Gardening with Galligan: Citronella geraniums for your garden

I never knew about the whole concept of mosquito-repellent plants until a few weeks ago when a friend who lives upstate told me about hers.

She has a large number in pots, placed strategically around her back porch and pool. She said they not only repelled mosquitoes but also kept squirrels away, who had previously dug around in her other pots but decamped once she installed citronella geraniums.

Citronella is one of the most common ingredients in insect repellents, due to its strong smell, which, according to the literature, “masks mosquito attractants.” But before even getting to the geraniums, there is the plant, citronella — a grass that grows quite tall, appropriate for beds or large pots, that needs full sun and good drainage.

The aroma from citronella plants dominates or masks other scents; consequently, mosquitoes aren’t attracted to anything nearby. Amazon sells three citronella plants in 4-inch pots that cost $18.49.

The proper name for scented geraniums is pelargonium, and there are dozens of different varieties.The scent does not come from their bloom, but rather from their leaves. Below their leaf hairs there are glands and it is within those glands that the scent is formed.

Whenever the leaves are crushed or even brushed against, the oil is released and the scent is in the air. The scented geraniums are in the true geranium family. They are similar to geraniums in a number of ways, but are actually a separate genus.

The flowers tend to be small, some prettier than others, but it isn’t the flowers that one should care about the most. The scents vary and there’s a wide degree of choice possible — they tend to mimic other plants, for example lemons or roses.

They are winter-hardy only in Zones 10 and 11 (we’re Zone 6) but the literature claims they can easily be wintered over inside as houseplants, but will need bright light. They prefer full sun but will tolerate partial shade.

They are available at amazon.com. Two plants, described as 6- to 10-inches tall, each in a 4-inch pot, are available for $23.77 plus $9.95 shipping.

Expensive, yes, but maybe worthwhile as an experiment, especially if they can, as the literature claims, be wintered over successfully.

An additional two that come highly recommended are pelargonium odoratissimum, otherwise known as apple-scented geranium, with what’s called a “crisp apple scent,” and small white flowers growing to 3 feet.

Pelargonium graveolens, rose geranium, which smells of roses, has silver edged leaves and small white flowers. DeBaggio’s Herb Farm and Nursery in Chantilly, Virginia sells these and many other scented geraniums; they can be reached at 703- 327-6976.

It turns out there are a number of additional plants that also have mosquito-repellent properties. I’ll tell you about them in the next column.

Observation of the week: I was in the Bridgehampton Commons last week and saw something I found surprising: a large bed of unmulched begonias in full sun, blooming their little heads off! I always think of begonias for shade, which as you know, I have a lot of and that’s where they do very well.

Obviously, they’re a much more versatile plant than I realized. Take a look, they’re on the east side, in front of Radio Shack. Live and learn.