newbie to container flowers

[flowerchild]

I have always had a perennial garden so I am new to having flowers in containers out on my back deck. April and May has been driving me crazy in the northeast. I have 20 containers of geraniums (Martha Washington). Weather at night has been dropping into the 30s and I've had to drag all of them into the house with the deadly heat kicking on all night. Finally it is decent outside (70s) and nighttime temps good too. But...what do I do with them when it rains out. It's been either too cold at night or downpours. I don't know now if I have to take them all in now when it rains in the middle of the night if it is not too cold. I worry that they will lose their flowers with alot of rain. Container flowers are really stressing me out! All I do is worry about them now. They all have a well at the bottom of the container. Should I be soo worried all the time? Need advice. Thanks in advance.

 

[Marck]

Greetings, welcome to the Forums.

You certainly should not be worried all the time.
As for your Regal or Martha Washington 'Geranium' collection (Pelargonium x domesticum) you must find a single acceptable place to keep the plants during the Winter. Occasional adjustments are fine, but constant and panicked last-minute evacuations are not.

Unfortunately, you say nothing about your climate, but if your winter lows are only in the 30ºs F you would be able to leave your Pelargonium outside. However in the Northeast of the U.S. it likely does get colder. In Winter, keep your Pelargonium indoors in sunny south-facing windows. Dry, indoor air may not be ideal, but they should recover well when brought outside in the Spring.
After the last frost date, there should be no further need to move the pots.

They will also be fine with Spring rain as long as their drainage is more than adequate.
I'm not sure what you mean by 'well at the bottom of the container' but I would not advise watering Pelargonium from below nor should they be kept in flooded saucers.

Note: this one of two nearly identical threads.