Geranium in the garden care. Application in landscape design. Garden geranium: how to save it in winter?

Such flowering plants include perennial street geranium or garden geranium. This plant has taken root well as an indoor flowerpot; according to it, various beliefs and signs are made up. Much less often this flower can be found in flower beds and flower beds. Although geranium itself is distinguished by excellent frost resistance and unpretentious care. And among the large variety of varieties, you can easily find the right one for you.

In this article, we will consider the features and description of perennial garden geraniums, and also learn about the most popular types and varieties of this crop. Let's talk about the main nuances of agricultural technology for growing geraniums in open field.

Features and description of perennial garden geranium

Garden perennial geranium is a flowering plant that belongs to the genus Geraniaceae and of the same name. big family. Geranium should not be confused with pelargonium, which also belongs to this family, but to the genus Pelargonium. Geranium garden can be annual, biennial and perennial plant. In this article, we will consider the features of planting and caring for perennial geraniums.

Garden geranium is native to Great Britain. It was here that the first and most basic varieties of this plant were bred. This became possible thanks to two scientists - A. Johnson and E. Bowles, who were the first to become interested in garden geraniums. After the English breeders, Dutch scientists became interested in breeding new varieties of geraniums, who contributed to the spread of this culture around the world.

Garden geranium was originally known for its medicinal leaves and antibacterial properties. The plant received such use in Ancient Greece, where Dioscorides as early as the first century AD. fixed the scientific name for the flower - geranium. In Greek, it means "crane". This name was fixed due to the similarity of the fruit of the plant with the beak of a crane. There are several more names of geraniums that can often be found in the everyday life of peoples. different countries. For example, in Germany this culture is called "stork nose", in England - "crane", in Bulgaria - "health resort". On the territory of Russia, the plant appeared in the 18th century and has since become widespread in landscape design.

Description of garden perennial geranium:

• Garden perennial geranium is a herbaceous flowering plant.
• Depending on the specific species and variety, geraniums may have rhizomes or tubers as their root system.
• The stem of this plant can grow 40-60 cm, while it branches well and creates beautiful and compact bushes that can hold their shape for a long time. It is this feature of garden geraniums that is valued by landscape designers.
• The entire stem is covered with palmately lobed or palmately dissected leaves, the shape of which depends on the particular variety of perennial geranium.
• The foliage is light green or dark green.
• The size of the leaves is also different, they can be both small and quite large.
• Perennial geranium flowers are located singly or two per stem, sometimes they can be collected in small inflorescences.
• The flower basket can be different size, from 2.5 to 4.5 cm in diameter.
• The color of geranium flowers is so diverse that you can easily pick up suitable varieties for your area.
• Geranium garden has excellent frost resistance and unpretentious care.
• The flowering of the plant can last until the very cold.
• One of the features of garden geranium is its longevity and ability to resist diseases and pests.

A variety of species and varieties of garden perennial geranium

Today there are more than 300 various kinds, as well as varieties of perennial geraniums, which have various colors flowers, sizes of bushes and leaves. Let's take a closer look at the most common and popular types and varieties of garden geraniums.

Geranium perennial Balkan

• The natural habitat of this species of geranium is the territory of the Alps, the Carpathians and the Balkans.
• It has been used in culture since the 17th century.
• It has a rather thick and very branched rhizome, so very often this type of geranium is called large-rhizome.
• Differs in a compact and densely growing bush, reaching a height of 30 cm.
• The leaves are collected in basal rosettes and are attached to long petioles.
• The leaves are elongated, shiny, dark green in shape. In autumn, the foliage turns a bright red and golden color.
• Flowers are located on long peduncles that rise above the foliage.
• The color of flowers is red or purple, while the diameter of the basket can reach 3 cm.
• Flowering begins in June and lasts about a month.

Popular varieties:

• Variety "Spessart". This variety of geranium grows very quickly and is distinguished by white and pink inflorescences. The foliage changes color in autumn.
• Sort "Ingwersens variety". This type of plant has a very lush flowering. Flowers are pale pink.
• Variety "Czakor". Pleases with bright purple-red flowers, abundantly blooming on a bush.

Geranium perennial marsh

• In nature, this species is widely distributed in wetlands of Russia.
• This plant has a rhizomatous root system.
• The stalk of geranium rises to a height of up to 70 cm, branches very strongly.
• In the root zone, leaves are formed, which are seven-separate in shape. They are attached to the stem on long petioles.
• On the stem itself, the leaves are five-parted.
• At the very top of the stem there are two flower baskets up to 3 cm in diameter.
• The color of the flowers is purple.
• Flowering of perennial geranium begins in mid-June - early July.
• This species is known for its resistance to cold and undemanding care.

Popular varieties:

• Sort "Album". Differs in snow-white flower baskets up to 3 cm in diameter.

