Martha Washington Geranium Care

Outdoor planting season is underway.  One of the best selling plant in our shop is the Martha Washington Geranium.  The colors are always amazing.  So how do you care for these beautiful plants?  Never fear, we can help with that.

When re-potting your geranium you should add some small rocks or gravel to the bottom of your pot to help with drainage.  The soil mix you use should mildly acidic, make sure that you do not pack it to tight.  Use a mild fertilizer during the blooming months, this will help your plant grow and give it more blooms.  

Your Martha Washington will flourish in direct sun.  South facing windows or patios are ideal.  

To avoid over watering make sure you allow the soil to dry out a little before watering again.  When you do water saturate the soil enough so that some water drains out of the bottom.  This will wash away impurities in the soil that your fertilizer will replace.

The best night temperatures are between 50 and 60 degrees.  

Your geranium will bloom over and over during the spring and summer months.  To encourage new blooms you can pinch off a few of the blooms, this will allow it to become bushier.  If it becomes unruly you can trim the sides and tops with pruning shears.

If you follow these care tips your Martha Washington Geranium should live a long happy life.  Remember that during the fall and winter months you do not have to fertilize but you should follow the watering tips above.  The following spring the blooms will return and you will have another season of beauty.  

Storing Bulbs From Blooming Plants

So that beautiful blooming plant has run it's course and now you are not sure what to do.  We can help with that.  Follow these steps and in the fall your bulb will be ready to plant!

Once the greenery has all died back your plant is finished for the season.  Do not fear, that beautiful bloom can be seen again next spring.


1.  Now because most bulbs look similar it is best to have labels ready for each type of bulb.  Sort your bulbs by plant type before storing to avoid any confusion in the fall.

2.  Remove your plant from the pot and take off as much soil as possible.  Cut the stem of the bulb.


3. Dry your bulbs before storing.  Lay them out on a counter, you can put paper or a towel down to protect your counter tops. 


4.  Do not store them in your refrigerator.  Fruits give off a 
gas, ethylene, that is harmful to flowers.  This gas can kill your bulbs and they will not bloom again.  


5. Find a pot or a dish to store them in.  Place sand or dried peat moss inside and keep them ventilated to remove humidity.  If the humidity builds up then they will become moist and could rot.

This fall we will discuss how to replant your bulbs.  Until then just make sure to keep them dry and safe from rodents.

Care & Handling of Your Potted Hyacinth

Spring, oh beautiful spring.  The number one request we receive at The Secret Garden during spring is for blooming plants.  We send them to family, friends, co-workers, and even have people buy them for themselves.  So now the question ~ "How do I care for my blooming plant?"

In this article we will discuss the care and handling of one of our favorites ~ Hyacinth. 

• Keep your Hyacinth in a cool location.  Avoid placing it under heating vents, on top of electronics, or in rooms that have a habit of getting very warm.  The cooler the temperature the longer your hyacinth will bloom for you.  We try to keep our shop under 70 degrees in the day and down to about 55 degrees in the night time.
• Water your hyacinth every 2 to 3 days.  Avoid over watering, the valuable nutrients in the soil will be washed away if you do this.  If you are unsure if your plant needs water test it with the pencil trick.  Put a sharpened pencil down into the soil, about 1/2 way down the depth of the pot.  If it comes out dry, your plant needs water, if it comes out moist you are fine.
• Bright indirect light works best.  Make sure your plant enjoys all of the sunlight it can get without placing it in a window.  We find that if the plant receives to much light the blooms open quicker and it can also scorch the leaves of your hyacinth.

If you follow these simple steps your hyacinth will enjoy a long healthy life.  Now remember to save those bulbs to be planted again this fall.