Overwintering Your Plants and Vegetables

Why overwinter plants?

·       Well for one thing it's fun and easy and saves a ton of money! You can save all those gorgeous border dahlias and canna lilies and they will just be larger and more beautiful next year. You can also bring those tender tropical plants indoors to use as houseplants. Indoor plants improve our well being, clean the air and actually cheer us up! Just a word of caution- some plants are poisonous to cats and dogs and children! The Ontario Veterinary Association posts a list of potentially toxic plants. 

What plants can I bring in?

• Most tropical or tender annuals such as begonia, geranium, coleus, hibiscus, impatiens, mandevilla
• Bulbs such as cannas, callas, dahlias, elephant ears
• Plants that grow easily from cuttings: geranium, begonia, basil, mint, coleus, impatiens
• Some culinary plants can be dug up and kept on indoors

Plants can be overwintered by growing them on in the house, by starting cuttings or by keeping them in a dormant state or a semi-dormant state. How you treat individual plants depends on whether they prefer to keep growing in cool or warm conditions or whether they need to be kept in a dormant state.

Growing Plants on Indoors (Warm and bright plants)

Many garden plants can be grown indoors as house plants during the winter. Bring these tender plants in before the first frost hits! You can bring in the whole plant or start new plant from cuttings. 

Starting new plants from cuttings (i.e. begonia, geranium, coleus, hibiscus, impatiens)

Sometimes there are fewer pest problems with cuttings and the smaller plant size makes it easier to manage.

• Cut a piece of the plant about 4-5" long (12 cm). 
• Remove the leaves from the bottom of the plant. 
• Place the cuttings in potting soil and keep moist until roots form. 
• You can place a cut water bottle over the pot to keep the soil moist.
• Reduce watering once roots have formed.

A bottle over your cuttings keeps moisture in and stops squirrels from digging up your plants!

Rooted Coleus cuttings- Unfortunately, the bottle doesn't stop the earwigs from making holes in the leaves!

To bring in whole plants

• If the plant has grown too large, cut back to half or more and trim for shape if needed.
• Remove any dead or damaged foliage.
• Minimize shock by getting plants acclimated before bringing them indoors.
• Start by moving the plant to a shady location outdoors a week before you want to bring it in. Bring the plant indoors during the night if the nights get too cool.
• Inspect for bugs on the plant or in the soil; treat for bugs (i.e. strong spray with hose, insecticidal soap spray) or by immersing the whole plant in water. Repot plants in clean pots and soil to minimize soil pests in the home.
• Place your plant in a sunny (east, south, west) location to keep it growing on; give plants a ¼ turn per week to keep growth balanced all around the plant.
• Find the right place for the right plant; some prefer cool/dark, some a cool/light location; house windows vary widely depending on orientation, trees, overhangs etc
• Inspect plants weekly for pests; treat as needed by using yellow sticky strips, soap sprays etc
• Trim and remove dead leaves as needed
• Pinch back plants if they get to leggy
• Water when dry;  daily spray increases humidity and reduces pests
• When the days start to get longer, and there is new growth, increase water and then start to feed with a dilute solution of fertilizer
• Repot (if needed) one pot size up; use a commercial mix or potting medium of good compost/organic matter and  builder’s sand (for drainage); (
• Move outside gradually to acclimate; first in the shade in a protected area, then to a sunnier location; plant out when all danger of frost has passed; this is usually after the May 24^th weekend in southern Ontario

Other plant suggestions to try:

• Rosemary: grow under lights; water once a week
• Many herbs will grow in a bright window
• Passionflower, Hibiscus
• Clivia: needs cool and bright conditions
• Mandevilla: prefers sandy well drained soil

Keeping Plants Dormant (Cool and dark plants)

General Directions

• Plants that prefer the cool and dark can be kept in a dormant or semi-dormant state until spring.
• Forcing dormancy is useful if you're short on space or want to save time and effort on winter care.
• Start to decrease watering before bringing in. Most plants are brought in before the frost hits them.
• Most plants will need to be severely pruned back.
• Put the plant, either potted or with newspaper wrapped around its root ball, in a cool (not below 40°F/5°C), preferably dark place for winter.
• Allow the soil to dry somewhat but not completely.
• Check every few weeks and water/mist sparingly if needed.
• Remove and discard any dead leaves, diseased, rotting parts.
• In spring, repot the plant and resume watering.
• Place in a warm, well-lit place indoors or outside after danger of frost is past. 