Geranium garden magnificent

• This type of plant has been used in culture for over a century.
• The plant is fast growing and compact.
• The stem can reach 50 cm in height and create a large and highly branched bush.
• The entire stem is covered with five-parted leaves, slightly pubescent at the top. In autumn, the foliage changes color from green to orange-yellow.
• The flowers are light purple in color.

Popular varieties:

• Sort "Mrs Kendall Clark". The most popular variety of this type of geranium, which is distinguished by grayish-blue flowers with a slight pink tint.

Himalayan garden geranium

• The natural habitat is the territory of the Himalayas.
• It has a rhizome root system.
• The plant is shaped like a small bush with a strong and well-branched stem, which can reach a height of 30-60 cm.
• The leaves are arranged in a rosette at the very roots.
• The shape of the leaves is slightly rounded and pubescent, in diameter can reach 10 cm.
• On the stem are flower stalks with flower baskets up to 5 cm in diameter.
• The flowers are bright purple or blue with reddish veins on the petals.
• Flowering begins at the end of May and can last until autumn.
• This type of geranium is very decorative and will fit perfectly into any landscape design.

Popular varieties:

• Sort "Gravetye". This variety of geranium is distinguished by bright blue flower baskets with a purple tint in the center.
• Variety "Jonsons Blue". This variety is widely distributed throughout Europe. Boasts abundant flowering. The flowers are purple in color, and the plant itself can reach a height of 40-60 cm.

Geranium garden blood red

• The natural habitat of this species is the European part of Russia, Western and Southern Europe.
• The plant itself can reach a height of 60 cm and grows at the same level with the leaves. It resembles a small bush in shape and has one distinctive feature - a spherical shape.
• The leaves are slightly rounded, dissected, light green in color. The leaves of this variety are wintering, turning reddish in autumn.
• The entire bush during flowering is strewn with fairly large, bright red flowers that can reach 4 cm in diameter.
• Flowering begins in June and lasts until August.
• This variety of geranium is long-lived. In one place, the bush can grow up to 15 years.

Popular varieties:

• Sort "Album". This variety blooms snow-white flower baskets in summer and yellow in autumn.
• Grade "Compactum". undersized variety geranium, which is great for growing in containers.
• Sort "Nana". dwarf variety geranium, reaching a height of 10-15 cm. It blooms with bright pink inflorescences.

In addition to the above types of perennial garden geranium, the following can be noted: Georgian geranium, Dalmatian geranium, forest geranium, meadow geranium.

Propagation of garden perennial geraniums: the most common methods

Perennial geraniums can be easily diluted on their own. To do this, you can use one of several methods. garden geranium propagated by seeds, cuttings and division of the bush. If you grow it on your site amazing plant, then you can observe how it reproduces beautifully by self-sowing. However, with this method, your crops will be randomly scattered around the site and you will not be able to control their location.

Seed propagation of garden geranium

• Seed propagation is the most time-consuming and lengthy process. When using it, most often the plant loses its varietal characteristics. Usually this method reproduction is used by breeders.
• It is recommended to sow fresh seeds, as during storage they may lose their germination.
• Collecting garden geranium seeds is another major challenge. Seeds ripen quickly and scatter around the area almost immediately. And if you collect not yet ripened seeds, then their germination is significantly reduced.
• Therefore, to collect the seeds, prepare small pieces of cloth and wrap them around the geranium inflorescences. Thus, the ripened seeds will fall directly into the homemade bag.
• Seeds can be sown directly in open ground in August or just before winter. If you buy perennial geranium seeds in a store, then you need to sow them in April. A more reliable method would be to sow the seeds in pots or containers.
• To do this, prepare special containers.
• Next, fill them with a nutritious and fertile soil mixture, which should consist of peat and sand.
• Moisten the surface liberally and spread the garden geranium seeds over it.
• From above, the pot or container must be covered with glass or film.
• Further care of the seedlings consists in constant airing and moisturizing.
• After the seedlings have leaves, the glass is removed.
• After the appearance of 2-3 leaves, the seedlings dive into separate pots.
• If you sow the seeds in the spring in April, then the seedlings are planted in open ground the following spring.

Reproduction by division of the rhizome

• This method is the most common and simple and allows not only to breed young plants, but also to renew the old one.
• You can divide the rhizome in early spring and at the end of summer. Division in August is more acceptable, since the plant at this time is almost completely dormant. At this time, you can not be afraid to damage it.
• You need to carefully dig out an adult plant.
• Next, carefully check all the growth buds. The growth of young bushes depends on their condition. They should be dense, with no signs of rot and drying out.
• Gently shake the plant to loosen excess soil from the root system.
• After that, with a sharp knife, divide the rhizome of an adult bush into several parts. Make sure everyone has a renewal kidney.
• Prepare planting holes for young geranium bushes. To do this, add peat and compost to the selected place and fill the hole with them.
• Gently transplant all plants into the prepared holes.

