Margaret, the seed should still be viable. The germination rate might not be as high. I tend to expect only 50% germination from last year's seed.

You can bring your pelargoniums indoors after first frost (they will tolerate frost), but remember to treat the plants for any possible pests in the soil a couple of weeks before you bring them in. You can continue growing them under lights or in a sunny window. Or you can allow them to go dormant in a cool dark spot over the winter. Or you can depot them and store them in paper bags like you would for spring bulbs like glads or dahlias. Good luck.

I bring cuttings into the house and overwinter under plant lights. Also , I bring my potted ones into the garage and near a window and a door, water them a few times during the winter.Usually have plenty for my self and my Daughter. Are the Geraniums we see in the garden stores>> so plentiful>>in the spring >> I take it these are Pelargoniums ? I have seen them marked as" Zonal" Am I correct in thinking this means the markings on the leaf ? Thanks in advance

Just stopped by to visit this forum to see what other northerners are doing with their plants. I just found out (on another forum) that my zonal geraniums are really pelargoniums. I have never heard this term before. I am in western NY near Niagara Falls. A few years ago I accidentally found out that they can be overwintered in a garage, basement etc. when we moved from one house to another. I had a large pot of geraniums on the front porch. When we were loading the last of the flower pots to go to the new house the pot was put in the truck with them. It ended up in the basement and was forgotten for the rest of the winter. In spring while I was rummaging around in the basement looking for containers to plant in I found the large pot of geraniums/pelargoniums with all new growth. I quickly took it outside and it flourished all spring and summer long.
Penny

Hi Maureen,Toodles, & Penny thanks for your help. I've decided to bring them & keep them in a sunny spot for awhile because they are still blooming like mad & i don't think they really want to go to bed yet. but I will pick up on your suggestions. Thanks again. I am now in the process of selecting herbs to grow under my lites. margaret

Last year I kept zonal pelargoniums and a scented geranium in a VERY cool bedroom by a east facing window. The zonals did very well, with reduced watering , and the scented didn't do so well, but survived. They were planted in the same pot.
I set them outside for the summer. In direct sun. The scented loved the sun, even more than the zonals. Thinking I would have great luck with scenteds. I love these and haven't had great luck keeping them over the winter. Also, I hate to put money into these if I can't keep them over the winter. One of the new scenteds was Atomic Snowflake. I love this one. Thinking it might do better in a warm plant porch with lots more sun and heat than my cool bedroom. In a weeks time it started dropping leaves and looking horrible. Whoops, I took it outside for a few more warm sunny days, cleaned off all the dead leaves and took it back to the cool bedroom. We'll see how she goes. So I'm still trying to find out if the Scenteds like different growing conditions through the winter than the zonals.
Oh, and I have one stellar (Vancouver Centennial) that likes the cool bedroom with reduced watering throughout the winter.
Sorry for the long post, and hope I made sense.

I hope someone can help. I live in England, a couple of miles from the south coast. I have an east facing garden that is rather open. I have 2 lemon that I've had for at least 5 yrs, there are at least 8/10 plants in each large tub, they survive with fleece covering them as I can't take them indoors, my home is too tiny. My problems are my stellar (Vancouver Cent) and a peppermint scented, I only aquired these this year ... what is the best way to keep them and protect them so that they survive. I had a Van. Cent last year but lost it but this year the plants are still in the pot I planted them in and still flowering well & it's the 1st Nov. on Monday. Do I bring the newer plants into my tiny west facing bathroom or what? I don't know what to do for best ... sorry for the long post but am very new to forums.

Hello AnnL,

As well as using horticultural fleece to protect the foliage of your lemon scented plants you keep outside, it would be worthwhile to provide additional protection for their root systems by wrapping the pots in bubble polythene.
With regard to your Vancouver Centennial and peppermint scented plant (is it P.tomentosum?)I would be tempted to keep them indoors. Rather than use the bathroom which can be rather humid would it be possible for you to use say a bedroom windowsill and during very cold/frosty weather remove the plants at night and then replace them in the morning? As I write I have 50+ small fuchsia plants plus a dozen pelargoniums on two of our bedroom windowsills. If really cold weather is forecast I lift the plants on to the bedroom floor before I close the curtains and put them back in the morning - works very well.