I just want to share some of the pictures I took yesterday at Gantz Herb Garden in Grove City yesterday, I hope you enjoy them.
This one is called Minor Thyme
For all herb lovers....
This one is called Mother Of Thyme
Oak leaf scented geranium and believe it does smell like an oak leaf.
Never heard of oak leaf scented geranium? sounds really neat though.
This garden has a lot of things that you can't find anymore. It takes Lupy to tell you more about all the things they have there.....Lupy where are you? I need your help here.
This message was edited Friday, Sep 5th 10:02 PM
oak leaf scented Pelargoniums do not smell like oak leaves.
They are shaped somewhat oak-leaf-like. thus their name quercifolium.
I promise you these did, now maybe it is because the hot sun was briging out the scent, or Lupy, and another friend and I sniffer are all wrong.
This message was edited Saturday, Sep 6th 11:59 PM
Where is Grove City?
I love scented geraniums. I have one called atomic snowflake that I just am in love with. I had never smelled an atomic snowflake before. think I like it though.
Grove City is very close to Columbus, Ohio, as a matter of fact I live in the suburbs of Grove City.
They have so many more different fragrant geraniums there as well as herbs that I haven't seen or heard of before. You wouldn't believe how many thymes they have and some herbs or plants that you can't purchase anywhere.
Lupy is a vonlunteer there and can tell you some interesting stories about each herb or other plants they have.....YO LUPY!!! I think she should be along here at anytime, she can answer your question better than I.
Here is a ginger scented geranium.
Ginger scented geranium - must be heavenly!
Oh it is and the whole garden is filled with heavenly scents.
oh ginger scented! sounds wonderful!
I've been trying to get some thymes going, think the bunnies must like to chew on them.
OK, OK here I am! LOL
About the scented geraniums (or pelargoniums): One of the staff at Gantz takes a special interest in finding and growing (and propagating and selling) lots of different ones. We have about 80 different ones in the collection. We also host symposiums with various herbal speakers, many of whom are prominent in the academic world, so I have learned a LOT from them.
There is a lot of confusion and disagreement about them, as y'all can imagine. None of the Pelargonium experts (see? Most can't even agree what to call the plants!) agree about most of the scents. In the official descriptions, there are a few categories: citrus, floral, fruit, spice, and "other". Scented pelargoniums are classified by the category, rather than the specific smell.
There are no words in the English language that describe fragrance. There are many words that describe looks, taste, feel, etc., but none for smells. Just words to compare a smell with some other smell, or general ones "strong" "bad" "nice" etc.
So when one person smells something, it smells a lot like what she recalls a Hershey bar smells like. Another person smells what he recalls a bar of soap was like. One of my fellow-volunteers swears that 'Atomic Snowflake' smells exactly like Ivory Flakes! Another that it smells like a Gallica rose. Yet a third that it smells like 'White Shoulders' perfume. There is no word to describe the smell, only to compare it to something else.
The Oakleaf pelargonium in question has little aroma, until the foliage is crushed. Then there is a slight fragrance. It is there, but very hard to identify. I really do smell (at least at this time of year, growing outdoors) oak leaves. Indoors, in the winter, this one smells of apples. According to my references, its official classification is the "other" scent.
'Peppermint' to me, smells more like Wintergreen than peppermint. I guess it was a marketing decision to call it peppermint, tho. Calling a pelargonium Wintergreen would cause all of us to try to grow it outside in cold climates :D
Sorry this is such a long post. *climbing off my teaching podium now.
climb onto a teaching post anytime for me. Now I may have to go out and smell Atomic Snowflake again and see if it compares to any of those peoples descriptions.
Last year was the first year I had any success in keeping a scented geranium (pelargonium as you say) over the winter. Although it barely made it. I think they must like warmer conditions than the other pelargoniums. This year I have three and will keep them on my plant porch were I keep it warmer. I think the name of another one I have is called Sweet Miriam? Can't describe that one either.
Lupinelover, since you have such exposure to them, do you mind if I ask if you keep any personally and what are your favorites?
Pink Champagne :)
It doesn't grow especially quickly, so it may be very hard to find. Our parent plant gave only 8 cuttings last fall. We sold them all within 5 minutes (out of 10 flats of plants). Hopefully we will be able to get more cuttings to root this year. I am going to be working on this project this coming week at the Garden.
Have you smelled 'Nutmeg'? I like it even better than 'Ginger'.
I have found that rooting new cuttings every fall is better than trying to acclimate the bigger plants to indoor conditions. Can you take cuttings of yours?
Well let me say I love them all. Thanks Lupy :}
This message was edited Monday, Sep 8th 3:53 AM
So pink champagne makes you giddy?
Don't know that I've smelled nutmeg.
I may try some cuttings as well. and then if I'm successful will try to buy a few more next year. I hate losing plants over the winter. Someday I'm gonna have a greenhouse. Then I'll go a little crazy!
I have a lemon smelling scented geranium near a gate, it is fun to brush by it in the summer. Really strong scent! My guests to my garden are often amazed by the scented geranium fragrances! This one grows like a weed, too. It is always needing cutting back. They also have cute little flowers too. Margie
I love the fragrance of these lovely flowers. I had three of them two years ago and lost everyone over the winter, I do need a bigger yard and a greenhouse.
I have one growing in a planter on a step. I set there quite a bit and "accidently" brush up against my rose scented one.
I've had a citronella scented one, but even though it was interesting, not sure I'd spend money on it. Would trade for it though.
Picturelady, it must be nice not to worry about everything freezing in the winter.