RHS Flower Show Cardiff - Scented Pelargoniums - Choose a flavour!



Pelargonium Orange Fizz

The RHS Flower Show Cardiff is a great chance to pick up amazing plants that don't appear in the local garden centre very often. I picked up some scented herbs which are both bizarre and wonderful.

It's fascinating to rub the leaves with your fingers and smell something so distinctive but unexpected. I bought two sage plants, one that smells of pineapple and one that smells of blackcurrant. I also came home with varieties of thyme that smell of orange and lemon, and there are plenty of others available.

 

Even better are the scented leaf pelargoniums. They flower fairly profusely all summer and look great in pots on the patio, but rubbing the leaves can produce the most curious smells. I bought "Peppermint Lace" and "Crispum Variegatum" which smell of mint and lemon respectively, and "Orange Fizz" has the most intense, zesty smell. Best of all is "Odoratissimum" with its extraordinary apple fragrance. How a geranium smells of fruit or mint remains a mystery but they are fantastic, and our patio is now much more interesting because of them. The challenge is always keeping them going over winter, whether by taking them inside or taking cuttings, as they will not withstand the British winter.