Please recommend recipes and overwinter care for scented geraniums?

August 31, 2014 1:49 PM

Hello culinary gardeners, I went hogwild with scented geraniums this spring, because I've been fascinated with them for some time. They did great in pots on my porch, but fall is breathing down my neck and I'd like to harvest some leaves if I can, and also overwinter them if possible (I'm in zone 8b, lowest temp is 20F). Questions: how far back can I cut them? Do you have any recipes/uses that you've actually tried them in?

I have chocolate mint, mimosa, attar of rose, regular(?) rose, and nutmeg. So far I've just enjoyed rubbing my arms over them and smelling awesome, as well as watching the bees go at them, but I would like to preserve them for winter somehow. Sugar syrup? Will they last if candied? Do they freeze? I'd love to do some kind of xmas present with them for fellow cooks/cocktail nerds or people who like to smell good.

Overwintering: Have you had luck just leaving them outside and having them resprout in the spring if it rarely dips below freezing? I do this with my tarragon, mint, thyme, etc in pots next to the geraniums. Thank you!

Straight on
Nutmeg blossom
From the top

posted by Lardmitten to Home & Garden (1 answer total)

Best answer: I've overwintered geraniums on a windowsill in a cool room before now. Preferably not south facing, preferably in an unheated room where you can leave the curtains open. Give them only a little water, just enough to tide them over.

You can grow them as normal houseplants, but they can get leggy over the winter and might need pruning in spring. They might do OK in a sheltered corner, but they're easy to take cuttings from to ensure further stocks.
posted by Solomon at 3:21 PM on August 31, 2014 [1 favorite]