As a child, I spent many summers visiting my Maternal Grandmother in Shelbyville, Indiana. She had a sweet little brick house with a front porch and always grew big pots of red geraniums on it. My own mother also is a fan but she always grows white ones. Geraniums are a summer staple: versatile, lots of bang for your buck and easy to grow and care for. Follow my tips for how to grow geraniums in containers.

Types of Geraniums

Geraniums are a genus made up of more than 400 types of flowers. They are found work-wide in temperate regions and can be considered annuals, houseplants and perennials. Most geraniums fall into one of six types: regal, scented, zonal, ivy, angel and unique.  Historically, geraniums symbolise good health, friendship, happiness and good wishes.

Zonal geraniums are the most common and named for the zone or area of darker color on the leaf. They have succulent stems and rounded, green leaves that are often variegated. Their flowers, which have a pungent smell, grow in clusters. They can be single, semi-double, or double. Geranium flowers come in loads of different shades and colours: red, purple, pink, white and orange. Most zonals will grow to 24 inches tall and wide. There are dwarf and miniature varieties 5 to 8 inches in size.

How to Plant Geraniums in Pots

Geraniums can be planted in full sun. They are easy to grow and require little maintenance. You do need to water them frequently as will any plant that is located in full sun.

First, choose a container with drainage holes in the bottom. Next, add a handful of rocks over the holes and fill 3/4 full with high quality potting soil. I like Miracle-Gro Moisture Control. At this point, remove your geraniums gently from their plastic pots and arrange them in your container. In the centre, add a tall spikey plant for interest. A good option is dracaena.  Around the edge of the pot and between geraniums, fill in with a cascading plant. Select an accent like dichondra silver falls, which boasts a minty shade of green.  Another option would be to select an ivy geranium like this deep red beauty. I think this combo would be stunning with white geraniums. Back fill the container with more soil and water into place.

Care & Maintenance