How one shriveled scented geranium sparked an entire (and still growing) collection

Are you a plant collector? I wouldn’t have identified as such, but sometimes it takes losing a plant to discover how scent-imental (sorry) we are about it.  

For more than 10 years, an enormous, scented geranium has been growing in a 4-foot by 2-foot stock tank on our back stoop. The plant’s succulent stems were furnished with coarse, dark green leaves marked in the middle with a burgundy stain—I think the variety was ‘Chocolate Mint’ (Pelargonium quercifolium). The plant grew to shrub-like proportions and, for more months of the year than not, was adorned with slightly bilious Pepto-pink flowers.

My success with this supposedly tender plant was likely due to its location. The volume of soil in the container coupled with a sheltered position beneath the eaves of the house saw my pet plant through numerous winter storms. Until it didn’t.

This year I poked and prodded the not-very-promising vegetal skeleton through early June before I finally admitted my lovely was no more. Only then did I acknowledge that I didn’t just want to replace this low maintenance fragrant plant, I wanted more—lots more.

Read the entire story in the link below

GROW in The Seattle Times