Scented Geraniums for Planters
Answered by: Inge Poot
Question from: Roger Freeman
Posted on: March 14, 2004

I’ve bought three 12"x27" (30cm x 68cm) Earth Boxes (automatic watering) for my deck. I’ve visited the herb garden at Cornell University..and have loved the scents as I walked past their geranium beds. So I would like to do geraniums for all 3 boxes and hope you can recommend those that would have strong scents. Would each box have one type? And how many plants would you recommend for each box?

Except for the knotted geranium, all scented geraniums have strong scents. You may not care for one or the other of them though! I will list you some of the one’s that I particularely like, but I don’t know if your sense of smell is similar to mine!

Lemon Frensham has the strongest lemon scent, but is does not root as well as another good lemon scented variety called Rober’s Lemon-Rose.

Peppermint Scented Geranium with its hanging growth habit has a lovely scent and very soft velvety leaves.

Clorinda has a strong pungent smell and the loveliest flesh pink flowers with purple veining.

Attar of Roses has the best (and strong) rose scent.

Coconut scented Geranium is a dainty trailing plant with an amazing coconut scent.

Apple scented geranium is another dainty trailing plant with a lovely scent of apple and cinnamon.

I could go on, but these are MY favourites!

For the size of boxes you mention, one strong growing plant may be enough, but I think it would look better and give more scent pleasure if you combine it with one or two of the trailing varieties. Put one upright one in the middle and place one trailer at each end. For symmetry it might look better if each box had two plants of one trailing variety, so that with the three boxes you can enjoy all three mentioned trailers anyway- just not in the same box.

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