The joy of scented-leaved pelargoniums

Coton Manor in Northamptonshire has many delights on offer: gentle brooks and dappled pools surrounded by beautiful ferns, sweeping borders, wildflower meadows and lovely courtyards, not to mention the four bright-pink flamingos, standing one-legged, with one eye nonchalantly taking in passersby. They are definitely a step up from the peacock-on-the-lawn trick. There is a fine tea to be had at the end, too.

I would have liked to run off with the flamingos, the vistas and half the ferns, but being train-bound I went home with four scented-leaved pelargoniums instead. I have placed them in pretty terracotta pots by the french doors, so I can sit in the afternoon sun and take in their perfume.

Scented-leaved pelargoniums are just that: pelargoniums grown not for their flowers but for their highly fragranced leaves. In the wild – they come mainly from South Africa – they grow as shrubby, evergreen perennials and are very drought- and heat-tolerant.

The fragrance runs from spicy to sweet: rose, lemon, apple, peppermint, nutmeg, cinnamon, almond, eucalyptus, grapefruit, celery, camphor and even eau de cologne. The rose- and lemon-scented versions can be used in cooking, to add an extra something to jams, compotes and cakes. Every now and then, I like the odd leaf in a gin and tonic.

The flowers are often delicate, sometimes in clusters, sometimes just sprinkled across the plant. They range from deep crimson to palest pink, from baby soft to tough, almost rough, and there are numerous variegated forms. I have a fondness for Pelargonium ‘Attar of Roses’, with its pretty, pale pink flowers and heavenly rose scent, and ‘Clorina’, for its cedar notes and large, deep-pink flowers.

For cooking, I like ‘Queen of the Lemons’, with its lemon scent and pink flowers (it works particularly well in a G&T). ‘Old Spice’ has a lovely, strong perfume, but it is a disaster to eat, as you might imagine from the name. ‘Radula’ has a rose and lemon scent; Pelargonium tomentosum has large, soft, green leaves and tiny white flowers with a strong peppermint scent.

None of these plants will withstand any sort of frost, so bring them inside over the winter. They make happy house guests as long as they aren’t overwatered and sit somewhere bright, with good air circulation (don’t cram them on to a windowsill). They can grow rather leggy in dim conditions; prune in spring if this happens. If you can give them enough light and keep the temperature above 7C, they may continue to flower. Whether they do this or not, there is something lovely about the scent of summer wafting through a wintry room: it’s worth keeping a pot or two for this reason alone.