Specific Plants

• Banana plants: cut back to stump; wrap root ball in plastic bag to keep moist; leave top of plant exposed
• Elephant’s ear (colocasia, alocasia): cut back just above soil level and shake off soil; keep moist, not wet in plastic bag/pot
• Brugmansia (Angel's Trumpet): I cut my Brugmansia back severely leaving one main stem and pot them up. They are kept semi dormant in the basement with minimum light and water. 
• Agapanthus, Duranta, Pineapple lily can also be kept cool and dark

Brugmansia-remove leaves and prune off a branches but the main stem.

Bulbs (cannas, dahlias, Caladium spp. and tuberous begonias) 

• Wait until after the first frost; cut back the foliage to about 3 or 4 inches; leave the bulb in the ground for eyes to develop.
• Use a fork to dig up bulbs to avoid cutting bulbs; cut bulbs are subject to disease; brush off the soil and lay them out in a dry, airy, warm place for two weeks. (Dahlias-you can wash off the soil.)
• Divide if necessary; one "eye" per tuber; you can also divide in the spring.
• Overwinter in dark, cool (50°F/10°C), dry, yet airy surroundings, usually a basement. Medium: newspaper, vermiculite, wood shavings. Containers:  empty pots, shallow crates, pizza/pie boxes. 
• The storage container depends on the type of bulb, corm or tuber.
• Gladioli and bulbs with a papery husk: place in mesh bags with plenty of air circulation. Don’t water; check once a month and discard any that show signs of rot.
• Dahlias, cannas, caladiums, tuberous begonias:  store uncovered in trays or boxes loosely packed with vermiculite/ dry peat moss/ wood shavings. Check every month to see that they aren’t drying out; mist or sprinkle a few drops of water over the vermiculite or peat moss to keep it plump; don’t overdo the water or rot may set in.
• If plants start to sprout in early spring, pot them up and grow them in a sunny window or a cold frame if you have one. Large plastic bottles over plants can also protect plants.

 

Elephant ears are a bit large to bring indoors-but you can cut them back and keep them dormant

Challenges of Growing Plants Indoors

The three big challenges to growing plants indoors are having enough light and humidity and dealing with pests. 

Light

Fluorescent lights and reflective white panels increase light levels

• You can increase light levels with grow lights, compact fluorescent lights or LEDs. Aim for 12-16 hours of light per day. 
• Placing reflective material (white cardboard) around plants can also increase light levels. 

Humidity

• To increase humidity, you can place your plants on something to elevate them from a shallow water source. (I have never had luck with the recommendation to place plants in a saucer with pebbles as the bottom of the pot is too unstable on the pebbles.) I put my plant pots on inverted thick lids/clay saucers in water filled trays/saucers. When I water the plants, the water drains into the saucer under the lid.
• Weekly or even daily misting works wonders. 

Use plastic lids, clay saucers to elevate plants-trays below catch water and increase humidity

Pests

Yellow sticky strips are effective for flying pests

• Inspect plants weekly; treat as needed and following instructions (i.e. insecticidal soap-need to spray 3 times over 10 days and rinse after spraying)
• Mealy bugs; little fluffy tufts; wash foliage regularly; dab fluff with Q-tip dipped in alcohol
• Scale: roundish, flat bumps on plants; the actual insect is hiding under the “bump”. These are really difficult to remove and treat! Rub/scrape off or hand pick the scale on leaves. Prune out leaves in large infestations. Dab with Q-tip dipped in alcohol. Insecticidal soap will work on the larva, but not adult scale. Horticultural oil will control all stages
• Aphids, white fly: wash/spray foliage regularly; treat with insecticidal soap; use “yellow sticky” tape that is found in garden centres. 
• Spider mites; tiny sucking insects on underside of leaves; they thrive in dry conditions; make sure you are watering properly; increase humidity around plants and spray/mist leaves; prune heavily infested areas; spray with insecticidal soap. 

