Winter Warriors

Geraniums add a splash of color and a dash of understated charm each summer. I usually put two colors together, one pink and one deep magenta. Typically, sweet potato vine or creeping Jenny adds a bright green counterpoint, while a purple flower, like alyssum, adds a final accent—none of these plants like cold weather. 

The first frost each season has always killed all three. They wither and slowly turn brown. For reasons unknown, these geraniums did not get the memo. The sweet potato vine went its way without protest with the first frost. However, both geranium plants are still standing after at least five nights of temps in the upper 20s, and this warrior has kept its blossom the entire time—very much unexpected!!!

Maybe their longevity is due to their journey. They are two years old. I bought them in April 2022 and was not able to pot them that season. Not wanting to let them die, never having had a real chance to grow, I brought them inside and let them sit near an east-facing window. Contentedly, they sat sans blooms until August 2023, when I finally got the gumption to pot them. By then, the sun no longer reached high into the sky, so they had to be satisfied with a few hours of dappled sunlight each afternoon. Surprisingly, they bloomed!  

The flowers had disappeared by late September, and I expected the plants to die with the first frost, which usually occurs in November. Yet, they live!

Gardening brings one close to nature, which, on occasion, yields a worthwhile life lesson. I’ll keep watering them and learning what I can. 

iPhone April, 2018
Maxxum 7, UltraMax, April 2019
Maxxum 7D, AF 70-201mm f4, June 2021
Pentax 645, 120mm f4 macro, Portra 400, June 2021
Warrior!!!  iPhone January 2, 2024

 

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