Description
Grown for their uniquely scented and often ornamental leaves, Scented Geraniums are fast growing and highly tolerant of variable soils and conditions. They vary in heights and widths. Some are more tolerant of cold and some are more tolerant of shade.
Scented Geraniums die if they get too cold.
Scenteds (as they are often referred to) like it warm, sunny and dry. If you are having a hard time getting something to grow in a certain area, try a Scented Geranium.
If planting in a container, use a high quality organic potting soil with lots of texture and organic fertilizer. Transferred to a pot that can hold about three gallons of soil or plant in the ground.
Each spring, check the root ball to make sure it has not filled up the pot. Root bound Scented Geraniums should either be repotted into a container at least two gallons larger or root pruned and returned to the same container with fresh soil added. Container-grown Scented Geraniums will need continual fertilization with an all-purpose organic fertilizer throughout the growing season.
Scented Geraniums love the sun, but most do well in partial shade -not get enough light will be leggy and will develop fewer essential oils. Sometimes you just have to try the plant in an area to see if it will be happy.
Scented Geraniums should be watered in the three-inch pot before trying to remove them. Plant them at the same depth they are in the pot; not planting deeper or higher. Dig a hole just big enough to plant the starter Scented Geranium and water well. Check often to make sure the little plant’s root zone is not dry. Until it takes off into the soil around it, the original root cube needs to stay moist. This usually takes about a month depending on the time of year. Be sure to gently firm your little plant into the ground so it makes good contact with the native soil, but don’t smash the soil so hard that the soil becomes overly compacted.
Once established, Scented Geraniums don’t take a lot of water but they do need some. Leaves should never be allowed to wilt. In humid areas, drip irrigation is advised to keep moisture off the leaves. Keeping the leaves dry helps to thwart fungal diseases. Overhead watering is not usually an issue in a container or in a hot, dry climate.
A water meter can help the novice gardener to be more confident in their watering acumen. Be sure to place the meter within the root zone for an accurate reading.
In humid areas where plants are crowded, white flies and fungus can be an issue. Giving plants proper space to grow and adequate sun and air movement will go a long way toward keeping this insect away. Watch for the slug or snail.
The only reasons to prune a Scented Geranium is if it outgrows its space, has dead stems or needs to be shaped. They are perfectly happy left alone. If you do prune, be sure to use the leaves for crafting or cooking.
Leaves add interest to fresh flower arrangements. They last about a week in water. All Scented Geraniums can add add bulk and fragrance to potpourris and sachets when dried.
CULINARY USE: Scented Geraniums have been used in cooking for centuries. Normally, we don’t really eat the leaves but use them as flavouring and scenting agents. Attar of Rose Geranium leaves packed into apple jelly or laid at the bottom of a cake pan before the batter is poured add a bit of Je ne sais quoi, that little bit of some indefinable extra. Lemon cripsum leaves were often layered with sugar and left to scent the sugar. The delicate flowers can be added to salad or stir fry. They can also be candied and used to decorate desserts. All of our Scented Geraniums are safe to use in cooking as long as they are grown organically.
FUN FACTS:
That they cool themselves by releasing oil from glands on the backs of their leaves?
they aren’t Geraniums but Pelargoniums?
just by laying some washed and dried leaves on an inch of sugar, covering with an inch of sugar, and leaving for a week, you can have scented sugar to use in teas and baked goods? That dried leaves can be added to potpourri and sachets and, if left whole, will keep their fragrance for a long time?
oil distilled from Rose Geraniums is often used in the perfume industry in place of the expensive Attar of Rose oil?
