fourteen geraniums

Well, I did it! I broke down and bought fourteen, FOURTEEN pink geraniums! Being the cheap-o that I am, I know think geraniums are too expensive to buy this many. It's been years...let me take that back...I don't think I EVER bought that many at one time. And it looks EXACTLY like I thought the stone wall  would look...complete and lovely.

The geraniums are Americana Salmon,

a very lovely color that fits in well with the rest of the gardens.

I remember in my early years of ignorance lack of knowledge, I'd take the plant out of its container, dig a hole, plop it in the ground, only to find by the end of summer it hadn't grown much and when I pulled it out, it was exactly like it was the day I put it in.

It's important to break the root growth pot pattern and gently pry the bottom of the roots apart before planting. This 'breaks' the roots and it will grow out rather than in its container pattern. If the roots are really pot bound, I pull or cut off the bottom to force the roots to grow in another direction. Then you're good to go! :)

Because it's been years since this dirt has seen the light of day, I took a shovelful of dirt out and replaced it with compost, mixing it together in the hole to give these lovelies a good start and watered 'em with rain water out of my rain barrels (a future post). So I'm expecting these beauties to do a high performance job this summer! :)

Oh, by the way, I had company with me... 

...a helper and a future landscaper -

that is, if he takes after his daddy and grandma! :)
B ate grass waited patiently while I finished planting the geraniums.
Then I introduced him to his first gardening tool,
and he looks as pleased as punch!

After that I took him to the sandbox,

where he promptly ate some of it! :)

 Such an easy little man to babysit!

...happygardening!

ox

PS. a reminder for my give-away that's open until midnight on Monday, May 31.