Geranium Showdown: Seed Grown vs. Zonal - Which is Right for You?

Geraniums are not all created equal. I was surprised when I learned that nursery grown pelargoniums differ from seed grown! So what are the differences?

Hi, I am Pamela and I garden in the mountains of Northern California. I am in Zone 8. I defy convention and break many garden 'rules' yet my garden is a tapestry of color and unruly beauty! I want you to be inspired to create a beautiful garden without spending a lot of money.

#zonalgeraniums #pelargonium #flowergarden

*SEEDS

~Tools~

Use this code to get 5% off: FLOWERPATCHREV

Some affiliate links may appear here. I may make a small commission if you purchase through these links.

[moniquegodon]

Thanks for the info Pam. I did not know there were different geraniums other than regular and ivy. I didn’t even know you could collect their seeds. I will now be on the lookout for them.

[lillylane]

This is so timely for me! I have always loved geraniums and this is my first year starting them (Maverick Star from True Leaf Market). I am floored how easy them came up and how bushy they are. Really enjoyed this in depth look at one type of flower!

[LGarbuio]

I've grown red maverick for the first time last year - beautiful! 100 percent geemination rate and one plant filled a 14" container. If you have Japanese Beetles, i do feel this plant helped. I do the tap into soap trick too, but when I did this last year I found many paralyzed - researched and found it's from eating geraniums most likely!

[teinahenderson]

Good morning! 😃
I have not tried seed starting with geraniums, but I'd love to try! Love love love geraniums because I have found them to be such work horses in the garden 🪴

I have been painting a lot too! I've tried to commit to at least a little painting everyday. So far this year been going well. I lose time painting. It's a great stress reliever ❤

[bjbrown]

I have grown Maverick, apple blossom and Maverick lavender from seed. Very successful gotten from park seeds. These flowers are just so big and round and beautiful. Love your crossed colors!

[annsfrench]

I have always taken cuttings from my geraniums to get more plants. They have to be the easiest plants to propagate from cuttings ever! I have never intentionally grown geraniums from seed but I have a plant that has self-sown some seeds. I have a couple of very small plants that have come up in the same bed as the mother plant. The leaves look a bit different, more on the fuzzy side than the mother plant. It will be interesting to see what the flowers look like.

[BrianRosenberg]

I grew Maverick orange last summer. LOVED them! Growing Maverick white this summer.

[lisab.]

Pam, your greenhouse is getting so pretty with all the flowers 💐! I love all the European flower boxes and baskets. I have my maverick seeds that I didn't plant last year. I better get started! We are the same age and I bet if we were neighbors, our hubs might never see us during gardening season 😅

[trudyh]

The white Maverick I grew from seed last summer was wonderful, great bloomer and the heat did not seem to slow the blooms. I wintered one of them over this last winter and I want to take a few cuttings this spring. They grow quickly here in my zone 8b/9 Portland Oregon. Also grew the Maverick apple blossom

[soniewhitten]

thank you for sharing. beautiful flowers.

[katherinecornette]

Always something to try🌱 I may experiment growing some. Thanks for sharing your experience with us. I would definitely have to try the ones that can tolerate heat and humidity.

[patboyle]

I’m excited to see how you do the lavender topiaries 😊 I grew from seed Maverick geraniums and so far so good however I’m in zone 8b in Texas so we’ll see how they hold up 🤷‍♀️

[juha]

I grow maveric every summer.. this year pink variety

[TIERRAYLOMBRICES]

I will be collecting seeds from mine geraniums, I want to see what colors I will get.
Thank you.

[lyonhawaii]

I am growing three of the maverick series geraniums here in Alaska. I can't put them outside till the end of May.
I also am growing the maverick coral geraniums. The last packet wasn't pelleted. What I do not understand is why the coral geraniums are so slow growing. They ( coral) are healthy and I had great germination but they are much smaller than the rest.

[alicehihn]

Picked up a 6 pack of Dusty Miller at Lowe's for $2, 20. They are perennial for me. So 6 more plants in my moon garden.

[hetty]

Dear flower patch lady, garden friend, I was so excited with this video I have watched a couple times, im going to need to again as so much information I cant lock it in my brain. Im really chuffed. There are a few things I did not know about the geraniums.?I do have a couple which are trailing sort of so im going to get or make a couple plant support s, as I do want to keep them in my dining room. Yes I have deep salmon colour, but I saw a deep orange first time ever, when I went back for it it had gone. Silly me, it was in a nearby woodland tea garden on the plants stall.oh my goodness I have been looking since. Whit is definitely a favourite of mine too.and Christmas cactus. Of which mine is flower ing now, mind of its own, xxxi really do love these videos thankyou Pamela, also hello dear chickens 🐔 and mr rooster s.xxlove from me and my garden girls 🐔. Xthsnkyou, take care, xx

[shirleywilhelm]

I did not know there is a difference. Would you film how you do a topiary out of the lavender plants?

[dustyflats]

Wow, you have sales on plants already? I haven’t even seen any yet, of course it was 32*F this morning again. The heat will ramp up today into 70s and then severe storms will make their way here by Tuesday which from the warnings I’m a bit concerned as this weather is super unpredictable.
Glad you talked about zonal geraniums as o usually get seed from Swallowtail and this year I also tried local seed co and theirs did say zonal. For whatever reason those did not germinate at all And they were the orange ones.
I overwintered many but should have known when I checked them in December that there was some white fuzz growing and yep, many didn’t make it. I did have pure white from Swallowtail, along with apple blossom, lt. pink, violet and what they called coral, but was red. We will see this year if they are coral.
This difference may be why some can’t grow them in extreme heat. The other geranium many talk about like Roxann geranium is I believe a cranesbill geranium considered hardy geraniums.
Because I don’t have a perfect place to overwinter them I’m finding it easier to grow by seed. The other thing is they take up space at a time I need it for seedlings. Our above ground root cellar worked fine mostly this warm winter. It does have a moisture issue though. If I put another vent in it may not retain enough heat.
So many from swallowtail must be zonal also as some had extreme red centers on leaves.

[mardisteffenhagen]

I have two hanging baskets, every year I pot up with ivy geraniums, five in each one. Hoping I can find seeds for these !!!