Other Thoughts

• Soil: use a good quality potting soil.
• Limit the shock: don’t dig up, spray, repot, cut back, move all in one day! Cut back once it is in the house and looks healthy.
• Watering: Some plants like to dry out slightly. Others like to be kept on the moist side. Lift the pot-if it feels really light, your plant probably needs water. 
• Limit the shock: don’t dig up, spray, repot, cut back, move all in one day! Cut back once it is in the house and looks healthy.
• Leaf drop is normal for some plants due to the shock of living indoors; they could still perk up; don’t water much if the plant has no leaves; new leaves produced will be better adjusted to indoor light
• Decline: some plants may only just survive the winter indoors, but once put outdoors again, they brighten up!
• Have fun! The worst that could happen is that the plant could die; and that would happen if you did nothing anyways!

What to do with Herbs and Vegetables

Herbs- Growing and Drying

I've kept this rosemary growing indoors in winter for several years. 

• Bring in any container herbs, like basil, parsley or sage to keep them in active growth in a bright, south-facing window over the winter.
• Keep the soil just moist.
• They’ll continue to grow, but at a slower rate than in the summer due to winter’s lower light levels.  

Drying

• You can also dry your herbs in the microwave to preserve them.
• Try drying leaves of mint, parsley, basil, thyme, sage.
• Rinse herbs and check for "critters". Dry with a dish towel. 
• Remove leaves from stems. (For thyme, you can dry the stems and all and just rub off the leaves when they are dried.)
• Place a layer of herbs on a sheet of paper towel.
• Cover with a second sheet of paper towel.
• Microwave for 2 minutes.
• Open the microwave door for 2 minutes.
• Repeat
• Check how dry the herb is and repeat until the leaves feel "crispy".
• Crumble and put into air tight jar. 
• Your dried herbs will stay green all year!

 

I loved using "chives from my garden" when cooking

Microwaved dried parsley keeps green all year!

Tomatoes - Ripe or Green 

 Freezing ripe tomatoes

• Clean, remove top core and any blemishes; freeze tomatoes whole in plastic bags or cut large tomatoes in quarters
• To use in soups and sauces, just plop them in! Skins will come off easily if you do not wish to include them in the soup.

Green tomatoes

• If you still have lots of green tomatoes and the frost is threatening, pick them and bring them indoors.
• Wrap green tomatoes individually in newspaper and store in shallow boxes in a cool, dark space; they will ripen slowly over the winter; use as needed. Use shallow pizza or pie boxes.
• For cherry or other small tomatoes, place them in cardboard egg cartons!

One year I still had a ton of "black cherry" tomatoes in late September and placed them in egg cartons in the fruit cellar. I was still using fresh tomatoes in April!

My bumber crop of "black cherry" tomatoes picked just before the frost

 

Egg cartons are great for storing green or unripe cherry tomatoes! Sort them by ripeness.

 

I put them in the fruit cellar and labelled the ripeness so I'd know which ones to start with!

Pollinator Hotel Project Contest

Our Entry 

Our Halton Master Gardener group entered the pollinator hotel contest taking place at the Canadian Master Gardener Conference in April this year. We are really proud of our finished product. Here's our story...

In the Beginning...

We all checked images on the Internet and shared them with the team via email. There are a lot of really amazing pollinator hotels! We found that many pollinator hotels consist of some kind of wooden box as a base. We had limited construction skills and limited time so I looked around the house and scavenged materials. 

I already had 3 double wooden boxes at home that were part of the packaging from a new vanity. And I also have a wonderful husband who is a carpenter, so that helped with the skills part. My first thought was that we needed a roof on the box and dividers for the existing 2 sections-and here's what the awesome hubby came up with.

Change of Plans

I was happy with this initial design idea until I discovered two different things-this pollinator hotel image on the Internet-- I loved the horizontal line of mini houses--sort of like a streetscape...

...and this great variety of wooden houses at the local Dollarama store! 

By the time I went back to the store, many of them were sold, so we had limited choices!

