Question
I have a large, straggly scheffelera that I put outside each summer. Can I plant geraniums around the bottom to brighten up the view a little? Or, is there another plant that is compatible?

Answer
Michelle,

You could but when it coes time to take it in the geraniums will most likely die and you will have a straggly schefflera with dead geraniums around it. I would get some rooting hormone at a garden center. Then I would cut 4-8  6-12" long pieces of the schefflera off of the top of the plant then remove the lower leaves of each cutting and insert it in the soil around the baqse of the original plant. That will shorten your overly tall plant and fill in around the scraggly base. It will also cause the plant to regrow leaves lower in the original plant where it had lost them originally. It will look fuller and bushier. While it is outside set it in full sun, this is one plant that I have never had a problem with sunburn, it loves the sun. If you want to put a geranium in there too it will grow while it is outside but will probably not survive in the house all winter due to lack of enough sun. Good luck.

Darlene