranged in hanging baskets.

Everyone loves these flowers, as they represent hospitality and warmth. If you want something to shock with their beautiful colour, you can't go wrong with them.

They are widely spread across Europe, used as bedding plants when they are pink or red. In northern and western countries of Europe, geraniums are put in pots, window boxes or tubs, at the entrance of gardens, both in the country and the city.

In the Mediterranean area, the varieties that exist there can grow as high as six feet. The varieties that resemble ivy grow from rooftops, balconies and garden walls, cascading over them and creating a spectacular view.

It's quite easy to grow the geranium. It's a great looking flower, and at the same time it needs very little care, living in conditions that other plants can't stomach. That doesn't mean that it doesn't have its own preferences, like staying in the sun, though it can also sit in the shade.

It doesn't like rich diets or a lot of moisture, and will become yellow if kept in a humid environment for too long. If the soil is too heavy in nitrogen, it will make only a few flowers. Even so, geraniums will grow quite well in a lot of different conditions.

While most people call it geranium, you should know that it's not entirely correct, as it is part of the Pelar gonium genus. The name, coming from the Greek language, means stork-bill, and it's in relation to the form of the seed. Still, the name that most people use to describe this plant is geranium.

GREAT VARIETY OF TYPES

This genus includes a lot of different types of plants, and you will see them in deciduous, perennial, shrubby, annual, tuberous, stem less, fibrous-rooted or long stemmed forms.

However, they can all be used in gardens and put in containers. You could make a garden only with geranium flowers and still have diversity by growing double zonal, fancy leaved, Martha Washington, Lady, ivy and other geranium varieties. That's not taking into consideration the more odd varieties such as the climbing or cactus types.

Zonal, Fancy- and Scented-leaved

Some of the characteristics of the zonal geranium include the rounded green leaves with markings on them, that are circular and dark. Most of the types that are offered by florists are from the double type, and can be planted in window boxes or gardens in the spring.

Some of these include the types Fiat Enchantress, Mrs. Lawrence, Olympic Red, Better Times or Pink Abundance. As for the single varieties, the best looking ones are the Apple Blossom, the Barbara Hope, the Nuit Poitevine, the Ecstasy or the Helen Van Pelt Wilson. They are gorgeous plants and should be kept in a place where you can admire them.

If you want a flower that you will love even when they're not bloomed, you should pick the variegated geraniums, because of its nicely coloured leaves. A lot of people think that the foliage is better than the flowers in this variety. Some of the best varieties include the Skies of Italy or the Miss Burdett Coutts.

Use them in pots, along with geraniums with green leaves.