The cold weather has begun in typical hit and miss fashion here in the Boston
area. I had glorious pink geraniums in a wire planter outdoors, and thought why
not take them inside and see if they will last. I remember my mom doing this, and she
potted up her outdoor geraniums in a large blue and white ceramic planter.
She was always one for putting plants in containers, where I was used to putting things
directly into the ground. And when winter arrived....that was it 'til next year.
Last fall she and dad sold their home on Martha's Vineyard and
many of the day to day items, like pots and garden things,
got parceled off to the kids.
( I love that at my age I can still be called a kid. *wink*)
I ended up with a pair of terra cotta and white ceramic planters so
I decided to bring in my geraniums like I recall mom doing.
They are full of blooms and look incredibly pretty.
However they are also very summery looking, and don't exactly mix with the
pumpkins and fall garland I have about the house.
How long can I have them with Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up?
There were so many geraniums I had enough to put some in an old
vintage funeral basket. I filled the bottoms with some pea stone as there is
no drainage, and I will try not to overwater. They look so lovely,
but with the holiday decor about to happen, its times like these
that I think a green house or a conservatory would be ideal!
A modest sized one would be very nice indeed.
I would be in heaven with something like this!
But I don't , and have no plans to create one. Yet.
If I could figure out a way to find an old one on Craigslist that has been disassembled
and is looking for a new home, then maybe I could have a small conservatory...
In the mean time I have outdoor plants indoors, and I am trying to make them work.
I added little velvet pumpkins I made to this planter. Pretty cute.
BUT.....
At first sign of lots of dropped leaves or yellowy brown stuff, these will have
to head out to the compost pile.
Oh, and someone told me to cut my geraniums back to about a third of their growth.
That way they will come back fuller than ever.
But they look full now and have tons of blooms~so can I wait to cutback?
Just enjoy for now, then toss?
Any of you gardeners have any input for me?
See how full they are?
Oh, yesterday I met a blogger pal and we went antiquing in Boston
at the Vintage Sowa Market.
Guess what I found...a wonderful piece of french furniture!!!
I will share all about that and the very fun time I had at
this blogger meet up on my next post.
I overwinter my geraniums every year. They thrive in south windows and water as needed if soil feels dry. I don't cut mine back, just let them grow and flourish. For the holidays maybe put them in upstairs south windows? Yours are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI have no idea about the geraniums, just that they are beautiful as you have them. I love the purple flowers and pumpkins too! So nice the way everything is displayed.
ReplyDeleteI bring my best geraniums in and winter them in big windows downstairs. They will bloom just like they did outside all winter long. Just keep deadheading them and picking off the leaves. They may go through an adjustment period from the move. You can cut them back anytime. If you have one 'stalk' that is not as long as the others and not as bushy just reach in between the top very two or three leaves and 'pinch' back whatever little nub of growth is there. That will make the greenery really flesh out. Good luck. If you do keep them overwinter you have to harden them off in the spring. You can't just plop them back outside or they go into shock. I take mine out for a hour for a day or two and add an hour a day every other day. When I get a full day in they are acclimated and ready to go back outside. They get fuller and bigger and better with time. Good luck! xo Diana
ReplyDeleteI am facing the same sort of thing! I have two beautiful topiaries outside and will need to move them inside soon. The problem is, I do not have a sunny window! We are tucked back in the woods and even with the leaves gone I still lack sun. I hate to just let them freeze! hopefully I can keep them going!
ReplyDeleteBlessings
You can overwinter your geraniums. After the blooms fall off or wither, trim them back to just the stalks. Pull them up, shake off the soil and store them in a paper bag in a cool place where they won't freeze.
ReplyDeleteReplant in the late spring/early summer.
My dad always pulled all the pots off the deck and brought them into the finished basement. Last year I did that with one of my Moms Geraniums and Vinca plants. I had cut it back quite a bit and it was lovely on her deck this summer. I hope that I will be able to get that one in before it gets to cold. Your pots look lovely in your home!
ReplyDeleteI am a long way from being a gardener, but the one thing I usually can winter-over is the geraniums. Our garage gets quite a lot of light, and we put some of the plants in there, like the ficus and scheffelera (I don't know how to spell this correctly). At any rate, benign neglect seems to work, just cutting them back a bit when they start fading away, then water very sparingly, occasionally. After the danger of the last frost is past, we just put them back outside, give them some plant food and water, and continue to ignore them. They always perk up and bloom again!
ReplyDeleteBTW, I hav been lusting after and lobbying for a British Conservatory with the gothic arched windows for decades, to no avail. Maybe you will have better luck!
I love Geraniums as they do well in my yard because the deer hate them!! Love that greenhouse/solarium. Would love to have one!! Your geraniums look fantastic in your house!! Love the containers. And yes to our parents we are still kids. I kind of like that!!
ReplyDelete