A cousin of “common geraniums,” scented geraniums are less physically impressive but make a wonderful addition to your landscape because to their divine scent and practical functions. Despite producing flowers, they are regarded as a herb. Compared to annual geranium blooms, the flowers are more delicate. But don’t worry—these gorgeous plants are grown more for their incredible smells than for their blossoms.
The oil in the leaves of scented geraniums is what gives them their distinctive scents. Rose, peppermint, almond (“Pretty Polly”), lemon (“Citrosa”), and even chocolate are just a few of the scents they may imitate. Place them in full sun to partial shade, and if it becomes too hot during the day (above 90°F), provide shade in the afternoon. In containers on porches and patios, scented geraniums are especially beloved since you may breathe in their beautiful scent all summer long!
Uses
In North Carolina, scented geraniums are an annual, but drying them will allow you to enjoy them far into the fall and winter. Pick leaves from the scented geranium plant soon after it blooms for the flavor and aroma to be at their strongest. On a baking sheet, spread the leaves flat in a single layer and bake them for 5-8 minutes at 200F to dry them. The dried leaves must be kept in an airtight container (not in the refrigerator).
Use dried leaves to flavor sweets, improve potpourri and sachets, and in a variety of other ways. Or, for a wonderfully perfumed experience, add dried leaves to the bath water!
The almond and Rose of Attar kinds of sugar also impart a subtle flavor. In a big canister, put one-inch-thick layers of sugar between clean, dry geranium leaves. For two to four weeks, place the canister in a warm, dry location. Before using, sift the leaves out. Use the flavoring sugar to sweeten tea or to add to baked goods. The plain sugar specified in recipes can be partially or entirely replaced with the flavoring sugar. The scented sugar can also be added to cocktails!
Thanks to Emily, one of our wonderful Garden Center Associates, you can read this week’s post.
What are some uses for geranium leaves?
Learn how to create geranium tea, geranium oil infusions, or a geranium compress, as well as the healing properties of geraniums.
The geranium is not only a lovely garden plant, but it also has medicinal uses. Small glands located around the leaf and blooms of this South African native plant generate essential oils. When the plant begins to bloom, geranium oil can be obtained and used two or three times a year.
When diluted with water, geranium oil can be applied topically to aid in cleaning the face or used in bathwater. It is claimed to help balance out dry or oily skin and hair and has excellent antibacterial effects as well. The flowers and leaves can also be used to produce an oil infusion or tea. The geranium can be used as a cooking herb and is thought to be harmless for the majority of people, though individuals with autoimmune diseases and those who are pregnant should avoid it.
The geranium has calming properties in addition to its astringent ones, which assist to lessen anxiety symptoms as well as PMS and menopausal symptoms. The geranium is said to relieve sleeplessness and varicose veins in addition to treating bruises, cuts, and scrapes, eczema, hemorrhoids, nail fungus, and sunburns. The ancient world was aware of its effectiveness as a natural insect repellent as well as a tick deterrent for both humans and canines.
Creating Geranium Tea:
Geranium leaves, whether fresh or dried, can be brewed into a tea. Use two teaspoons for dried leaves and one and a half cups for fresh. After covering the leaves with 1 cup of boiling water, wait 5 minutes. Remove the leaves and sip.
Making A Geranium Compress:
The dried geranium herbs should be soaked in boiling water. Allow to stand for 15 minutes with a tight cover. Remove the herb via a strainer, leaving the infused water behind. A cotton cloth should be soaked in the infusion and squeezed out until it is only moist. Place the compress on.
How to Prepare an Infusion with Geranium Oil:
The dry herbs should practically fill the entire jar. Pour extra virgin olive oil over the herbs, making sure that it rises one volume over the botanicals. Shaking it every day, expose it to the light for two weeks. Filter the flowers out. This infusion will keep for up to three months in the refrigerator.
Did you know that geraniums may be cultivated successfully indoors all year round? You probably already know that geraniums thrive outdoors, in summer flower beds or containers.
Geraniums from your garden can be brought within to survive the winter. There are two typical methods for doing this: first, you can move the rooted geranium cuttings to grow in pots on a sunny windowsill. Second, you can take top-growth cuttings that are four to five inches tall and root them in a good cutting media. Alternately, you might dig up the entire geranium from your garden, prune it to a height of six inches, and then allow it to recover naturally in a suitable-sized container.
Geraniums benefit from biweekly fertilizing, either soluble fertilizer put to the water or slow-release fertilizer given to the pot soil. Geraniums love to dry out a little between waterings.
How are geranium leaves harvested?
How to Pick Smelly Geraniums
- When to harvest: Once plants reach 6 inches or taller, you can harvest individual leaves from them at any time during the growing season.
- To gather leaves, use a snip or a pair of garden shears. Avoid tearing leaves off of branches since you could break or torn the branches.
Can geranium petals be dried?
I put the entire basket in the airing cupboard to dry, and after a few days I stirred the petals. They shrank to roughly a fifth of their original size after I kept them in there for about a week. Airflow is aided by the basket weave.
