Gently brushing against the plants on the windowsill releases a sweet scent that encourages one to breathe deeply and take time to smell the roses.....or in this case, the leaves.  Sweetly scented geraniums, more correctly called pelargoniums, are a delight to have in the house and yard.  Scented pelargoniums are a kaleidoscopic collection of shapes, sizes and colors, all sharing highly aromatic foliage.  They are members of the family Geraniacea which also includes the genus Geranium and the genus Erodium.  The genus Pelargonium includes many species,  some scented and others scentless. For example, the common zonal geranium, often used as a bedding plant, is a relatively scentless pelargonium, P. xhortorum.  Scented pelargoniums were first brought from South Africa to Holland and England in the early 1600s and have been lovingly cultivated ever since.

    Although commonly called geraniums, pelargoniums are easily recognized by their blossom structure.  Like geraniums, each flower will have five petals, but in pelargoniums the petals are arranged with two upper petals and three lower.  The upper two are often larger and more richly colored.  In geraniums the five petals are evenly formed and regularly spaced.  Although many have charming flowers, scented pes are mainly grown for their aromatic foliage.

    Scented pelargoniums are fun to grow in Austin, Texas.  They may be planted in containers that can easily be brought inside when temperatures dip to freezing.  Pelargoniums will also do well as annuals planted in the ground and may even survive an occasional winter if mulched.  The large leaf rose types have proven to be the most cold hardy and have come back after temperatures as low as 20 degrees F.

    Pelargoniums should be placed in a well draining soil in a location where they will be shaded from scorching afternoon sun.  Liberal pruning will encourage dense growth.  The smaller leafed varieties, in particular, have a tendency to become "leggy".  The plants benefit from an occasional feeding with fish emulsion or other fertilizer.  There is a tendency to over water pelargoniums, check potted plants daily during the summer and water only when the soil is dry.

    As autumn approaches, many gardeners take cuttings from the plants they are unable to bring inside.  A variety of techniques exist and some individuals even have success rooting the plants in a glass of water, but Ann Marie has had the highest rate of success by taking cuttings about six inches long, removing the lower two or three sets of leaves and immediately sticking them in a well draining soil less potting mixture and kept damp.  When new growth starts the cuttings are gently tugged to determine the extent of root growth.  If there is resistance, the plants are removed from the rooting container and given new homes of their own.

    Scented pelargoniums are more than delightful ornamentals.  Their leaves can be dried and used in potpourris or placed in sachets.  They also may be added to tea, for example, a ginger scented leaf will put zing in lemon balm tea.  Pound cake made with rose scented pelargonium leaves is a classic.  To do this, place leaves in the bottom of your prepared cake pan and pour the batter over the leaves, then bake as usual.  For a more earthy appearance and stronger flavor grind 6 leaves with each cup of sugar in your pound cake recipe and then prepare are usual, without placing leaves in the bottom of the pan.  Some herbal cooks keep a canister of rose pelargonium scented sugar on the counter to use in desserts.  Simply layer fresh leaves with your sugar, remove the leaves after two weeks and enjoy.  One can even whirl a leaf with sugar in a blender to get instant flavor.  Scented pelargonium jelly makes a special gift.  Make an apple jelly and place a rose (or ginger, or nutmeg, or...) scented pelargonium leaf in the jelly before sealing.

    After three centuries of hybridization there is a vast array of forms and fragrances available for the scented pelargonium fancier.  Many are named for their similarity to other smells, but the perceptions are individual and one person's sweet apricot scented plant may be anothers sour milk.  There are many ways to categorize Pelargoniums, but the most logical seems to be to organize them by aroma.  The following are a very small sample of scented pelargoniums available from nurseries.  (Nomenclature for scented pelargoniums is confusing with little documentation and many nursery created names)