Saturday, November 29, 2008

Pink Saturday - Geraniums

Beverly at the blog How Sweet the Sound has a great idea! It's Pink Saturday. Post about something pink, on Saturday. Here are the rules if you want to Get Pink!

In Southern California, the flowers we call geraniums - which are, botanically, really called pelargoniums - are hardy. In northern parts of the US, they are sold and cultivated as annuals, because they die in the chill of winter.

Not here. In Southern California, the temperature rarely goes low enough to kill them off. There are geranium plants in my own very neglected garden that are, literally, over 12 years old. Even in the worst year since I've lived here - 2007, when my beautiful Brugmansia was frost-blasted into oblivion - the geraniums survived.

The other day I took a lunchtime walk, and passed one of my favorite places, the little restaurant Cha Cha Chicken on Ocean Avenue at Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica. The outdoor patio at Cha Cha Chicken is ringed with oil drum planters, painted in bright colors. I liked this pink painted planter, with its bright and cheerful geranium in blossom.

It'll be here all winter, I can guarantee it. Quite a survivor.

26 comments:

SmilingSally said...

Strange, geraniums don't do well in South Florida. I wish they did. Happy Pink Day.

bj said...

Geraniums are one of my favorites!
hugs, bj

Sherrie said...

Hi!
Beautiful!!! I don't have any luck with geraniums here. They die every time I plant them. Take Care!!

Sherrie

Anonymous said...

Happy Pink Saturday, Glennis.

I would love happening upon this pink pot filled with geraniums. We definitely can't over-winter ours.

kari and kijsa said...

Beautiful! Hope you had the most blessed Thanksgiving!! Thank you so much for your sweet words!

blessings,
kari & kijsa

Betty said...

If it weren't for geraniums, half the year I'd have no flowers. They are the one plant I can count on even in our hot summers.
Happy Pink Saturday!

Suzie Button said...

How wonderful that you can enjoy flowers such as these gorgeous geraniums all year round! Happy Pink Saturday! Suzie

Suzie Button said...

How wonderful that you can enjoy flowers such as these gorgeous geraniums all year round! Happy Pink Saturday! Suzie

Donna @ Party Wishes said...

I love my geraniums! My grandmother lived in Pasadena and would just snip some off an existing plant and stick it in the ground. So easy to propogate! Happy PS!

. said...

Happy pink day! Thanks for the comment. Denise

Woman in a Window said...

Oh ya? Well our pine trees live ALL winter. Ha! Take that!

said...

How fortunate to enjoy geraniums year round! I love them.

KatCollects said...

I love geraniums, I plant them every year here with a combination of other flowers in pots. Thank you for the pretty picture. I hope you are having a great day.
Kathy

Ed said...

Love the pink geraniums, and the pink pot !! HPS xx

Jenny said...

So pretty!! Thank you for the comments on my blog!! Happy Pink Saturday!!

Unknown said...

Yes, they are very hardy plants. In MA we have to bring them in, but I keep them near a window where it gets cole and they are fine.

suesueb said...

i have the worst luck with geraniums-yours are beautiful! and that is a funny little pot!! happy pink saturday!

Anonymous said...

Love those geraniums and the pot too. I also like the dove little story at the top of your blog :-)

Anonymous said...

I can't keep a geranium alive for three months---did you say 12 years? I think you must have some kind of record going there! I do have a grape ivy (it stays indoors) that is around 30 years old--and a philodendron from my dad's funeral that is 20 years old! They are both very sturdy plants, or they wouldn't have survived me!
Happy Pink Sat. Dana

Anonymous said...

Love your pink pot and pretty geraniums. They grow in NC just beautiful. I do bring them in for the winter. I do love the pink but this year mine are red.

Hugs...Jeanne

Anonymous said...

Love your pink pot and pretty geraniums. They grow in NC just beautiful. I do bring them in for the winter. I do love the pink but this year mine are red.

Hugs...Jeanne

Anonymous said...

Love the pretty geraniums and reading on down a bit, I also enjoyed the tour of the swap meet. Of course, I'm now starving for roasted corn slathered with butter..:). Happy Pink Saturday..now where can I find some roasted corn????

Stephanie said...

How lucky to have those pretty blooms year round! I used to live in SoCal and I remember that I didn't even own a winter coat (just jackets!).

I loved your visit to the Flea Market and I WANT TO GO!!

Happy Pink Saturday!

Stephanie

Protector of Vintage said...

Wow! Geraniums all year! I plant them each spring here in Minnesota...love their fragrance. Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed browsing through your blog.

Mo..."Mo's Cottage" said...

I love Geraniums.....I had a lot of them on my patio this summer....some are still blooming...we do have great weather here in California...
Mo:-)

Ellen said...

Geraniums here in MA is usually considered a cemetary flower. They do well with minimal care, which makes it great for the cemetary. I alwasy have geraniums in planters that I take in the fall and put back out in winter. Luv the pink pot. :)EllenL