With delightful flowers, showy leaves, easy cultivation, and aromatic properties, Scented Geraniums are a wonderful addition to any flower or herb garden.  Different cultivars sport a wide variety of scents, including apple, apricot, coconut, lemon, lime, peppermint, and rose, to name just a few.  Scented Geraniums are native to South Africa but became widely popular when introduced to the Europeans in the early 1600's.   Thomas Jefferson even grew several varieties while living in the White House, and once you've grown them, you will see why.....

Scented Geraniums are really not Geraniums at all.  They are of the genus Pelargonium.  Their leaves, however, do resemble Geraniums, and they are in the same botanical family.  They have a variety of flowers and leaf shapes, and make lovely house and garden plants.  Scented Geraniums can be propagated very easily from stem cuttings or grown from seed.   

Use Scented Geraniums in containers indoors or out, as border plants, and in mixed herb and flower gardens.  Plant in well-worked, well-drained soil and keep the soil moist, but not soggy. Use mulch to keep the roots cool and to discourage weeds.  Scented Geraniums will do best in a full-sun location.  Deadhead blooms as they fade to keep the plant producing. 

Scented Geranium leaves can be used to flavor tea, biscuits and jelly, and to flavor sugar.   Petals can be alternated with sugar in a mason jar and set in the sun for two weeks, then sifted out for a delightful flavored sugar.  In the garden, they are wonderful plants that release delicious scents when brushed, making them good all-around additions to the herb garden.  Scented Geraniums are actually tender Perennials, but are usually grown as Annuals in colder weather areas.