pelargoniums
 

the foliage is dying back and as i'm going to mulch the border this weekend i'm wondering what to do.

should i cut it back and cover them up with mulch or should i leave foilage as cover for winter & just mulch round


as in spring/summer whats the best technique for extending the flowering period. if i remember rightly the beautiful purple flowers came around late may, but only one flush. is it feeding or deadheading or both?

thanks for your help :)

forgot to add that i'm not entirely sure they are pelargoniums, but thats what i've been told they are. flowers very like hardy small geranumins that my mum has. they have a fleshy root, which has tiny pink tips on it where the new growth will come from

i know they've been in the front border right next to the beech tree for 4 years and i'm guessing this is what has helped them overwinter.

Tiger303 wrote:
forgot to add that i'm not entirely sure they are pelargoniums, but
thats what i've been told they are. flowers very like hardy small
geranumins that my mum has. they have a fleshy root, which has tiny
pink tips on it where the new growth will come from

i know they've been in the front border right next to the beech
tree
for 4 years and i'm guessing this is what has helped them
overwinter.

People often call pelargoniums "geraniums", but I think you're
calling geraniums "pelargoniums"! (They're related; but pelargoniums
aren't hardy at all.)

I'd guess you've got one of many varieties or species of hardy
geraniums, aka cranesbills. In my experience you don't need to do
anything to protect them: they're as tough as old boots.

Mike.