red geraniums (overwintered)

*This pot of red geraniums finally looks good. It has taken them approximatel*y six weeks to fill in.

We have pots and pots of red geraniums at the country house. They give a nice pop of color against all the green. I am a fan of all things Martha. Martha does not like red geraniums at all, as she stated on one of her recent podcast episodes. I am a fan of Martha’s podcast. Anyway, I have red geraniums all over our place.

My grandmother, Lottie, used to overwinter her geraniums by storing them in the deep, dark cellar, where she also kept jars of peaches and tomatoes. I remember her gardening in her house dress, tending to old-fashioned Lily of the Valley, and all things old-fashioned; these are good memories.

*Here they are in the house in late March. You can see snow on the ground outside. I would stop by occasionally and give them small amounts of water, just enough to get them through the winter. I am* *an amateur gardener, and make more mistakes than wins.*

Anyway, I snapped these iPhone pics late in the afternoon on Wednesday before heading out on a road trip, a thing my grandmother Lottie used to do as well. Time clicks away so fast.

Martha, I think you would approve of these plants of mine that I’ve saved and overwintered, even though they’re red. They go dormant, and it takes months for them to look good again, and that’s okay. I now know that the care and preservation of good things are worth the wait. Never mind it’s taken six decades to get here, it’s all in the journey, and I like the ride.