From rose to chocolate, lavender to cinnamon, there's an astonishing array of scented pelargoniums
Pelargonium capitatum 'Attar of Roses'
This rose-scented pelargonium is cultivated commercially for its essential oil and has an RHS Award of Garden Merit. It's great for making scented sugar, by putting several leaves inside a container of sugar for a few weeks. Scented sugar and fresh leaves can be combined for use in jams and baking to give food a rose flavour.
P. crispum 'Variegatum'
The small, variegated, crinkled leaves are powerfully lemon-scented. It is slow-growing and compact. With stiff growth, it is suited to being trained into a standard to provide a raised level of interest during the summer. It is easy to care for and robust ? mine survived my dog sitting on it. P. crispum cultivars should not be eaten because some people find them a stomach irritant.
P. odoratissimum
The small, pale green leaves are softly inviting to touch and release a fresh apple scent. While they are low-growing and modest, they flower prolifically, producing an abundance of dainty, white flowers throughout the growing season. Its low habit makes it suited to window boxes or pots on a table, so that its delightful fragrance and flowers are easily appreciated.
P. x citrosum 'American Prince of Orange'
'American Prince of Orange' delivers an orange scent far stronger than that of 'Prince of Orange'. The dark green leaves are crinkled and glossy, and the flowers pink. With strong growth, it is easy to care for and has a long flowering season. The leaves can be used in cooking to provide an orange flavour without the acidity of citrus fruit.
P. x citrosum 'Clorinda'
Descriptions of this perfume range from eucalyptus to cedar, although it is agreed that the scent is woodsy; like walking through an avenue of resinous trees. The pink flowers are more eye-catching than most other scented geraniums because they're much larger. Given plenty of space, 'Clorinda' forms a large plant and can be trained as a standard. More temperamental than other pelargoniums, but still worth growing.
P. dichondrifolium x ionidiflorum 'Deerwood Lavender Lad'
Lavender-scented, dark, grey-green leaves are accompanied by small, dark pink flowers. This pelargonium is semi-trailing and, being small, is best displayed in hanging baskets or in window boxes where it is not hidden by other plants.
P. grossularoides 'Coconut'
The leaves release a tropical, coconut-like fragrance. This pelargonium is freely seeding and, while the plant will not survive winter outdoors, you are likely to find seedlings sprouting nearby. It will grow in damp conditions and can be used as ground cover.
P. tomentosum 'Chocolate Peppermint'
With leaves that smell of peppermint, the chocolate component of the name arises from the dark brown blotch across the centre of each leaf. Plants are large and sprawling and can be used as ground cover. Indoors, they require a large pot to sustain their vigorous growth. 'Chocolate Peppermint' needs bright light to maintain its attractive leaf markings ? in shade, the leaves become green. They make a pleasant, mint-flavoured tisane.
P. denticulatum 'Filicifolium'
The leaves and sticky secretion that cover them smell of pine or balsam. 'Filicifolium' has such finely divided leaves that they appear fernlike and add texture when used in mixed plantings. It prefers moister conditions, for example near streams. Stand pot-grown plants on stones in a water-filled tray, so the air is humid but the roots are not waterlogged. The unusual scented foliage is good for flower arrangements.
P. x fragrans 'Ardwick Cinnamon'
The cinnamon-scented leaves give off an unusual fragrance. The plant is compact, making it most suited to pots. Fresh leaves should also be thinned to improve air circulation and reduce the build up of leaves at its base. Thinned fresh leaves need not go to waste: their cinnamon scent can flavour cakes and biscuits.
Where to buy
Quick to root from cuttings, scented pelargoniums are easy to obtain from friends and cheap to buy if you are tracking down the less common cultivars. Scented Geraniums or Fibrex.
? Readers can order three P. capitatum 'Attar of Roses' for �10.99, six for �17.98, or 12 for �33.96. (All prices include free UK mainland p&p.) To order, call 0330 333 6856, quoting GUA567, or visit our Reader Offers page. Delivery from May; supplied as young plants.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/apr/23/scented-pelargoniums
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