Geraniums are fast-growing plants with fragrant flowers that do well in containers and in the garden. They’re hardy and resistant to most pests. Newer cultivars have sturdy blooms that aren’t easily damaged. The plants tend to develop long stems with few leaves or buds if they’re not pruned regularly. Aggressive pruning will not kill geraniums; they need to be cut back more than once each growing season.
Propagate geraniums by cuttings. Clip off a 4-inch-long section of a stem. Insert it in a pot with sand and peat moss and put it in full sunlight. Transplant the section once it has rooted. Keep geraniums over winter by digging them up and hanging them upside down in the cellar. Soak the roots once a month. They may look as if they’ve died, but replant them in the spring for another season of growth.