The geraniums did quite well on our back deck this past summer. Always so cheerful looking with their bright reddish-orange blooms against a back drop of dark green leaves.
I’ve always thought they had staying power even while surrounded by upstarts.
When it was time for the summer farewell I wasn’t quite prepared to let them go. To do what many folks do. I did not buy into their “annual” tag. Did not let the geraniums die a natural death in their potted state. Did not watch them be reduced to brown stalks and allow the soil to be repurposed as an ashtray for a shivering smoker. Did not leave them to the elements. Did not rip them from the dirt and throw into the compost bin. Did not allow the blooms to just disappear like tourists after Labor Day.
I treated the geranium like a perennial plant. I kept it alive.
It wasn’t that I wanted to play God. It wasn’t about trying to save money on new plants in the spring. It wasn’t that I wanted one more thing to care for in the house.
I just really enjoyed looking at them. Each and every day. So cheerful. That’s it.
Why couldn’t I invite a last vestige of summer into our home? It’s not a rejection of autumn but merely a symbol of past and future joy.
They were still blooming and perky looking so I brought the pot inside and found a perfect spot in the sunroom.
It’s now February and they continue to thrive. And I still love looking at them. A bigger pot is definitely on the horizon.
In my last posting I stated that I would share the things that enhanced or added cheer to my autumn and winter days. This geranium totally made my list of cheer.
Stay tuned for more.
Just Being Mary 