I put a citronella geranium on my windowsill just for the mosquitoes: the evening I brushed the leaves with my hand, I understood what the plant had been holding back all summer
The citronella geranium sits quietly on windowsills across the world, sold as a mosquito repellent that rarely lives up to its promise. But brush its leaves with your hand, and you’ll understand what the plant has been holding back all summer: a sharp, citrusy burst of fragrance that emerges only through touch. The real story is far more interesting than the marketing.