Cut a stem 2 to 4 inches long just below a node, and place it in a pot filled with a soilless mix. Although the flowers of scented geraniums are not the plant's raison d'etre , they often provide a nice, quiet show. These plants are really grown for the leaves. There's quite a variety of leaf sizes and shapes, some with deeply indented lobes, some softly rounded. There's also a nice range in color and variegation, with pale yellows, chartreuse, and deep greens.
Appearance is one thing, smell and touch another.
That's where these lovely plants appeal to plantsmen and plain folk alike. The leaves have glands that contain complex volatile oils responsible for the heavenly scents released when you brush against them. Once you've smelled that perfume, you cannot resist reaching out and gently rubbing the leaves between forefinger and thumb, breathing in the scent the plant so generously offers. You can find numerous varieties of scented geraniums in mail order catalogues. I asked Goodwin Creek Garden's owner and scented geranium aficionado, Jim Becker, to mention his favorites.