Hi I'm looking for ivy leaf geranium nutmeg. If anyone has one please post here or email me. I can trade or send postage. Thanks Brenda

The ivy geraniums available in flats (for groundcover purposes) are of a different (older) type than those available in 4" pots and gallons. The grouncover types are rapid-growing, wide-spreading types. That's why they're used for groundcovers. Although they don't come in the wide range of colors as the familiar hybrids, nor do they have double flowers as do many of the hybrids, they do make quite the color statement when they are mature and in full bloom. I think just as much as the other types. The groundcover types are available in about four colors: white, light pink, hot-pink/almost red and magenta/purple. Sometimes you can buy mixed flats. In the flats, you'll see very few if any flowers. Versus the other types in 4-inch or 1-gallon, which of course have more flowers (they're bigger plants). If you're interested in lots of flowers TODAY, buy the larger plants (and pay more). If you want a better groundcover in the long run, get the flats and be patient. Joe

I just germinated a packet of Burpee Summer Showers mix with a 100% success rate. I do all of my geranium germination in damp paper towels, stacked in a sealed container. I put one variety in each towel labeled with a permanent marker, and stack them all in a single container. When I check each day for sprouting I also rearrange the stack of towels. This year, out of approximately 150 seeds of various varieties I've got 121 now in soil, and only 12-16 seeds left in the container which have until Sunday to sprout. Try that and see if you get better results; just be sure not to use too much water.

How long has it been outside and did you aclimatize it before you planted it outside? If you didn't then the old leaves will naturally react that way to sunlight. Did you over winter it in a pot, and keep it in the same pot? Maybe it is root bound and needs the roots loosened and repotted. When a plant is root bound, the roots hit bottom and go round and round and the plant can't take up the nutrients it needs to grow, so loosen and untangle the roots before you transplant. If it gets too leggy and too few leaves and if the stems are sparse do some cutting back. That will bush out the plant with new shoots and leaves. You can root the cuttings if you want.