If I turned one of my base boxes longways, the houses could sit on top.  I presented these ideas to the group at our first planning meeting.  By then we had already purchased two other nice commercial houses from the Royal Botanical Gardens gift shop-a butterfly house and a ladybird house-both were green and had metal roofs.

The team liked the little houses sitting horizontally and we decided to add metal roofs to the two houses from the Dollar store. We re-purposed a heavy aluminium foil tray lid to cut out the roofs. Now the four little houses had somewhat matching metal roofs.

Metal roof cut from heavy duty aluminum foil

Painting- Psychedelic vs Neutral Colours

Our two fancier commercial houses were already painted in a green wash. The team opted to paint the 2 other houses blue and the box a neutral colour. We wanted to make sure the paint we used was non-toxic for our pollinators so we used wet tea bags to give the box a natural look and food colouring for the houses. We started with blue and added some red which made them kind of turn out purply rainbow looking! 

Tea and food colouring paint-you can actually use the tea bag itself to paint rather than a brush.

The rainbow effect was unexpected!

Thinking "Inside" the Box

The two base sections were designated for solitary bees on the left and lacewings or ladybugs on the right. We had a good collection of wood rounds cut to length and hollow stems for the section dedicated to solitary bees. We used magnolia and birch log rounds and 1/2 rounds. We used mostly phragmites stems (they are free and easily found-unfortunately) and some rolled paper cut into lengths for the hollow stems. Pithy stems were goldenrod. Once all was in place, off we went to drill holes with the drill press. 

Cut wood to depth of the box-use whole and half rounds or square pieces of wood.

 

Left-Start filling with the biggest pieces then the twigs. It takes a lot of twigs to fill the box!
Middle-Use hollow or solidstems-some bees are more DIY and prefer pithy ones!
Right-Finally filled-now for the drill press!

Woman Love Power Tools

Perhaps the most fun was using the drill press to make the holes in the rounds. It was easier to drill the holes with the wood securely held by the box, especially for the smaller rounds. We started with 5/16th" holes for mason bees and then made a few smaller ones. 

We were very proud of this finished section of the box!

Now for the Parlour?

The next section we tackled brought out the "interior designer" in some of us. We placed items carefully, adding an escargot shell, spruce and pine cones, moss and rolled up birch bark and cardboard. 

While these are all valid items for lacewings and beetles to hide in, the "staging" was a bit reminiscent of a doll house. :-) This area will be protected from curious critters with a mesh covering. You could also use chicken wire or any other mesh.

Final Touches

An overhang was added to the box to keep the bottom sections dry and the houses were secured to the box from the bottom using screws. (Thank you husband with drill skills!) 

A team member suggested we put branches behind the houses and that led to the plan to add "rose picks" behind the houses so that we could insert "live" branches or flowers to our streetscape. 

Pussy willow branches in the rose picks will give a unique spring quality to our hotel. You could also use native flowers -it is a "pollinator" hotel after all! 

Plastic netting was stapled over the "lower east wing" to deter critters from rearranging our "parlour".

The interior decor of the ladybug house and butterfly house were completed.

Left-rolled birch bark and cardboard will keep our ladybirds "snug as a bug in a rug".
Right-twigs are perfect perches for butterflies hiding from the elements. 

Just a bit more...

A few cute little touches to finish things off...

Our Hotel Gets a Name and a Description

We needed to give our hotel a name and also describe it for the contest. It was hard to resist being "punny" when describing our hotel! 

"Fellowship of the Winged Inn" recognizes that many pollinators are of the winged variety. We have used only non-treated, natural and recycled materials to create the ideal home for a variety of valuable pollinators. All surfaces have been carefully prepared so that “no wings” are harmed from dangerous splinters. We are very proud of the unique living branches that are freshly delivered to our inn and make it such a "special place to bee". Individual sections can be easily replaced or cleaned as needed to control disease and parasites. 

