Getting Geraniums Shaped Up for Spring

Even though I am a perennial gardener, I do like zonal geraniums for their large flowers and non-stop blooming.  I use them in pots that I can move around to fill in bare spots in the garden where perennials have yet to bloom or have finished for the year, as well as in flower boxes.  Because I have ledge space in south-facing windows, I pot them up, cut them down, and bring them in for the winter.  They bloom on and off, which is a very welcome sight when it's below zero (again!).

Even with lots of light, the winter growth is leggy and weak.  It's time to prune them before their spring growth spurt.

This guy is healthy, but the recent growth isn't thick.

This guy bloomed all winter.  Now I want him to put his effort into producing strong stems.

Here's how to prune geraniums that you've overwintered to get fuller, more compact plants by summer.

Using a scissors reserved for gardening, make a cut directly above a leaf stem at a point where the main stem is strong and thick.  Cut all the main stems down this way.  You'll feel like you butchered your plant, but it's all for the best.

Keep cutting.

He looks a little sad now, but he'll be sending out new growth in no time.

When you're finished,  water and put your geranium in a sunny spot.  With the longer days, it's time to start fertilizing, too.   And don't be too eager to set geraniums out in spring.  They aren't happy with anything less than 50 degrees.  I've tried to push them outside too early and regretted it.

Time to Start Planning!

With the heatwave we've had this week, I've been thinking about the upcoming planting season. I plan on expanding the variety of fruits and vegetables I grow and deleting some that did not work out so well last year. One plant that is definitely on the "must-plant" list is basil. We mostly use it for pesto. A little is good in a frittata, spaghetti sauce, or bruschetta, but mostly we use it for pesto. We really, really like pesto. It's expensive to buy, but easy to make, and inexpensive if you grow your own basil. A few plants provide enough basil to freeze for making pesto all winter.

Basil is super-easy to grow. Plant seeds after the soil is warm and you can start plucking leaves as soon as the plants are small bushes. I've never had any insect pests bother basil. In late summer, when the plants are full-sized, I cut the top 2/3 off the plants, harvest the leaves, wash, dry, measure into two-cup portions (packed down), and pack in Ziplock bags (squeeze out all air). Here's what's left of last summer's harvest in my freezer door.

The remaining 1/3 of each basil plant will send out more shoots and produce more (smaller) leaves so you will still have fresh basil into fall.

This is a delicious pesto recipe, but it's different from the traditional in a couple of ways. First, I substitute toasted walnuts for pine nuts. Second, I cut the fat by substituting chicken stock for half of the olive oil.

Pesto
2 cups basil leaves packed
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup olive oil (substitute half chicken stock if desired)
3-4 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup toasted walnuts (see note)

Place all ingredients in food processor. Cover and blend on medium speed about three minutes. *note- To toast walnuts, spread on baking sheet, toast at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes. Stir one or two times while toasting. 

 If you are using frozen basil, add it while it's still frozen. It turns soft once thawed.

Basil does not take up much room in your garden and can even be grown in a pot on your deck or patio. It is well worth the tiny investment in time and money to grow your own basil!