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| 'Frensham' Pelargonium Leaves Drying in a Paper Bag! |
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| Very Lemony Smell! |
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| 'Rober's Lemon Rose' Pelargonium Leaves |
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| Some Leaves are Not Yet Dried! |
Really some years we do the right techniques at the right times and then other years, it doesn't work as well. I am talking about drying scented geranium (or if you would me to be more precise, pelargonium) leaves. I took three paper bags. Yes, I have them stashed away in case I need them. I wrote in pencil what each leaf was before I placed them into the bag. I didn't crowd them too much. And voila, it worked. I think some years I don't clip them when they are very dry and try to dry them when they are slightly damp with dew. Don't do it. Wait until afternoon when they are completely dry and then cut and place them in the paper bags. I have done Frensham, a lemony pelargonium, a hybrid of 'Mabel Grey' and 'Prince of Orange' and 'Rober's Lemon Rose' which looks like a tomato leaf and has both the rose and lemon fragrance. As you may be able to see some of the leaves of 'Rober's Lemon Rose' still need to dry. So shake and look periodically to make sure they are drying evenly. I'm just so excited they kept their color. My peppermint leaves that I dried between paper toweling didn't fair as well. They are brown and not as appealing as these are. They still smell good, but they aren't as pretty.
Most of the pelargoniums are still OK and I may do the paper bag drying with some more leaves this week. I don't want to go too crazy and then not find a way to use them later. We did have a hard freeze yesterday morning so the tomatoes are done. The zinnias in the front are toast. The nasturtiums looked done, but I saw that some flowers are still blooming! The tallest lemon verbena got some damaged leaves. I will make jelly some time this week. Busy time in the herb garden. We are going to be in the 70's today and so I guess this is Indian Summer now. We got the grass cut this morning and maybe for the last time this year. Never know about that. Hope you are having a great day. Talk to you later.
I bought a lemon verbena plant a week or so ago. I guess its end of the season so maybe that wasnt a good idea. Its on my back porch now thats sort of like a greenhouse. So I guess I need to harvest leaves, cut it back and pray I can keep it alive till next year?
ReplyDeleteI would go as long as you can before you harvest them. Unless it gets very cold for you. We have brought one plant inside and it was shocked and I cut those leaves off and froze them in snack bags and then placed them in a container in the freezer. It may hold on to its leaves, but then again it may not. It gets white flies and spider mites if the leaves stay on. I like to cut it way back around mid December and then around February it begins to leaf out again and by mid May when it can go back out, it is a nice sized plant. You can keep it on a sunny windowsill or in the basement. Just water it every seven to 10 days and you'll get it through the winter. Don't be worried if it drops its leaves. It usually does that. It is unusual for it to hold its leaves through the winter. Good luck. xxoo Nancy
ReplyDeleterbena plant a week or so ago. I guess its end of the season so maybe that wasnt a good idea. Its on my back porch now thats sort of like a greenhouse. So I guess I need to harvest leaves, cut it back and pray I can keep it alive till next year?
ReplyDeleteHi Michael,
ReplyDeleteDid you try and cut and paste my previous commentor's comment? You can just read what I commented to her. It should work for you. Thanks for stopping by. Nancy