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Start planning your garden for 93 season Would it be bright and colâ€" orful to keep the garden lookâ€" ing gay all summer? Would there be endless varieties to choose from? What about cost? Will it be relatively inexpensive to buy and easy to propagate? And why not make it nearly indestructible so it only requires a minimum of care and maintenance. But surely no such plant could exist! Ah, but it already does. Pelargoniums, more commonâ€" ly known as geraniums, have all these marvellous qualities. Geraniums have been the bedâ€" ding planting since Victorian times. Their South African original explains one of their great virtues, their ability to withstand drought. This makes the geranium the perâ€" fect choice for flower beds, window boxes and hanging baskets where drought tolerâ€" If you decided you were going to develop the perfect bedding plant, what qualities would it possess? While geraniums do require less moisture than most other bedding plants, they do need a certain amount of water to flourish. Even though they do‘ not wilt like other plants, serious damage can still occur if water stress is prolonged. Eventually the foliage will turn yellow and fall off. Perhaps an even greater virtue of the geranium is the ease with which its cuttings can be rooted. The best plants are obtained from the tops or growing points of the stems, as it is the area of greatest growth activity. Avoid taking extremely soft, sappy growth. Cuttings should be about three inches long with three joints. Make a clean cut immediately below a node or joint. Remove the lower leaves and stipples leaving at least two leaves on top. Insert the cutting directly into a sandy compost firming gently. Water in well. Give the cutting plenty of light, little water and a rather dry atmoâ€" sphere in a temperature range of 55â€"60°F. Once a good root system has developed, the cutâ€" tings can be potted up. In the spring, lightly pinch out the growing points of each plant to encourage bushy growth. Fertilize the plants lightly once flower heads appear but avoid applying too much nitrogen. Geraniums prefer a slightly alkaline soil. I generally add a sprinkling of bone meal and some well rotted compost or manure to the soil before planting out to prevent unbalâ€" anced growth and diseases. Geraniums can be overâ€" wintered indoors as their metabolism slows .down to ince i real plus almost total dormancy during the winter. Although the plants should be kept on the dry side, they will still require a little bit of water every so often. There are six categories of yeraniums to choose from. First are the zonal geraniums, so called because their round leaves have a dark, horseshoe shaped central zone. This darkened area varies in color from bronze to maroon. Some of the modern variâ€" eties of zonals have entirely unmarked leaves, but they are still true Pelargonium zonal hybrids. The flowers may be single or double, but they are indiâ€" vidually quite small. The sinâ€" gles usually flower more freely than do the double flowering varieties, but the doubles are a better choice for windy locations as their blooms are more sturdy. The next category is the variegated leaf geraniums. These "showâ€"off" geraniums have been bred with the emphasis on leaf color and have more modest flowers. Caroline Schmidt is a particuâ€" larly nice variety with silver leaves and double scarlet flowers. The final category of geraâ€" niums are the Regal, Fancy or Show Pelargoniums. These plants are usually displayed in the protection of a greenâ€" house, and are generally just bred for show. Varieties to watch for are Paul Crampel (red, tolerates neglect) King of Denmark (semiâ€"double pink), Madame Hibault (double purple). Next we have the scented geraniums. Although their flowers are not very showy, their beautifully shaped leaves and delicious frangrance are most enjoyable. Leaf textures vary from corduroy to velvet and shapes vary from round to lacy. The scents include lemon, pine, peppermint, apple and spice. Next we have the dwarf geraniums which only grow six to eight inches high. These are excellent plants for winâ€" dow boxes and small pots. Black Vesuvius is a nice variâ€" ety to try. The fourth category is the ivyâ€"leaved geraniums with their long, trailing stems and small ivyâ€"like leaves. They are ideal for hanging baskets, window boxes and pots, tolerâ€" ating a good deal of neglect while still managing to give a good display of color. The variety L‘Elegante is a striking plant with dark green leaves edged in cream and delicate pink flowers. Plants with pale, soft colored flowers do best in partial shade while stronger colored flowers prefer full sun.