FEBRUARY is the month we usually prune our pelargoniums.
Our mothers and grandmothers (who were pretty savvy) collected these wonderful plants because of their hardiness, their beautiful flowers and the fact they were readily available – many flowering nearly all year.
Of course, they called them all geraniums, which is actually incorrect.
Although related, the geranium is a little woodland plant and something quite different again.
No matter what you call them, they are well worth growing if you have a frost-free area with full to half sun.
They don’t seem to mind what kind of soil you grow them in but will do better if it is loose and friable. Good drainage is a must so the stems don’t rot.
They also thrive in pots. When it comes to pruning, it is an easy decision with some of the varieties because by February they have pretty much finished flowering.
Because others flower almost all year I feel hesitant to touch them, but it must be done if you want a good show for next year otherwise they get too “leggy”.
Pruning consists of basically cutting back to make the plant a nice shape. It’s that easy.
You can give the cuttings to friends as these plants are easy to propagate.
I have a collection of pelargoniums in colours ranging from white through to pink, burgundy and purple.
Colours such as blue and green aren’t in their genes; there has been some progress in developing ones with yellow tinges but these are still rare and not easily obtained.
Pelargoniums are grown for their lovely flowers, which range from big, blowsy creatures through to the species ones with minuscule blooms.
Some have flowerheads that look like a bunch of tiny roses. They are also beloved for their leaf colour and shape, and for their perfumed leaves.
If you like fragrant plants, a number of pelargoniums exude scents such as peppermint, lemon, rose, lime, apple and more from their leaves.
In fact, these are so pungent they are used to make perfumes. If you make your own pot-pourri then include some of these in the mix.
Ask your friends for a cutting or three and have a go at growing them.