The home of Paula Ritanen-Närh and her husband is the kingdom of 100 geraniums. In the summer, some of the plants get to bask for days in the greenhouse, where sitting in the splendor of flowers is one of Paula’s favorite things.
Paula Ritanen-Närhi and her husband Seppo Närhi have become enamored with geraniums. About a hundred geraniums grow in their home in Vantaa.
Paula’s love for geraniums dates back to her youth. Her mother grew bright red geraniums with blue lobelias on the family balcony.
When Paula started a family with Sepo in the mid-80s, she brought her mother’s love for geraniums into the family home.
Old geraniums are fascinating
In the 21st century, the geranium hobby got a big change. For her work, Paula did several photos in Annala’s garden, whose greenhouse contained old geraniums. He fell in love with them.
Paula is fascinated by the individual appearance of the old geranium stems. They are allowed to grow naturally with the principle of free growth into hanging and creepers.
“By begging, I was able to buy one bag of geraniums from Annala’s garden. From there, this hobby started to progress.”
The number of geraniums doubled every year. Paula took cuttings from the plants and grew new specimens from them and made the Pelargoniums overwinter better.
The number of plants has remained at about 100 for about 15 years. Most of the geraniums are hardy pink Mårbacka.
Paula is the boss who ensures the proper care of the geraniums
Taking care of plants is a familiar task for Paula and Sepo. Paula is a gardener, hortologist and garden journalist by profession. Seppo is retired but previously worked in the green field.
Watering and fertilizing the flowers has been done at Sepo’s office for 10 years now, after Paula got tired of work and the hustle and bustle. Paula’s job is to enjoy geraniums and be the boss.
“I have more home garden experience. I always visit Sepo as the chief physician to ask how the patients have been treated, and I prescribe what needs to be done to the geraniums.”
The care cycle for geraniums is done three times a week
In addition to watering and fertilizing, year-round care includes removing yellowed leaves and withered flowers, and cutting bent and broken shoots.
Sometimes geraniums may have aphids. In this case, Paula and Seppo rinse the plant with water and keep it isolated for a while.
“In the summer, it takes half an hour per round to water and clean the geraniums. In winter, when the plants are inside, it takes about 20 minutes. The treatment cycle is repeated three times a week.”
When Paula and Seppo are on trips, their two adult sons help with the care of the geraniums.
“Fortunately, both agree to help. Who would want to come here when there are 100 geraniums and three cats to take care of.”
In the spring, the plants are brought into the greenhouse and onto the glass terrace
During the winter, the Pelargons thrive in the cool temperature of the couple’s wooden house, which is sometimes only 18 degrees. There are geraniums in the home’s living room and kitchen, as well as in Paula and Sepo’s study.
At the end of 2023, the couple acquired a garden cottage, where 20 geraniums winter at a temperature of plus 10 degrees.
In April, Paula and Seppo move some of the geraniums outside to a greenhouse with a heat fan. In May, some of the geraniums move home to the glass terrace.
Paula and Seppo call the atmospheric greenhouse the geranium room, which is one of Paula’s favorite places.
“The best moment with geraniums is when I go to the greenhouse at the end of summer, close the door, sit down to listen to the radio and watch the blooming geraniums.”
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When autumn comes, Pelargoniums enter the interior of the home
Paula and Seppo bring the Pelargoniums inside their home in mid-October before the frost.
When we got plant lamps for the home a dozen years ago, 70–80 percent of the plants survived the winter. Before this, about half of the geraniums died by spring.
“In the spring, they are very sluggish and look like they are in poor oxygen. Spring is always a new opportunity, when everything starts again. This hobby is progressing year by year,” says Paula.
As the highlight of the hobby, Paula mentions the moment when she gets the Australian wild geranium to hibernate, because they often die during the winter.
“It also gives a great feeling of success when Deerwood Lavender Lass makes miniature plants at the ends of the shoots, and I get such a miniature plant to take root.”
Source: kotiliesi.fi