Reproduction of geraniums by perennial cuttings

• This method is suitable for some types of perennial geraniums.
• To grow in this way, it is necessary to cut off several young shoots with leaves on them from an adult plant.
• Next, place these cuttings in a glass of water and place in a warm room.
• The cuttings will take root in about 2-3 weeks.
• After that, they can be planted in separate pots or immediately in open ground.
• You can not put the cuttings in water for germination, but simply treat them with a special root former solution. And then immediately land on the garden.

Stages of preparation before planting garden perennial geraniums

To get a beautiful and bright garden geranium, it is important to carefully prepare. And for this you need to choose the right quality planting material and a place for planting. Let's consider all the stages in more detail.

Stage 1. Selection of planting material

• You can grow planting material yourself using seeds or rhizome division, or you can purchase it in specialized stores and agricultural companies that breed plants.
• You can purchase a rhizome with a large number of adventitious roots and a renewal bud. Such planting material must be purchased in February.
• In this case, carefully inspect the roots, they should be elastic and without visible damage.
• Until the moment the rhizome is planted in the garden, it must be stored in the refrigerator in a container with peat.
• You can purchase planting material with a rhizome and shoots with leaves. In this case, before planting in open ground, the plant is placed in a container with soil.
• Alternatively, you can buy a seedling in a pot in the store, which you can later plant on the site without any problems.
• When choosing garden geranium seedlings, consider the future planting site. Taller flowers are best planted in flower beds and flower beds, and dwarf species - as a frame for paths, borders.

Stage 2. Choosing a place for planting garden geraniums

• Geranium perennial garden prefers to grow in well-lit places.
• However, make sure that occasionally the flower is in light partial shade.
• It is also important to choose a place on a small hill, as this plant does not tolerate close occurrence. ground water.
• Choose a planting site based on the variety of plant you have purchased.
• Tall varieties of garden geranium can be planted together with other flowers in flower beds and flower beds. Dwarf flowers 10-15 cm high suitable for terraces, tubs and framing garden paths.

Stage 3. Preparing the soil for planting

• Geranium does not require special preferences for the choice of soil, however, to obtain a lush and abundant flowering give preference to more fertile and nutritious.
• It is important that the soil is well-drained and permeable to air and moisture.
• Before planting the plant, carefully dig the selected area for about 2 bayonets of a shovel.
• In the process of working the site, add peat and compost to the soil.

Planting technology for perennial garden geraniums

• The middle or end of May is the optimal time for planting perennial garden geraniums in flower beds or flower beds.
• For a couple of days of planting, you can start preparing the soil. To do this, dig it well and loosen it, adding peat and sand, you can also scatter a little compost. Just do not add unrotted compost - this can be detrimental to the plant.
• After that, on the selected site, you need to prepare landing pits. Remember that garden geranium has fairly long roots, so the holes must be appropriate. The depth of each planting hole should be at least 20 cm more than the length of the roots.
• If you are planting more than one plant, then be sure to leave enough space between the holes for the geranium to grow. It should be at least 25-30 cm.
• at the bottom of each landing pit it is necessary to place a layer of drainage to prevent stagnation of water at the root system of garden geraniums. Broken bricks, small stones or gravel can be used as drainage.
• On the prepared drainage layer, pour a hill of soil mixture, which should consist of peat and sand.
• After that, place the rhizome of the plant on the hill and gently sprinkle it with sand.
• After planting, young plants must be watered abundantly.
• It is also important to mulch the soil around each new plant. This will keep them from drying out. Dry peat or sawdust can be used as mulch.

Agrotechnics for growing garden geraniums: secrets and nuances of care

Garden geranium is considered not a very whimsical plant, however, for their full growth and abundant flowering, it is still necessary to pay due attention to this culture.

Watering garden geraniums

Garden geraniums of any variety prefer moderate, but regular watering. Especially in the first months after planting, when the plant needs a lot of strength to take root in a new place. Also, watering is increased during dry periods. You will easily notice when your geraniums require enough moisture - their leaves will droop. But do not worry, after watering they will quickly recover. This plant does not need any spraying.

Loosening and mulching

After planting, the soil around the plant must be mulched to reduce the amount of loosening. To do without this care process, you can plant ground cover plants between the flowers of garden geraniums. In any case, geranium needs loose and light soil, so you can sometimes work the ground with a tool after watering. Periodically, you need to add mulch, which allows moisture to evaporate more slowly.

top dressing

Garden geranium practically does not need top dressing. It will be enough to add peat and compost during planting in open ground. If you wish to contribute nutrients, then it is best to use complex mineral fertilizers. The optimal time for this process is the period of active vegetation and the middle of the bud formation period.

pruning

The process of caring for perennial geraniums also includes periodic pruning of wilted buds. Thus, you stimulate the formation of new ones and prolong the flowering of geraniums. AT autumn period you can remove yellowed leaves, but this action is not necessary, because most varieties of geraniums are winter green and winter well without pruning.

