The plant called geraniums that is grown as a bedding annual is actually a pelargonium. There was a mix-up back when old Linnaeus was running around naming things, and the name stuck ;-) Pelargoniums are annuals in the north, as a hard freeze will kill them. I keep some old blankets and sheets around, and just watch the forecasts. 'Pellies' aren't sissies about the cold though, they will do fine through a light frost with a blanket. I extend the season in the fall with blankets too. They just grow much slower when it is chilly. They also don't like it too hot either, by the way. Mine suffer a bit when it gets in the mid-high nineties. True geraniums are hardy perennials, many are native to North America. There is some similarities to the leaves, and the flower shape between the two species. But, pelargoniums are native to Africa, where they are perennials, and succulents at that. Both are great plants. Both get discussed on this forum. It is a bit confusing at first. If you overwintered yours in the house, you have pelargoniums. :-) The FAQs on this forum has a better explanation of the name mix-up than I gave. I can hardly wait to put my pellies outside for the year. :-) Oh, and I'm just a gardener out to learn. More knowledgeable posters, please correct anything that I was incorrect about.

Hi Ontnative, this message was not delivered to my e-mail as I requested, so I am lucky I just decided to try the forum. These plants are all in flower now and are setting seed. As you said, they are a bit weedy and tend to sprawl like a ground cover. BTW, I had great success with many of your seeds. You should see Helianthus Lemon Queen - it's over ten feet tall and is taking my garden over. I am expecting a full show in the coming weeks. Thanks again.

Geraniums are easy to propagate. Cuttings can be taken at any time. They can be water or soil rooted: medium can be moist sand, or a rich potting soil cut with some extra vermiculite for drainage. I find my plants get huge and rangy over the winter because I don't have enough 'large space" light for large containers, so I take cuttings in fall. The cuttings go into rooting medium in a shady outdoor space and are kept moist. By early October they are ready to be potted in 4" pots and brought inside and into the window for winter. I grow them like a houseplant in the Southerly windows all winter and just keep some pretty pots on hand for them to be showy in. By spring they are a good size (easily fit into a large 5.5" pot) and ready for going outside. Zonal geraniums don't do as well for me inside, and I don't grow them at home. We found at the store I worked in that they need better drainage and much more light and warmth. My "regular" geraniums are kept all winter at 58 degrees (or slightly warmer) - a barely heated house but in the window I over winter before frost. Geraniums are not frost tolerant.

hermustangs, if you'll read the "new to GW" thread below on this page (or if it's left this page by the time you read this, search for it) you'll find explicit instructions on how to post photos; very easy to do. I think you'll get many more responses if you include photos. I'm not good enough with colors personally to try to answer your questions without seeing the rooms. Good luck!