The lower east "wing" is designed for free spirits such as lacewings and beetles who want a cozy and comfy space that they can make their own. Please note the security mesh which keeps this area safe from inquiring critters. The "west wing" is the "bees knees"-with custom 5/16th" condos for mason bees and a variety of sizes perfect for any discerning solitary bee. The upper “wing” includes 4 custom residences: Butterflies and moths are most welcome to take shelter from the elements in this elegant home away from home. The interior twig décor is guaranteed to please. Next to that is a quaint space for our nesting avian pollinators. Nesting material is provided throughout our inn. A green upscale design with custom rolled cardboard interior will keep ladybugs "snug as a bug in a rug". Our last house is an elegant abode for the most discerning of bugs. Ornate on the outside but simple on the inside, this home will be a favourite for any local DIY bugs.  So whether you are a Lepidoptera, a Neuroptera or a Hymenoptera, we have the have a special space for you!

The Big Reveal! 

Here's the finished product! What do you think?

Lettuce Rejoice!

Lettuce Rejoice!

I attended a no fuss garden presentation by James Graham in March years ago and every March since then I've continued to follow his advice for planting an early lettuce garden. 

This type of container gardening has lots of advantages:

• Uses mostly inexpensive found materials
• Even seeds from the dollar store work!
• Stretches the planting season as it is essentially a mini greenhouse
• Harvest without stooping if you place the bottle on a table
• Fewer weeds and easier weeding
• Critter proof...Bahaha! squirrels
• Fun for children and adults alike
• Harvest your very own pesticide free organic greens!

Here's how to make this easy but awesome little planter:

Materials

• a large plastic bottle similar to above (check out your neighbour's recycling bins)
• some soil (garden soil, potting soil)
• compost (optional-just use your kitchen compost-no animal products!)
• seeds (leaf lettuce, radish, spinach or any other cold weather plants)
• something to cut top off bottle (i.e. kitchen scissors/tin snips)
• something to make holes in the bottom of bottle (i.e. large nail, piece of metal pipe, drill press)
• heavy tape (to secure the top to the bottom)

Directions

1. Cut the bottle horizontally into 2 pieces at about the middle. The bottom part holds the soil and is the planter. The top turns it into a little greenhouse. 
2. Top of bottle: Snip the cut side of the bottle with kitchen scissors-about 1-2 inches up the side. Do this on the opposite side of the first snip. This will allow the top half to fit over the bottom half more easily. 
3. Bottom half: Make drainage holes in the bottom of the bottle. You can place the bottle on a piece of wood and hammer a large nail or small diameter metal pipe to punch holes. If you have a drill press you can easily make "professional" looking holes in the bottom. 
4. Fill the bottle with compost/soil. You can start with a layer of kitchen compost on the bottom and then fill the bottle to the rim with soil. The compost will decompose and feed your plants over time. *There is some controversy about using such fresh compost-whether it helps plants or not- but I haven't had any problems with it and it does decompose eventually.
5. Tamp the soil down and water if it is dry. 
6. Sow the seeds by sprinkling them on top of the soil. Lettuce seeds are quite small and just need to be barely covered in soil. The larger the seed the more soil it needs to cover it-but not more than 2x the size of the seed. 
7. Water the soil lightly with a spray bottle or watering can. Avoid using a hose or strong spray as it will make holes in the soil and disturb the seeds.
8. Place the top of the bottle over the bottom. Try and fit the top so it is outside rather than inside the bottom half. This will allow any rain to run off on the outside rather than water log the inside. The snipped sides should allow the top to expand over the bottom..
9. Tape the top to the bottom so it doesn't blow off. 
10. Place your mini greenhouse outside somewhere in the sun.
11. Water when needed via the hole in the top of the bottle.
12. Harvest your lettuce by lifting the tape on one side of the bottle to expose your plants. Snipping the tops off with kitchen scissors encourages more growth. How easy is that!

Kitchen compost will eventually decompose and feed your plants. No dairy or meat please!

That first year, I didn't have any "fancy" soil, so I made do with some clayish garden soil from the back garden. I scattered the tiny lettuce seeds over my soil and watered. The clay seemed to be holding an awful lot of water, but I was determined to make this a no fuss garden so I just taped the bottle shut and placed it out on the back patio. 

March is a great time for planting your lettuce garden. The plastic top shelters your plants from wind, snow, heavy rain, cold and meddling critters. If it gets really hot, you can remove the top completely. 