Transfer

Garden perennial geranium does not tolerate transplants well, usually it feels great in one place for 10 years. And only after this time you can do a plant transplant, but it is better to do this during the dormant period.

Disease and pest control

Geranium diseases:

• Bacterial rot. This disease appears as a result improper care. The signs are brown spots on leaves and stem. To combat this disease, it is necessary to remove severely affected plants and treat the rest with special preparations.
• Tomato wilt. Signs of this disease are spots in the form of rings. Used to fight chemicals. With a strong infection, it is better to completely remove the plant and burn it, and process the place of growth.

Pests:

• Aphid. To combat this pest, you can use special insecticides.
• Whiteflies. You can get rid of such insects with the help of drugs such as Iskra.
• Caterpillars. They are usually recommended to be collected by hand.

The use of perennial garden geraniums in landscape design

• Garden geranium is great for landscaping and decorating any area.
• The ideal place for these flowers are flower beds and flower beds, where geraniums can be placed both in the foreground and in the background, it all depends on the particular variety and height of the plant.
• These flowers are also suitable for mixborders, where they can be grown along with other plants.
• If your area has alpine slide, then you can safely plant perennial geraniums on it.
• Thanks to their compact and spherical shape, these plants are perfect for framing garden paths and borders, as well as for a single planting.

Photo of perennial geranium in landscape design

You can more clearly see all the features of using garden geraniums in landscape design in the photos below.

Use in combination with other plants

Border framing

Original garden composition

Garden geranium is an amazing plant that can decorate any area, while not requiring much effort in its cultivation.

indoor geranium familiar to most people since childhood. The second name of the flower is pelargonium, its use in the landscape design of summer cottages has recently become widespread. This is due to the attractive appearance plants, species diversity and high medicinal properties. A closer acquaintance with an old acquaintance will reveal much interesting facts and, perhaps, in the near future, your dacha will be decorated with aesthetic geraniums.

Characteristic features of the plant

Pelargonium native to South Africa, its ability to bloom throughout the summer provided wide application not only in the role houseplant, but also as a decoration for a balcony or cottage.

Landscape design specialists prefer geraniums when arranging the territory for several reasons:

• simple care;
• a variety of species allows you to exquisitely complement any composition;
• the possibility of landing in containers.

Various types of geraniums can be presented as herbaceous plants or subshrubs, are perennial crops. In addition to a wide color palette, pelargonium inflorescences have a variety of shapes: they can be shields, umbrellas or large terry "hats". Geranium stems are found straight, creeping or branched, while the leaves are distinguished by a decorative appearance.

Choosing a favorable place

To get geraniums blooming in the landscape design of the cottage long time, you need to create it favorable conditions. At the initial stage, you should choose a place that meets the requirements for the qualitative development of the plant. Preference is given to open sunny summer cottages, semi-shaded areas are also acceptable.

Pelargonium loves moist air and fertile soil with good drainage properties.

Advice! When choosing a place in landscape design for classic geranium species, the location of the groundwater level is taken into account; the plant does not like too close proximity of moisture to the root system.

Landing rules in open ground

Although pelargonium belongs to perennial flowers, the climate middle lane in winter period too harsh for her. Therefore, when grown in open ground, there are some features of the design of landscape design with geraniums:

• The optimal soil for a flower is neutral or slightly acidic.
• The structure of the soil is light, the presence is welcome river sand or peat.
• When digging in the autumn, it is recommended to add mineral fertilizers and humus.
• Watering should be moderate, avoiding the drying of the earth. Geranium will endure short-term drought with firmness.
• For the growth and development of pelargonium optimum temperature air is +15 ° C. Therefore, a light shade in hot climates is welcome.

The variety of species suggests distinctive features plants, however, in most cases, the conditions for planting and care are the same. For rooting at the dacha, green cuttings are planted in a mixed composition of river sand and peat; at home, perlite will come to the rescue.

Pelargonium Care

Being in the garden in the country, geranium is able to bloom all summer. But every living organism needs rest, so about 2 months before the onset of winter cold weather, pelargonium is transferred to a state of rest. It is very simple to carry out, it is enough to stop watering the flowers and feeding them. mineral fertilizers. With the beginning of spring, the geranium will wake up and illuminate the cottage with a new flowering. It is better not to take risks with overwintering plants in the open field, it is much more reliable to transplant pelargonium into a pot and transport it home.

To decorate the landscape design of the cottage for a long time lush bloom geranium, she needs complex top dressing designed for flowering plants, and regular loosening of the soil.

Pruning will help to awaken the active growth of pelargonium in the spring; for this, the tops of the shoots are pinched. It is not necessary to throw them away, by rooting waste in the country, you will receive additional geranium flowers in the landscape design of the site.

