Around the Island

Gardening Column: Who wins the annual popularity contest?

For shade? It’s impatiens, which also made a fortune for its hybridizer, Claude Hope, who died a few years ago at the age of 93. But how about for sun? Here, there may be slight controversy, but ever so slight. Petunias can’t really overtake geraniums, actually Pelargonium, no matter how hard they might try. Over a hundred million plants are sold each year — check out any garden center, especially smaller ones where space is limited, and you’ll see. And there’s good reason for their popularity.

They’re easy to grow and they offer a wide range of colors, from a really bright red through all shades of pink, rose and salmon,  and there’s also lavender and white. Heights vary as well, from dwarf to taller varieties, offering single, semi-double and double blooms. Some of them are fragrant. They’re disease resistant and not fussy about soil.

Their history is rather interesting. They were first discovered in South Africa in the early 17th century by the well-traveled plantsman, John Tradescant. But since new discoveries are usually rare, and since rare is a synonym for expensive, they were only affordable by the very wealthy. But by another hundred years, hybridization had been in full swing and in 1760, the first seeds arrived in America, sent to the colonial Philadelphia plantsman, John Bertram. Additional plants were brought from France by Thomas Jefferson.

They do require between six to eight hours of sun daily and shouldn’t be put outdoors until all danger of frost has passed; the average date of last frost here on the Island is May 15th. They prefer a looser soil, and if you’ve purchased them in pots, that’s what you’ll find. Water conservation is important to keep the soil cool — eight hours of sun is a lot of sun! Key, then, is a good heavy mulch if you’re bedding them, and its equivalent if they’re in pots on the porch. If you don’t like the look of mulch in your pots and/or window boxes (although I do, I think it’s fine) think about using pebbles, white or gray. If you want to go this route, don’t even think about bringing them back from the beach! They will be salty forever, no matter what you do. Buy them!

Watering geraniums is a little iffy — they don’t like their leaves wet. Web sites on geraniums tell you to water with a soaker hose if possible. My own view is, just tell them to get over it — after all, they’re out in the rain, aren’t they? The rain just falls right straight down, it doesn’t “soak.” But if you can, water so that the leaves will dry by nightfall. Although they’re disease resistant, it’s always wise not to push your luck.

Geraniums are heavy feeders. This means you should either feed them with Miracle-Gro or some other 10-10-10 product every few weeks or, and I think the system used by the larger nurseries is preferable, use a very weak solution every time you water. If you keep a large pail of same in a shady spot, and a dipper of some sort right next to it, you’ll be more inclined to do this than if you have to get organized repeatedly. Easy is always better.

The flowers should be removed promptly when they fade to encourage full bloom production.

The final advantage to mention? Geraniums are fairly cold- although not frost-hardy. Bridgehampton’s town planters were filled with bright red ones last summer and they bloomed quite brightly and cheerfully well into fall.