During the winter months, when ice, snow and bitter temperatures prevail outside, what could be more warming than the pleasant glow of geranium blooms in the window? Whether a soft pastel pink, a bold crimson or the bicolor of an old-fashioned favorite, geraniums are a horticultural staple in the home of most indoor gardeners.

Yet, not all geraniums are grown indoors. True geraniums – members of the botanical genus Geranium – are outdoor garden gems.

As is the case with much in the botanical world, common names can cause confusion. Plants we consider geraniums by common name – the zonal, ivy, scented and Martha Washington geraniums – are actually members of the genus Pelargonium.

Both Pelargoniums and geraniums belong to the family Geraniaceae, yet they have distinctly different qualities and appeal for the gardener. The latter are commonly called cranesbill, a group of more than 300 annuals, biennials and perennials. Cranesbill can be found growing indigenously throughout all temperate zones, except in areas where the soil is wet year-round. Considering their native range, it comes as no surprise that this group of plants will grow well in any ordinary garden soil, in sun or light shade, so long as the soil is fairly well drained.

A cranesbill is the type of plant any gardener can come to adore. It’s the type of plant that thoroughly deserves one’s attention, but would never be so bold as to demand it. It’s one that grows superbly wherever you place it, but will never complain a bit if you yank it out in mid-season to tuck it in another corner of the garden. Cranesbills are plants we fall in love with slowly; first we cherish their delicate, long-lasting blooms and artful foliage, then we becoming captivated by their vigor, hardiness and tolerance.

Cranesbills need not be pampered. These plants are generally long-lived with minimal care, and in fact, if you’re wont to wander through the landscape of an old, overgrown farmhouse or homestead, you’ll likely find very old cranesbills among the neglected, but thriving lilacs, daylilies, lilies of the valley and irises. Old-time gardeners probably transplanted some of the cultivated cranesbills from the wild, attracted by their white, pink, blue or crimson saucer- or star-shaped blooms in early summer and their pale pink or blue-green scalloped and lobed foliage.

Among the most enduring is the scented cranesbill, Geranium macrorrhizum. Like many garden geraniums, this cranesbill has a lovely, perfectly mounded growth habit. A mature plant takes the form of a perfect cushion of intricately dissected leaves topped with hundreds of pretty blooms. With strongly aromatic leaves and gorgeous clusters of purplish-pink (or occasionally naturally sported white) blooms, the hardy scented cranesbill grows to 20 inches in shade or sun. Album, is a variety that always produces pure white flowers with delicate pink stamens, and grows only to about 12 inches.

Bevan’s Variety has crimson-tinged purple flowers, while Spessart produces deeper magenta pink blossoms. Although it can be a bit less hardy, Variegatum is a real treasure, with its gray green and creamy white variegated leaves. Spotted geranium, Geranium maculatum, tends to have a more erect growth habit than its mounded, scented cousin. Its glossy, lobed and scalloped mid-green leaves offer the perfect backdrop to its saucer-shaped opalescent lilac-pink flowers. Spotted geranium reaches to 30 inches in the best growing conditions and prefers a moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil like most of its relatives.

While dozens of cranesbill varieties are worthy of mention, one other species in particular, meadow cranesbill, Geranium pratense, is particularly noteworthy. Both single and double flowered varieties are available, ranging in color from the naturally occurring white, pink or violet to cultivated varieties that produce purple, mauve, rose or lavender flowers. The five petals of each bloom are typically veined, giving each dainty blossom a hand-painted effect. Meadow cranesbill grows to 2-3 feet at maturity and self-sows freely in the garden.

Most cranesbills are best propagated in early spring or late summer by division. It is possible to grow them from seed, as well. Simply sow freshly harvested seeds in pots in the cold this spring, or purchase seed and start it indoors as you would other seedlings. A temperature of 65 degrees F is ideal for germination and growing of most species.

Diana George Chapin is the NEWS garden columnist. Send horticulture questions to Gardening Questions, RR1, Box 2120, Montville 04941, or e-mail them to dianagc@ctel.net. Selected questions will be answered in future columns. Include name, address and telephone number.