Watering pelargonium requires a dosed approach. This plant does not like excessively wet soil. The natural excess of moisture, formed as a result of prolonged rains, will endure the geranium, and artificial irrigation in an amount exceeding the need can lead to the death of the plant.

Advice ! Withered geranium leaves, located in the lower part of the trunk, tend to die off quickly. Leaving them on pelargonium is not recommended; regular pruning of drooping greenery will preserve the strength of the rest of the flower.

In the autumn, when the geranium begins to dry out and wither, the leaves and aboveground shoots are removed and taken out of the dacha.

breeding conditions

You can decorate the landscape design of the cottage with geraniums endlessly, the large number of species will not allow monotony. There are two main ways to propagate pelargonium - vegetatively (with green cuttings) and by sowing seeds.

Which method is more convenient and effective, decide for yourself, after reading the conditions of each:

• Winter is the most suitable period for the start of geranium breeding, since by the beginning of the spring period, the landscaping of the dacha can already be supplemented with new sprouts of your favorite flower. Vegetative way involves planting a pelargonium cutting in perlite or sand, followed by moistening. The stalk is cut from the geranium mother plant, transported from the dacha and stored at home at a temperature not exceeding +12 ° C. From January, in conditions of 16-degree heat, geranium cuttings begin to take root, after which the temperature can be increased by another 5 degrees. root system Pelargonium offshoot is formed over 20 days, after the end of the process, geraniums can be transplanted into compact pots and placed in a greenhouse for the purpose of hardening. Further development before landing in the country can be continued on the window.
• Period for seed propagation geranium is similar to the cutting method, the winter months are the most optimal for starting the procedure for breeding pelargonium. Seeds are placed in a prepared mixture consisting of peat and river sand. The absence of the latter is not a significant problem. After 20 days, the first shoots of the future beauty of geranium should appear. During this period, the soil is moistened and covered with a film. After the formation of three full-fledged leaves on a young pelargonium, the seedlings dive into separate containers. In order for the geranium in the country to have a bushy shape, after 6 leaves, the plant is pinched.

Remark ! Geranium is prone to rapid growth, so when planting pelargonium in the country in the ground, take care of a sufficient amount of free space.

Diseases and pests

Geraniums in the country are usually not prone to diseases, however, landscape design experts warn of possible minor damage to the flower. powdery mildew or brown spotting. Timely cutting of the plant in the country immediately after flowering will help prevent the spread of the disease. This helps to strengthen the geranium, healthy young shoots will endure the autumn cold snap. This also applies big bushes pelargoniums damaged in the country by the disease. At the end of the flowering period, they are completely mowed. A new healthy plant will grow in their place.

If the geranium is damaged by brown spotting, the shoots are immediately pruned and destroyed by fire. Infection with a fungal infection occurs exclusively in rainy and cold summers; the geranium bush as a whole is not in serious danger.

Occasionally, damage to the root system of pelargonium occurs by the larvae of the beetle beetle. In this case, the geranium stops growing. The dried edges of the leaves appear as a result of their eating by an adult beetle. You can detect pests at night by digging up the plant and checking the root. When larvae are detected, they should be eliminated, the root and the entire pelargonium flower are sprayed with fungicide solution.

Types of pelargonium

Decorating the landscape design of a dacha with pelargonium is a fascinating activity, because the plant has about 250 species.

In our region, the most widespread are the following types:

Pelargonium zonal. The foliage of the flower has a light or dark green tint. This geranium is not intended for wintering in the open field, but needs to be transplanted and stored at a temperature not exceeding 23 ° C. Zonal pelargonium is resistant to drought, but does not tolerate excess moisture. Flowers may have White color and shades of red: crimson, pink, dark red. This geranium grows well in flowerbeds, containers, flowerpots and borders.

Pelargonium ivy actively used by landscape designers for vertical gardening dachas. Fleshy leaves, sometimes with a red border, focus on attention. The absence of odor and hairiness makes the leaves of this type of geranium similar in shape to ivy leaves. The length of the falling shoots, depending on the variety, varies from 30 to 90 cm. When transplanted for the winter period from a summer cottage to home conditions, geraniums can bloom for the next season. Flowers come in lilac, white, red and Pink colour. Basically they have terry furry look and bright coloring.

What kind of pelargonium you do not stop at, the sophistication of the landscape design of the cottage throughout the entire flowering period will be undeniable.

For most inhabitants, geranium is indoor flower, while few people know that there is a garden geranium that grows well on open ground. Moreover, there are several hundred varieties of this plant, some of them are adapted to our climate. Next, we will get acquainted with the features of garden geraniums and some varieties that are most often grown by summer residents and gardeners.

Description of garden geranium

It is believed that England is the birthplace of garden geraniums, which is not surprising, since it is the UK that is the trendsetter in garden landscape art. And geranium has all the necessary qualities for the formation of landscape design.

I must say that the plant is valued not so much for beautiful flower how much for an attractive habitus. Dense and at the same time compact bushes have beautiful and delicate leaves. Moreover, the plant retains its decorative effect until the very winter.

