Geraniums are a Gardener's Best Friend by A.M. Westerling

 

 

Geraniums are one of my favourite summer annuals. They’re easy to grow, are drought resistant, come in a multitude of colours and over winter very well. They’re happy wherever I put them, either in full sun or part shade, plus they also like to grow in pots which is important here on the Prairies. We get hail storms every summer, so my husband and I regularly engage in “The Running of the Pots” ie When a storm threatens, we bring all our potted annuals under cover to avoid the damage from hail stones.

 

What we call geraniums were brought from South Africa to Europe by Dutch traders in the early 18^th century. Although originally classified as geraniums due to their similarity to hardy wild geraniums growing in Europe, they were eventually reclassified as Pelargonium due to differences in the petal shape and number of stamens from the wild variety. Pelargonium means stork’s bill, a reference to the long, sharply pointed shape of their seedpod. True geraniums are a hardy flowering perennial also know as “cranesbill”. I have a patch of cranesbill in my side garden and yes, I can attest to the fact they’re very hardy! In the picture below you can see one of my overwintered geraniums. The flowering plant behind it is cranesbill.

The name stuck however, so when we say geranium, we actually mean pelargonium. There are two common varieties, Zonal Geraniums and Ivy Leaf Geraniums which are a trailing variety. I’ve grown both successfully although I’ve never been able to overwinter the ivy variety despite repeated attempts. Those are ivy geraniums in the wall pots in the picture below. 

 I use a good quality planter box mix in my pots and feed the geraniums with 20 20 20 fertilizer every couple of weeks. I dead head regularly to keep the plant flowering and pinch back leggy stems to promote bushiness. On very hot days, I’ll water daily otherwise I’ll let the soil dry out a bit.

To overwinter, bring your geraniums inside before the first frost. I must admit, however, that I’ve been caught flat footed a couple of times over the years and my geraniums were hit by frost. It didn’t kill them as the roots didn’t freeze but I made sure I had new growth before I let them go dormant.

They do best when given a dormant period through the winter months so use less water and don’t fertilize. I water every two weeks so the roots don’t dry out completely. By the end of the winter, they’re looking pretty sad but that’s when I shape them and remove all the dead growth. I’ll start watering them in April. After a few waterings, I’ll start to fertilize. Of course, I harden them off before leaving them out for the summer. They can be repotted in the spring to encourage new growth although I usually don’t bother. This is how they look when I bring them out in the spring:

 But within a month or two they've grown in nicely. 

Some interesting geranium facts:

Keep the plants out of reach from pets and young children as they may cause indigestion and vomiting. They’re toxic to Japanese beetles so that’s one pest you don’t have to worry about although in my experience, geraniums are resistant to pretty much anything.

Apply crushed geranium leaves to stop the bleeding of minor cuts. In some aromatic varieties, both the flowers and leaves are edible and fresh leaves of all types can be used for flavouring jelly, iced drinks, pastries, pound cake and salads. Dried leaves can be used in potpourri and sachets.

In the language of flowers, scarlet geranium means silliness. Ha, I’ve had quite a few silly geraniums over the years!

*****

 I’m pretty sure Rose would have enjoyed a pot or two of geraniums on her front porch in Barkerville. You can find her story in Barkerville Beginnings at your favourite online store HERE.

***** 

Featured Author - Joan Havelange

 

Coming in December, click for pre-release details and buy links

 

Hi, my name is Joan Havelange. I am a Canadian author. I live in the prairies in a beautiful little town, surrounded by hills, valleys, and many lakes. I have lived in three of Canada’s provinces and have visited all of them. I am an avid traveller. Before this pandemic broke out, I was able to travel to over 45 countries. And I have worn many hats in my work career. One of my jobs was north of the 56 parallel for a mining company. No, I did not go down in the mine; I worked in the computer department. Back in the day, no one had a desktop or laptop on their desk. It was our nerdy group.

 I also directed theatre for 15 years. I find writing is a lot like directing; only my characters show up on time and always know their lines. Although sometimes they do go off in a direction that surprises me. I began writing romances, but I soon found out I was not the romantic type; murder is my line. My change of genre was the right choice, as my first whodunnit mystery, ‘Wayward Shot,’ was published by BWL Inc. in 2019.

All fictional stories, I think, start out as what if. What if you were golfing and your wayward shot ends up in the middle of a dead man’s forehead. (The idea came to me on the golf course, I am an avid golfer.) That was the genesis of Wayward Shot; the rest of the story fell into place.

 

Wayward Shot: Golf is not a contact sport. But murder is. Mabel Havelock and Violet Ficher’s golf game is interrupted when they find a dead body in the graveyard. And it is not six feet under. Mabel’s ball lays in the middle of the dead man’s forehead.  Golfers do not kill golfers, or do they? A game of golf turns deadly for Mabel and Violet.

I’m a fan of Agatha Christie, and I wondered what if Mabel, my protagonist, was not as smart or as cultured as Miss Marple. There again, you see, ‘the what if.’ Mabel is a down to earth bulldog. Her wingman, Violet, is the opposite. Fans of Wayward Shot comment on how they love the relationship between the two women. They may have disagreements, but they have each other’s back. And my readers love the bizarre antics the women get up to in the pursuit of the killer.