What a lovely mixture of petals! Perfect wedding confetti for a rustic setting, though I would definitely remove the whole rose buds to spare the bride a headache.
The rose petals would also be beautiful in a basin as a simple potpourri since they are now very fragrant.
Tip
The flowers might be neatly spread out in a single sheet on kitchen paper in the airing cupboard, and you shouldn’t disturb them until they are completely dried for a petal that is more perfect. They won’t sag as much, but they will still wrinkle. Buy freeze dried rose petals, which are very expensive if you want immaculate, wrinkle-free petals.
Are the leaves of geraniums toxic?
There are many uses for geraniums, and they are neither toxic to people nor animals. Geraniums were chosen as the herb of the year in 2006. They are used for compresses, cakes, astrigents, and teas.
Medicinal value of geranium leaves?
Since ancient times, geranium essential oil has been utilized to treat various illnesses. Scientific evidence suggests that it might help with a variety of ailments, including anxiety, depression, infection, and pain management. It is believed to possess antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects.
Never use an essential oil without first consulting a physician, and never replace a prescription treatment with one.
How can I keep geraniums fresh?
Geraniums have the advantage of easily entering dormancy, allowing for storage in a manner akin to that of sensitive bulbs. This method of storing geraniums for the winter entails digging the plant up in the fall and carefully removing the soil from the roots. The roots should not be spotless, just clear of dirt clumps.
In a room with a constant temperature of roughly 50 degrees Fahrenheit, such as your garage or basement, hang the plants upside down (10 C.). Rehang the geranium plant after soaking the roots in water for an hour once a month. All of the leaves on the geranium will fall off, but the stems will still be alive. Replant the dormant geraniums in the ground in the spring, and they will come to life.
Can a leaf be used to start a geranium?
Geraniums can grow roots in water, yes. Approximately 6-inch-long cuttings should only have the top leaves left on them. Place the cuttings in a water-filled container in a well-lit area away from the sun. To prevent leaves from rotting in the water, make sure to remove all foliage from any cuttings that may fall below the water’s surface. Hopefully, the cuttings will ultimately produce roots so they may be replanted.
By putting the cuttings in moist vermiculite or perlite, you might have more success. These soilless products encourage good moisture retention and aeration. To promote root formation, dip the bottom end of the stems into rooting hormone. A slow-release granular fertilizer made for annual flowers works nicely on geraniums.
Can I collect geranium seeds?
Geraniums feature a spring-loaded seed distribution system, which means that as soon as the seed is ready, it is pinged away from the plant for up to three meters, making seed collection from these plants challenging.
The fact that many current cultivars are sterile and hence don’t generate any seed further complicates matters. Typically, garden centers with non-Latin marketing names will sell these.
So, if you wish to collect seeds from a geranium, you must first carefully examine the “seed heads” and check to see if there are five hard, bulging pods at the base of the primary flower spike. If so, the following visual cues indicate the ideal time to collect the seed:
The far left pair should be left alone until both the central spike and the seed casings at its base start to darken because they are still too green. Black spike and dark seed pods, which are in the middle, are ideal. The seed has been released, the two on the right are too late, and you can still make out the ruins of one of the springs.
These are geranium pratense seeds, however viable geranium plants of any variety will yield the same results.
I gather them by delicately wrapping my palm around a pair of ripe seedheads (they usually grow in pairs) and cutting with scissors. By pulling, there is a chance that the plant will scatter its seeds. After that, put the seedheads in a paper bag and let them ping for about a week on their own. If seeds are placed right away, they may sprout rapidly. If not, it may take a cold snap to induce them to sprout, so place a seed tray somewhere that will get some frost without getting too wet.
How should geraniums be stored for the winter?
Geraniums are incredibly simple to store for the winter—just place them in a cardboard box or a paper bag and secure the top. The following advice will help them survive:
- Maintain geraniums in a cool, dry area with a temperature of 50 to 60 degrees F.
- Once a month or so, remove dried leaves from the bag or box and check for mold.
- Check the stems quickly at the same time; they should be stiff. Throw away any dried-out, shriveled stems you uncover.
- If you see that the plants are becoming really dry and crispy, give them a brief soak in water.
- Plants with stems that appear to be blackened or mildewed should be disposed away.
Geraniums are typically kept in a sack upside down. Although the exact cause is unknown, one idea holds that it does so by pushing moisture into the stems. Whatever the cause, storing them in this manner is neither harmful nor necessarily harmful.
How can flowers be dried without losing color?
Another name for air drying is just hanging the bouquet upside down. This technique works well for complete bouquets or sturdy flowers like thistles, roses, lavender, strawflower, baby’s breath, statice, and celosia.
- Remove any extra leaves from flowers.
- Leave at least 6 inches of stem after cutting it to the desired length.
- The stems should be tied together with twine or a rubber band (if you have a bouquet).
- In a room that is dark, dry, and well-ventilated, hang them upside down. The flowers’ color will stay vibrant if you keep them out of direct sunshine.
- It will take two to three weeks to complete the drying process.
- After the flowers have dried, remove them and give them a protective coat of unscented hairspray.