Flowers and leaves may be different sizes and color. In the color palette, the plant is missing only orange and yellow.

It is best to grow the crop in loose, fertile soil. Moreover, landing is desirable to carry out in well-lit open areas.

Note!
Due to the plant's ability to self-propagate and "spread" around the site, geraniums in the garden can become a real weed.
This is especially true for not the most beautiful and desirable species, such as Robert's geranium.

Types of garden geraniums

Although climatic conditions the southern part of Britain are significantly different from ours, as mentioned above, some varieties of garden geraniums are perfectly adapted to grow in the middle lane. In particular, they tolerate frost well.

These varieties include:

Geranium blood red	It is a tall variety. The plant forms a beautiful spherical bush. The leaves are bright green, turning reddish in autumn. Flowering begins in June and continues until the very end of August. Thus, the blood-red geranium blooms all summer long.
Balkan	It has a thick rhizome that grows rapidly. As a result, the plant can form a thick "carpet". Flowers have a bright purple color, up to 30 mm in diameter. Flowering begins in June and continues for 30 days. A special feature is the strong pleasant aroma of the flower.
Red-brown	This garden perennial geranium is a tall variety. It can grow not only in sunny, but also in shaded areas. Flowers small size, dark red. Flowering begins in June and lasts for 40-45 days.
Himalayan	Terry variety, whose flowering begins in early June and ends in 30-45 days. The disadvantage is the tendency to be damaged by pests, therefore, it needs preventive treatment with special preparations.
eriantum	It has good frost resistance, so flowers can be planted even in the northern regions.

We have given the most common varieties of perennial garden geraniums, however, there are some other types of this crop that can also grow in our climate, for example:

• Geranium Renard;
• Dalmatian;
• "Album";
• Rose Queen etc.

The choice should be made based on your own preferences and characteristics of the varieties.

Care and cultivation

reproduction

Planting and caring for garden geraniums is not difficult and does not take much time.

Reproduction can be carried out in two ways:

• By dividing the root- perfectly takes root in a new place and quickly takes on new roots. Therefore, this method is the easiest.
• Growing from seeds- a more time-consuming method, however, the price of seeds is much lower than the cost of seedlings. Seedlings, as a rule, bloom in the second year after planting.

Those types of geraniums that grow strongly in width must be planted at a distance of 25-30 cm. Already a year after planting, the bushes will close, forming a "solid carpet". Species that form a compact bush with large leaves, should be planted at a distance equal to twice the length of the cutting.

In this case, the beautiful spherical shape will not be violated. After all, it is she who is the highlight of the plant, giving it a special appeal.

I must say that in one place without a transplant, a culture can grow up to 8 or even 10 years. After this, rejuvenation of the bush may be required.

Red-brown geranium

Care

Garden geraniums do not need special care. In particular, there is no need to perform cropping. Faded inflorescences can be removed, however, this procedure is not necessary, as they themselves fall and hide under the leaves.

Due to the fact that the branches of the culture are tightly closed, weeds practically do not grow under them, respectively, the flowers do not need to be weeded with their own hands.

Advice!
If the free areas between the geraniums are mulched or planted undersized plants, the need for loosening will also disappear.

It should be noted that most varieties of geraniums have very useful property- emit a pleasant specific smell around them, which is saturated with phytoncides and essential oils. This protects not only the flowers themselves from diseases, but also their neighbors.

The varieties of crops listed above do not require shelter for the winter, as they can easily tolerate even severe frosts in the open field. As a result, all the care and cultivation of garden geraniums comes down to timely watering.

In the photo - an arch of geraniums

Garden geranium in landscape design

Geraniums are easy to find a place in any garden or on suburban area. Most often, flowers in landscape design are used as follows:

• Dwarf varieties - great for forming flower borders, rose borders or mixborders.
• Large-rhizome varieties - are excellent ground cover plants that allow you to achieve the effect of a "green carpet".
• Spherical varieties - look great in the foreground in mixborders. It can also be used in joint plantings next to shrubs. For example, they look great among ferns, clarets, aquilegia, etc.
• Tall varieties - most often used in mixed mixborders among other perennials. With their help, you can create "wild" areas in a landscape style. In this case, in the foreground it is better to use unpretentious ground covers, which include creeping tenacious, coined loosestrife, etc.

Of course, these are just guidelines for using these colors. You can come up with your own options for landscape design using geraniums. Here, perhaps, are all the features of garden geraniums that can be grown in our area.

Conclusion

As we found out, garden geranium is a very beautiful and at the same time unpretentious plant to care for. Therefore, these flowers are an excellent choice for summer residents and gardeners who want to concentrate on growing other crops.

From the video in this article, you can get some additional information on this topic.