That March day James Graham had promised:  “Plant the seeds now and have lettuce in 4 weeks! “ We were leaving for Hawaii in 4 days so I planted up my bottle with much haste and little fuss. We left for Hawaii the next morning! I wondered how my bottle was doing when I heard about the snowstorm that closed schools in mid-March. We returned home on April 9^th and I checked my lettuce garden the next day. Lo and behold, there were my tiny lettuce plants growing. The only thing that it needed was a good watering which was easily accomplished by pouring water in the top. I probably won’t have lettuce in 4 weeks, but then again I don’t think we were counting on a major snowstorm in that time. The bottle sheltered the lettuce from the snow and wind and created a mini-greenhouse effect.  What a great idea!

Today I planted radishes, spinach, red leaf lettuce and parsley. Here's hoping for lettuce by April 12th!

Cheap, easy and Bahaha! squirrel proof!

April 1st Update

I went out to check on my bottles and am happy to report that the spinach has germinated! Not bad considering how cool it's been since I planted the seeds on March 15th. We're expecting snow this weekend, so I'm glad my seedlings will be protected from the elements. 

Keeping your Greens Green and Healthy in the Fridge

How many times have you gone to use the cilantro you bought mere days ago, only to discover a melting ooze of blackened leaves? I've finally found a way to keep all my herbs green and healthy looking when I bring them home. Simply stand the bunch of herbs in a container of water, fit a plastic bag over the top and place in the fridge. That's it! Parsley, green onions, thyme and yes, even the dreaded cilantro will keep for weeks this way. 

I was inspired by this gadget that is sold especially for the purpose-an orange plastic container with a clear plastic dome. It's OK, but a real pain to use. It isn't always the correct size and is difficult to fit. By comparison, an old jar or plastic container with a clear bag is super easy to use-and free!

This is cilantro purchased over a week ago! The leaves are still green and vibrant! 

Clip the leaves you need for your recipes and then slip the plastic bag over the herbs. Using a chip clip to secure the top makes it even handier. 

You can use the same technique for green onions. I've kept them in a container on the counter, clipped them as needed and then watched as the green tops grew back. 

Strawberries and Scented Geraniums! What a combo!

Strawberry Social

When I think of June, I think strawberries! And then I think scented geranium sugar! They are such a great combo-I love dipping my strawberries in this yummy confection. And what about scented geranium cake? So here's a mix of gardening and cooking information-and that's another great combo!

Strawberries

Strawberries are perfect for the home gardener. They form an attractive ground cover with pretty white flowers, followed by juicy fruit. The fruit is easy to pick and is versatile. Enjoy the berries straight from the garden, cook with them or freeze them for a taste of summer when it's cold outside. It's surprising how many berries you can grow in even a small patch. Think you don't have room to grow strawberries? Think again. How about a hanging basket? Do you have a narrow side yard? Or a patch beside a building? My strawberries grow beside our gazebo. Although, they prefer full sun, mine are growing quite happily in two part shade areas and produce a surprising amount of fruit. Last year when we had some construction done around the gazebo, I moved some plants to a narrow garden at the side of the house. What a great use of a space that is often neglected or worse, paved!

Strawberries are thriving in this 2 x 3 meter space behind our gazebo. The bricks allow me to pick the berries without crushing the plants.

A narrow side yard is a perfect place for strawberries! I started this one last fall. A soaker hose makes it easier to water this area. The plan is to add some mulch, but who knows when I'll get around to that? You might think that the brick stepping stones are to access this area...but the squirrels seem to think the bricks make perfect little tables for eating my strawberries!

Soil

Strawberries can be grown in most garden soils. Of course, they grow best in well-drained, sandy loam soils which are well supplied with organic matter-but really doesn't everything grow better in awesome soil? Mine are growing in some fairly nasty clay. Adding sand and good compost to clay really improves the drainage and soil tilth. Strawberries do not like their roots to be wet, so make sure the area you do choose has good drainage. You can plant on ridges if you have drainage issues. 

Previous Crops

Wherever possible, plant strawberries in soil which has not grown strawberries, raspberries, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers or eggplants in the past 4 or 5 years. This precaution will help avoid serious root diseases such as Verticillium wilt and black root rot.

