I don't know about the bugs, but where are you? I am in Houston and want to grow a Martha Washington, but a lot of geraniums don't do well here in the long run.

eahamel, I'm in Sunland, CA, which is in a Los Angeles County foothill area. I just found that I'm in zone 10a (Sunset's zone 19). We have hot summers with low humidity here and winters haven't dropped to freezing in several years.

I would think you could grow Martha Washingtons easily in Houston as long as your winters are mild.

I planted mine where they are getting 6-7 hours of hot afternoon sun each day. That was before I read that they don't like afternoon sun, but they are looking great while some of the other nearby plants have scorched a bit. I planted them in well draining, sandy soil, which I added lots of compost to and mulched with cedar bark.

I have ivy geraniums also, but I find MWs easier to grow. They seem to be working as a perennial here, as I've had them for over two years now.

BTW, the little orange bugs have disappeared for the summer at least. They didn't eat much at all.

Thanks for the info. I see them in nurseries every fall, and will get one. I'm going to plant a large pot with some pelargoniums and geraniums, and can move it into the garage if it gets too cold anytime this winter. I have a hard time keeping the regular geraniums for more than a year.