·        

Hilarious story-stars that paint the pages

Book Review – Wayward Shot Author – Joan Havelange Genre – Cozy Mystery First Line: Mabel Havelock leaned on her driver, watching her best friend, Violet Ficher, tee up her golf ball. Review: Mabel Havelock, middle-aged, widowed, short and spirited, maybe more like feisty. Violet Ficher, her best friend, also middle-aged, divorced, tall, and has an appreciation for organization and niceties. They love golf and find more than they bargained for during one of their rounds. Ms. Havelange pens a hilarious, mid-life friendship with story stars that paint the pages. Those two women compliment and balance each other…and when the going gets tough, so do they. Thank goodness they have each other. I laughed…a lot, but there were sit-on-the-edge of your chair moments also. I enjoyed Ms. Havelane’s writing style and will definitely read more of Mabel and Violet’s books.

 

My next whodunnit was published by BWL in January of this year. I found the writing of Death and Denial a little more challenging. Mabel had to grow, she couldn’t stay the same bumbling investigator she was in Wayward Shot, but she had to retain her personality. I also had the balancing act. ‘Death and Denial’ is set in Egypt.

Death and Denial: On her way to visit Egypt’s ancient monuments and treasures, Mabel Havelock gets more than she bargains for. She stumbles on a murder plot. As she cruises down the Nile on a riverboat, Mabel finds herself trapped on board with a dead body and a boatload of suspects.

The idea for this mystery came to me when I travelled to Egypt a few years ago. I wanted to describe the fascinating sights I was privileged to see, without making it a travelogue. I succeeded. A Reviews; for Death and Denial

This is one of the reviews  Tantalizing Trip

This is not the first adventure of this pair of mature sleuths, the doggedly determined Mabel Havelock and the fashion-conscious, germophobic Violet Ficher, but it was the first for me. Having visited Egypt many years ago, I was attracted to this book by the Egyptian setting, and easily found myself ‘back there’ as I travelled along the Nile with Mabel, Violet, and their tour group. At least one of whom was plotting the demise of at least one other – said plot being overheard by Mabel en route to Egypt. Despite a series of ‘accidents’, Mabel finds it hard to convince anyone else of this. Even Violet. But her partner-in-solving crime comes through for her in the end. An enjoyable read for fans of both mysteries and Egypt.

 I’m quite proud people could see Cairo and the Valley of the Kings and the other sights from my writing. And above all else, the mystery that was the forefront of the story.

Something else that makes me happy is the question, ‘when is your next book?’

To that, I can reply the next mystery. ‘The Trouble with Funerals.’ is to be released this coming December. The first few lines from The Trouble with Funerals.

“She doesn’t look a bit good,” lamented Sophie Schoenberg.

Mabel Havelock looked down at the body of Mini Frazer. “She wouldn’t, she’s dead, no one looks good dead.”

The funeral director who had ushered the two ladies to view the body in the casket looked appalled

Please visit my Facebook page for updates about new releases. ‘The Trouble with Funerals. In December.

And next, my ladies will go on another trip. This time to Moscow. What possibly could go wrong? Title to be determined.

https://www.facebook.com/mabelmysteries

https://books2read.com/Wayward-Shot

https://books2read.com/Death-and-Denial

https://twitter.com/JoanJhave

https://www.instagram.com/joanhave/

 

It's That Time Again by Victoria Chatham

 

AVAILABLE HERE

Dear Reader, 

So much has changed in our world this year, but one thing that hasn't is the will to connect with friends and family for Christmas.

Hey, you might think. It's still a month away. That's all well and good, but with me in one country and many of the aforementioned friends and family in other countries, I need to have my Christmas cards and letters prepared well in advance and this year I would like to include you.

My usual Christmas letter is a bit like the old 'what I did in my summer holidays' exercise in school. It is a round up of the highlights of my year for those with whom I am not in regular contact. I try to personalize each letter, to acknowledge each individual for who they are and what they mean to me. 

Do you still get letters? Real, honest-to-goodness letters? I love receiving them even if many of them are no longer handwritten. I remember watching my mother's handwriting deteriorate over the years. Then receiving cards written in another hand and simply signed 'Eve' once she slid into the grip of Altzheimer's. My handwriting is no longer as legible as it once was after a page or two, so now I type to save the recipient the effort of having to decipher the loops and swirls that spread like cobwebs across a page.

This year has been the maddest of mad years, but there is still so much to appreciate and enjoy. I was lucky enough to have managed to get away to Mexico before the lockdown and have the memories of fun in the sun, tequila tasting and the company of friends. Once back home, I had my own writing to come back to but kept up my social activities where I could. I walked and rode horses during the summer, found places to go where I either hadn't been for a long time or never been before. I had the choice of writing or reading, or some of each and discovered many new authors. My to-be-read list has grown exponentially. 

The Skype and Zoom platforms have enabled me to keep in touch with writer friends, to have taken workshops and webinars with my own writing group and others. In a year that could have been written-off as abysmal I have strengthened friendships, shared experiences, and learnt so much. I am rounding up my year participating in National Novel Writing Month, something I tried once before and failed miserably! This time I focused on the target and know I'm going to make it.

So how was your year? Haveyou  managed to stay in touch with friends and family? Have you been able to rise above the doom and gloom and sense that this too shall pass? What is your hope for next year and beyond? Whatever it is, be kind to yourself and others.

I wish you all the compliments of the Season and a happy, healthy New Year.

All the best, Victoria