How to Decorate With Geraniums

Brighten up any room in your home with a pot of red geraniums.

Geraniums are versatile plants that come in different varieties, including annuals and perennials. Their colorful flowers and -- in some species -- fragrance makes them ideal for decorating your home or porch, as well as for beautifying your garden. The type of geraniums you prefer determines the best way to display them. Choose a breed or color that complements the colors and decorative style of your home. Geraniums typically come in red, salmon, purple and all shades of pink. They are commonly used as a bedding plant.

Instructions

1. Fill a decorative pot, such as a terra cotta pot, with geraniums. Place small pots on your kitchen counter, kitchen table, side table or a windowsill. Decorate your entryway, front porch or any area with open floor space with larger pots. Common or zonal geraniums work in pots and can be sustained inside all year long, though they take about five months to mature.

2. Hang a plant basket or pot from a hook in the ceiling or porch overhang if you want to decorate with ivy-leaved geraniums, which can grow up to three feet long. These plants showcase flowers and have longer stems than other varieties, making them ideal for hanging pots.

3. Place dried scented geraniums in glass bowls, vases or baskets to use as potpourri. Avoid placing potpourri where small children or pets can knock it over or where a fan might blow the dried plants all over your house, causing messes. Scented geraniums are available in a variety of aromas, including apple, rose and peppermint.

4. Plant ivy geraniums in a window box or raised flowerbed. This variety's stems hang down as it grows, so it looks particularly good against lattices or other decorative openwork pieces such as wrought-iron balconies. Geraniums are a common bedding plant, and they typically spread to cover the space they are allotted. Mix in different colors to add interest or use many plants in just your favorite color for a uniform look.

Tips & Warnings

• Geraniums will grow in nearly any soil, though fertilizer helps.

• Geraniums do require sunlight. Partial sunlight suffices once a plant is mature.

• These plants do well in regions with dry summers, warm days and cool nights.

• Avoid overwatering your geraniums -- they do not grow well in waterlogged soil.

References

• Creative Homemaking: Geranium Plants; Linda Paquette
• Decoration Decoration: Decorate with Plants: The Geraniums
• Front Porch Ideas and More: Red Geraniums to Decorate Your Porch
• Home Interiors Junction: Geranium: "A Plant That is a Must for Every Garden"