| Planting an herbal garden that includes | | | | |
| scented geraniums is not common to container | | | | There are many culinary uses for the scented |
| gardening. Most gardeners think of scented | | | | geranium to delight your taste buds. Chop up |
| geraniums as a floral plant, not an herbal | | | | the leaves and mix with your other favorite |
| plant but the species, called pelargonium, is | | | | herbs such as chives or chervil or thyme to |
| an herb with many uses. This delightful herb | | | | make interesting flavored butters or dips and |
| has many different aromas and gorgeous colors | | | | spreads. A really clever way to use the |
| to delight your senses. The scented geranium | | | | leaves is to line a baking pan when making |
| is best used in container gardening for two | | | | pies, puddings or cakes to impart a wonderful |
| reasons. One, you can control the soil and | | | | flavor to your desserts. Use them for |
| moisture, and two you can bring it indoors | | | | desserts, syrups or custards for another |
| when a frost is imminent. | | | | unique flavor. You can even make flavored |
| | | | sugar by layer dry, fresh leaves with sugar. |
| The scented geranium was found in Africa in | | | | Let them sit a few days, remove the leaves |
| the 1600's and shipped to England where it | | | | and store the sugar in an air tight |
| became most popular. The gardener of King | | | | container. This can be used in teas, baking |
| Charles I grew a variety of scented geraniums | | | | goods, or as a sugar scrub. They are |
| in the royal greenhouse. The Victorians | | | | delightful in baths and infused in water to |
| thought they were geraniums rather than an | | | | rinse your hair. |
| herbal plant but if you look at their | | | | |
| asymmetrical leaves you can see the | | | | The scented geranium is a great as a room |
| difference between scented geraniums and | | | | freshener or added to potpourri. Try adding |
| regular geraniums. | | | | some to your vacuum bag or put them in a mesh |
| | | | bag and add them to your dryer for a new |
| The scented geranium is truly a herbal plant | | | | fresh scent for your clothes. |
| for all seasons. It grows and has a lovely | | | | |
| aroma throughout the spring and summer and | | | | Scented geraniums are grown from cuttings |
| when the chilly winds of autumn threaten this | | | | taken from the mother plant. Cut three to |
| sturdy herbal plant will gladly co-exist | | | | four inches just above a leaf. Strip the |
| inside with you. Nothing could be better when | | | | lower leaves off and place in a rooting |
| container gardening includes scented geranium | | | | medium, such as a mix of sphagnum peat moss. |
| with their exquisite flowers, lovely scented | | | | Place your cutting in bright light and keep |
| leaves, and sturdy characteristics for year | | | | it moist. When roots have been established it |
| round enjoyment of your senses. | | | | is time to place it in your container garden. |
| | | | Make sure the soil is porous and fast |
| True to their name scented geraniums come in | | | | draining. |
| a multitude of fragrances. Seemly, the | | | | |
| favorite is the rose scented geranium but | | | | When the scented geranium is indoors it is |
| others are gaining popularity quickly. Some | | | | necessary to feed it once a week to ensure |
| of the more robustly planted are the apple | | | | full leaf growth. Pinching back the plant not |
| scented, peppermint scented, wood, like cedar | | | | only encourages bushy growth but releases a |
| or balsam, nutmeg and citronella (also know | | | | delicious aroma into the air. Keep the soil |
| as the mosquito buster.) You can plant a | | | | evenly damp; do not over water them as this |
| whole container garden with this one type of | | | | will kill them. They can come back from |
| plant and have a beautiful diversity. Their | | | | overly dry situations but not wet ones. |
| leaves alone will contrast interestingly to | | | | |
| give you a spectacular container garden. The | | | | Now it is time to add this multi-talented |
| tiny smooth leaves of the nutmeg scented | | | | plant to your container garden. Just one word |
| geranium, or Lady Mary, to the large musk | | | | of caution, once you get to know the scented |
| scented leaves of the Lady Plymouth. | | | | geranium your herbal garden will never be |
| | | | without it. |
| The rose scented geraniums are gaining | | | | |
| popularity for calming and are increasingly | | | | Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights |
| used in mediation and for healing purposes. | | | | Reserved. |
| The plant truly releases a delicious rose | | | | |
| scent when rubbed against or crushed. Just | | | | This article may be distributed freely on |
| brush the leaves to release their scent or | | | | your website and in your ezines, as long as |
| make a soothing rose geranium tea to help you | | | | this entire article, copyright notice, links |
| relax. | | | | and the resource box are unchanged. |