Species and varieties

Indoor geraniums can be divided into fragrant - touching their leaves, you feel various smells (lemon, coconut, ginger and others), which depend on the variety. The flowers of such plants are usually small, pink or purple in color.

Angels - the flowers of these geraniums resemble pansies. Their inflorescences form caps and hang down. The bush itself is small - up to 30 cm.

unique - these varieties are obtained by crossing a brilliant geranium with a royal one. These plants have very dissected foliage, and the flowers resemble those of the royal geranium.

succulent - this group is not numerous, there are only 10 species in it, which are distinguished by the curvature of the shoots. Succulent geraniums are popular bonsai flowers.

Separately, we recall the royal geranium and ivy.

Royal (English) geranium is the parent material for huge amount flower varieties. Variegated varieties, as well as terry ones, were bred from it. The height of the bush is about 50 cm.

Geranium ivy (thyroid) this species is valuable for its long stems, thanks to which it is grown as ampelous plant. It has beautiful flowers that are simple and double.

Types of garden geraniums are also quite diverse:

Forms tall bushes a little over a meter. Lilac flowers.

Balkan has massive roots. It grows very strongly, although the height of the bush is only 30 cm. The flowers are purple in color.

Bolotnaya species of medium height (60 cm) with straight shoots that branch well. Inflorescences are purple.

Growing rapidly, it reaches half a meter in height. Young flowers are purple, which turn brown with age. This geranium is not propagated by seed.

A species that is easy to grow, as in nature it lives in rather difficult conditions. May not be transplanted even longer than other geraniums. The color of the flowers is purple.

A highly decorative look. It has unusual bluish foliage and dark purple flowers. Escape bottom and lower leaves turn red in autumn.

Geranium home care

Geranium is quite easy to grow at home, it is enough to know some of the features of this plant and everything will be fine.

Geraniums like strong light and love to be in direct sunlight. If you provide the plant with enough light and fertilizer, it will be able to bloom throughout the year.

The soil for geraniums must be chosen fertile, you can use a universal earth mixture.

It is necessary to water the flower moderately, since any excess moisture adversely affects it. Geranium does not need spraying.

The best temperature for growing is 18-20°C. In winter, it is better to lower the temperature, but it is impossible for the thermometer to fall below 10 ° C.

Fertilizer for geraniums

You need to feed the flower every 15 days, starting at the end of March and ending in November. In this case, it is better to use liquid top dressing. You can buy special fertilizers for geraniums, or you can use an iodine solution.

To prepare it, dilute a drop of iodine per liter of water. Apply 50 ml at a time. Try not to increase the dose so as not to burn the rhizome. You can also fertilize with ground eggshells.

Do not use for fertilizer organic top dressing- Geranium does not like them.

Geranium transplant at home

Also, this plant practically does not need transplants, besides, it does not tolerate them well. This procedure is only necessary if the pot is filled with roots.

It is necessary to carry out a transplant in early spring, before the period of increasing green mass. Don't take too big a pot, because the result will be a lot of greenery, but no flowering.

Geranium pruning for lush blooms

With the advent of autumn, geraniums need to be cut. All stems that do not grow from the root, but are removed from the shoot. Also cut off the foliage, leaving 7 leaves. When a large amount of foliage appears in winter, pruning is also performed in spring.

Geranium from seeds at home

Propagating geraniums with seeds is quite simple, the condition is the use of purchased material, since the seeds collected from home geraniums, if they sprout, will most likely lose varietal characteristics.

Seeds should be sown in a mixture of peat, sand and soddy soil (1: 1: 2). A couple of centimeters of sand are poured from above. Also, the soil is slightly moistened. Before planting, do not forget to treat the soil with a solution of manganese, in order to avoid the appearance of a "black leg".

Further, the planted seeds are covered with glass and moisten the soil from time to time. It is better to keep planted at a temperature of about 20 ° C. With the advent of a couple of true leaves (this will happen in about a month and a half to two months), it will be possible to transplant into a permanent pot. Once you have five leaves, pinch to make your flower bushier.

Propagation of geraniums by cuttings at home

You can propagate geraniums from cuttings at any time of the year, but spring is best suited for this. It is necessary to prepare seven centimeter cuttings with a couple of leaves.

After cutting, they are left to fade for a day, and then the cut is powdered with charcoal and planted in sand for rooting. When watering the cuttings, try to keep moisture only on the substrate. Rooting should be done at 20°C. With the appearance of the roots, you can safely plant the cuttings in separate pots.

It makes no sense to try to propagate a geranium with a leaf - it will not grow, even if roots appear. The stalk must have part of the stem.

Geranium garden perennial planting and care

Planting and caring for perennial garden geraniums (this is actually geranium, not pelargonium) also does not require special skills, you just need to know a couple of features of this plant.

It is better to buy a rhizome for planting in specialized stores at the end of winter. Choose a solid material that will have many adventitious roots. The growing point must be solid.

