The Rain has come

Pelargonium Apple Blossom

Friday September 12, 2008

The rain is has come to supply us with moisture today. I have

noticed the plants have perked up due to the rains that have come.

The geraniums I have on the deck are beginning to flower again.

I bought them in the spring for 5.00 and they are still flowering.

The great thing about these plants as you can make more

plants from one. With a little patience and time instead of just one

on my deck I can have as many as I desire. Or place them in pots

where ever I want some more color.

To make more plants from the one you have just pinch.

Pinching gives you a fuller plant also and encourages growth.

Geraniums are the one plant I bring in for winter. I figure why leave

it outside to die, when you can keep it alive inside. The 5.00 I spent

can be streached year after year by keeping the plants alive. This year

I am happy to say I only bought a few select plants. A Skelton rose,

Apple Blossom, and Gardner's Joy. The Gardner's Joy is said to be

from 1870' from England. Apple Blossom is also said to be from the

1870's and to of been Queen Victoria 's favorite. The Skelton rose has

a very pungent scent in the leaves. Everytime you walk by you can

get a scent from the plant. The nice thing about scented geraniums

is they're leaves can be used in recipes in the kitchen.

Rose Geranium Jelly

an old grandmother favorite

Taken from Marcia Adam's Heirloom Favorites

Scented geraniums were a favorite houseplants at the turn of the

century, and in many old recipes their leaves were used to flavor

foods such as angel food cake and cream-based puddings. This jelly is

very attractive, with an intriguing flavor.

4 cups bottled apple juice

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

10 cups sugar

8 large fresh rose geranium leaves

1/2 teaspoon butter

1 package powdered pectin

In a large kettle, combine the apple juice, lemon juice, sugar, and

rose geranium leaves. Bring to a full boil over high heat, stirring

constantly. Boil 1 minute. Add pectin all at once and continue to stir

and boil hard for an additional minute. Remove from the heat.

Skim off the foam and remove the geranium leaves with tongs and

discard. Ladle into hot sterlized jelly glasses, leaving a 1/4 inch

space at the top of the jars. Seal with sterlized rings and caps and

process 5 minutes in a boiling water bath, counting the time

after the water again come to a boil after the jars are immersed.

Remove to a towel-lined rack. Store in a cool place.

September is the month to consider what your bring in for the winter!

This is the month that I wash all the geraniums and put them in

sterile soil. You do this process in September to get your plants

ready to come in by October which will be our first frost date.

Phyliss Shaudys wrote a book called

The Pleasure of Herbs A month by month guide to growing

using, and enjoying herbs.

This is one of my resources for taking care of scented geraniums.