Fertilizer

I used a slow release granular organic fertilizer in April. The plants are VERY happy! I plan to fertilize again in late summer with the same fertilizer. 

Renewing an Old Patch

Strawberries produce best in their second and third year. Beds with older plants don't produce well and are more susceptible to disease. About four weeks after the harvest, thin out your plants, removing any old plants and transplanting younger plants to fill in the bed evenly. Make sure you water your transplants well. My plants always tend to "sulk" after I've transplanted them, but they rarely die. This is also a good time to fertilize with manure or compost. I always plan to renew my beds every 2-3 years. Doesn't always happen that way though...

Mulches

Sawdust, straw or other mulching materials are a great way to keep down weeds, conserve moisture and keep the fruit clean. I always plan to mulch my strawberries, but I seem to be lacking in the actual execution of that task...

Scented Geraniums

I wish I could remember who first told me that scented geranium sugar is a great pairing with strawberries. There are all kinds of different scented geraniums-rose, lemon, mint, spice-I happen to use a really strong scented Pelargonium citrosa-it's sold as a mosquito repellent and sometimes called Citronella. I've no idea if it repels mosquitoes, but it sure does repel my husband! Last time I made scented geranium sugar I found him sitting out on the front porch and refusing to come back in until "that smell" has dissipated. There are a lot of other scented geraniums that might be yummier, but I happen to love the results I get with this one. So I just give the husband some warning before I decide to make the concoction. 

Growing Scented Geraniums

Well, you grow them pretty well like regular potted geraniums-the annual kind, not the perennial kind. (Scented geraniums are actually pelargoniums, not geraniums and their common name is "storksbill". "Geraniums" are the perennial plants that are also called "cranesbill". Luckily growing them is less confusing than explaining their names...) 

Grow them in a sunny location, good potting soil and water. They're actually fairly drought tolerant. Bring your plant in before the frost and keep it in a sunny window. You can also easily start new plants from cuttings in the spring. 

Making Scented Sugar

You can use almost any kind of leaf to flavour sugar-just make sure the kind you choose is edible and not toxic! Try any kind of scented geranium, or mint, lavender, thyme, rosemary. Or how about scented violets or rose petals? 

• Wash the leaves and dry them. 

• Using a clean, dry jar, add a leaf/leaves and then cover with a layer of sugar. 

• Repeat until your jar is full. 

It doesn't take long for the sugar to acquire the "flavour" of whatever leaf you used. I use the sugar, leaves and all to flavour a variety of foods.

Using your Scented Sugar

• My favourite-dip strawberries in scented geranium sugar, place strawberry in mouth!
• Dust the tops of scones, cookies, baked goods
• Rim the glass of a fancy drink
• Use in teas, lemonade, punch

Scented Geranium Cake

This is an old "Madame Benoit" recipe. (I don't think she was often referred to by her first name of "Jehanne". She was my favourite chef when I was first married and I still use a number of her recipes.)

• Butter
• granulated sugar
• scented geranium leaves (her recipe called for rose geraniums)
• 1/4 cup soft butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 egg yolks
• 2/3 cup of flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 2 egg whites

1. Butter an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan; sprinkle lightly with sugar. Arrange 4-6 leaves in pan.

1. 

   The leaves make a crispy, edible pattern on this old-fashioned pound cake.

2. In mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add lemon juice and beat with electric mixer at medium speed for 5 minutes.
3. In small bowl, beat egg yolks until thick and pale yellow; add to creamed mixture, beating at medium speed for 4 minutes.
4. Sift together flour, salt and baking soda. Add by spoonfuls to creamed mixture, beating thoroughtly after each addition.
5. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry; fold into batter. Bently spoon batter into prepare pan.

   

   The creamed part of the batter is quite stiff and you have to gently fold the eggs in. The batter barely fills the pan. 

6. Bake in 350° oven for about 25 minutes or until tester inserted in center comes out clean.

   

   Cake is fairly pale when it comes out, but the underside should be a lovely golden colour.

7. Let cool on rack for 5 minutes. Invert onto serving plate and carefully lift off pan.

   

   Perfect for your strawberry social tea!