The purchased root is placed in a slightly damp peat, and then in the refrigerator. Moisten the peat a little every 15 days until it's time to plant the root.

When buying a flower with the beginning of vegetation, plant it in a container, the dimensions of which will be the same as the roots of the flower. Also, the container should have holes for drainage. The plant is kept in a lighted place until planting in the ground.

You can also buy the plant itself, which is immediately planted in the garden or stored until planting in a shaded place, not forgetting to water it. Correct fit is one of the most milestones in the care of geraniums.

Choose an area that will be well lit. Next, you need to dig a deep hole, which will be 20 cm deeper than the root. Between individuals, you need to keep a distance of about 30 cm. Do not put unripe manure in the pit - it is harmful to geraniums.

Geranium grows quickly and displaces weeds, so you don’t have to weed it, and by mulching the soil, you will save yourself from loosening it.

Geranium garden transplant in autumn

Geranium can be transplanted for a very long time - up to 10 years. If the bush has grown strongly, then you can separate part of the rhizome, but the flower practically does not need full-fledged transplants.

Pruning geraniums for the winter

In autumn, some geraniums require pruning after flowering, but keep in mind that most of these flowers overwinter with green leaves, so pruning is not necessary.

This plant tolerates winter cold well and does not need shelter for the winter.

Geranium from seeds

The seed method of propagation of geraniums is quite complicated and varietal characteristics are lost with it. Collecting seeds is also difficult - the fruit cracks and the seeds are lost. If you want to try, you can sow the seeds immediately after harvest. Perhaps in next year they will bloom.

• If your pelargonium grows in a dark container, drafts blow through it, or it is waterlogged in winter, then its leaves begin to turn yellow. Also, the causes of yellowing can be a lack of drainage, dryness and excess nitrogen in the soil.
• If the plant does not bloom, then the reason for this may be too large a pot, because of which the flower will put all its strength into growing roots.
• Also delays in flowering are due to pinching. royal geranium you need to pinch less often than the others, as it may not bloom at all.
• Warm wintering and surplus nitrogen fertilizers also cause the same effect.
• If the geranium leaves turn yellow and dry, then the culprit is the spider mite, which can be recognized by the thin cobwebs on the foliage.
• White bloom on the leaves indicates powdery mildew.
• Geranium foliage curls with a lack of nitrogen, light, moisture. This may also be due to spider mites or viral diseases. The latter, in addition to curling the leaf, appear in crooked colors.
• If your geranium is not growing, then it may not be getting enough light or the room is too hot and dry. Another reason is poor soil or its depletion.
• Small leaves appear in the absence of pruning. They can also indicate the aging of the plant.
• Sluggish stems and leaves indicate an excess of moisture, as a result of which rotting of the roots begins, which often leads to the death of the flower; or about its lack.
• With a small amount of light, geranium leaves begin to fall off.
• Blackening of stems and leaves occurs due to various rots or "black legs".

In the view of most inhabitants, the plant, although beautiful, is exclusively indoor. Few people know that garden geranium, unlike its room relative, grows very well in open ground. Moreover, there are more than three hundred varieties of this plant in the world. England is considered the birthplace of garden geraniums, where it is very popular. Of course, the Russian climate is somewhat different from the British one, but there are varieties of garden geraniums that feel good in our open spaces.

Garden geranium - care and cultivation

How to grow geraniums in the garden? Our tips will help you with this:

1. Perennial garden geranium is a very unpretentious plant in planting and care. The soil for garden geraniums needs loose and fertile, and it is better to plant it in open, well-lit areas.
2. When marking out a site for planting, it should be remembered that due to short rhizomes, geranium grows very strongly in breadth. Therefore, the distance between the bushes should be at least 25-30 cm. In a year, the geranium bushes will grow so much that they form a continuous carpet. In addition, garden geraniums really do not like to transplant, and large distances between bushes will allow it to grow in one place for a long time without transplanting.
3. Garden geranium can grow in one place without transplantation and rejuvenation for 10 years.
4. Weeding the area planted with geraniums is not necessary, because its densely growing lower leaves will not allow any weed to grow. If you plant row-spacings with low garden crops or them, then you won’t have to loosen the soil. Thus, caring for geraniums in the garden comes down to timely watering.
5. Garden geranium is practically not affected by diseases, and its sharp aroma repels insect pests.
6. Perennial garden geranium does not require shelter for the winter and tolerates frost well in open ground.

Propagation of garden geraniums

There are several ways to propagate garden geraniums: rhizome segments or seeds. Propagation of garden geraniums by seeds is a very troublesome task. Firstly, after ripening, the seeds scatter in different directions and it is problematic to collect them. Secondly, with this method of reproduction, varietal characteristics are very often lost. Therefore, most often, garden geraniums are propagated by segments of rhizomes. To do this, in early spring, healthy young rhizomes are selected, which are separated from the mother bush, and then planted in the soil and watered.

Garden geranium - varieties