Pelargoniums come from South Africa so I don't think they will need keeping in the fridge. I hope that that hasn't spoiled them. They are not frost hardy so definitely need sowing inside. I have never raised them from seed, either home collected or bought, because the easiest way of reproducing one you like is to do cuttings. However, I have found some info by Googling. Sounds a fiddle. Maybe you could take some cuttings as well as an insurance policy. That way you will get identical plants, which is unlikely with seed.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pelargoniums from seed

Flora:

Thanks for the input. I'll test it out, but if they don't grow, I won't lose any sleep over it.

I'm not so worried about producing an identical plant--I just enjoy the process and learning.

My pelargonium still has a few seedpods, so I think I'll wait before getting cuttings so I don't interfere with that process. There was a tiny offshoot to the side of my plant, so I went ahead and dug that up, repotted, and brought it inside. So this way, I can try seeds, cuttings, and a miniature pelargonium on my windowsill. One of the three should work!

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, rachelthepoet, but that plant is not a Pelargonium. If I had to id it I would say it was Hairy Bittercress, Cardamine hirsuta, a common and fast spreading weed. Google some images of Pelargoniums and you'll see the difference. Not remotely similar, I'm afraid. If you take some pics of the one you have outside I can tell you if that, too, is an imposter.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pelargonium seedpods

Flora:

Oh no!!! The leaves looked just like my leaves in miniature! Guess it comes down to wishful thinking :(

Plus there are only a few leaves left on my pelargonium, so not a lot to compare to. I've attached a pic when there were a lot of leaves.

Now that I look at close up pictures of them side by side, I can see that the my leaves are more heart shaped than this weed. Ugh! Guess this is all part of the learning!

Have you got somewhere you bring your Pelargonium inside? Maybe a sunny window or a glazed porch? If it has lost its leaves outside it might already be feeling the cold.

I'm at full capacity with houseplants right now, except for some tiny windowsills. Don't think this one will make it inside except for in seeds/cuttings.

Oh well. Maybe you'll have to cut your losses and buy a new one next year. They're pretty cheap over here. I imagine they would be in the States too. Cuttings are very easy for future reference. Or you could go over to the Geraniums Forum and look at ideas for storing your plant almost dry over the winter.

Here is a link that might be useful: Overwintering Pelargoniums

Thanks for everything, Flora! I'll figure it out. This geranium only cost 40 cents, and I've enjoyed it for 6 months, so it more than earned its keep! I might still try the cuttings/overwintering as an experiment.

Good luck!