Five fragrant flowers to grow indoors

Want to up your home’s aesthetic appeal in an environment friendly way? You can count on Mother Nature’s help: Here are five plants that you can grow indoors to make your house fragrant and beautiful.

Jasmine

This starry flower has a strong fragrance that resembles to that of a gardenia. You can grow this vine in a hanging basket or a pot with all-purpose soil. Jasmine is a spring to fall kind of flower (so you can combine it with seasonal décor for interesting results), but with essential warmth and light (like these LED lights for plants), it can also sprout in winters.

From summer till fall, this flower will require maximum sunlight and buildings with windows facing south are recommended for this flower. During summer, the soil needs to be moist, but should be dry before every watering. In autumn, the plant needs to be watered less and during winters it should be kept moderately dry.

Once it blossoms, the plant will produce bright white or yellowish star shaped flowers that smell magical as you walk past them. The Jasmine plant will need something to entwine itself over and for this, it is ideal that the Jasmines are grown while leaning against a wall for suitable support required for this creeping plant.

Lavender

The lavender is used in several products and is admired for its calming aroma. However, this special herb needs extra care than most plants. Lavender needs a lot of room, so a bigger pot is the right choice to avoid the individual flowers being crammed.

A lot of sunlight is also needed so try placing it next to a sun facing window for successful growth. This will also ensure sufficient flow of fresh air for the plant, which it oh so needs. You’ll also need to watch the soil quality for this plant. It is best to let the soil become dry to the touch in between watering and soil additives can be used occasionally to keep the plant healthy.

Even though you might be planning to have this plant for the indoors, it is advised to set it outside every once in a while during fall and spring for best results!

Mint

This plant is relatively easier to grow indoors and its minty scent is absolutely refreshing. It can be grown in pots and even water bottles! You can use a good potting mix in a pot for growing your mint plant. It needs indirect sunlight and should be watered well afterwards. Temperatures of 65-70 °F during the day and 55-60 °F at night are most suitable for growing mint plants indoors.

The mint plant should be kept moist, but over-watering should be avoided and the soil should be watered when the upper layer is dry to the touch. Humidity is needed to, and so, the mint leaves should be sprayed with water in between watering. You may fertilize the plant using water soluble fertilizer, but be careful not to overdo it as it can strip the mint of its scent and flavor.

Lastly, the plant should be rotated every few days to prevent it from growing lopsided.

Rosemary

When planted indoors, the rosemary can fill your space with a woodsy pungent scent, with lime-like tones. However, it’s a bit tricky to grow indoors and requires careful treatment. Before bringing the plant indoors, it should be gradually accustomed to the shadier areas of your garden to make it more efficient in converting light for energy. This ‘sunlight diet’ is done so that when moved indoors, the plant can survive in the weak light. Furthermore, to supplement sunlight, the plant should be kept near a fluorescent light for better results.

The plant should also be watered only when the top layer of the soil is dry and it shouldn’t be dried out completely before watering it. Rosemary also needs increased air circulation around it to avoid powdery mildew – this can be done by letting a flan blow on it for a while. To avoid pests that may hinder the plant’s health, organic pesticides should be sprayed on it.

Hoya

The Hoya is an eye-catching plant that emits a sweet aroma at night. It is a vine, and should be grown in hanging baskets or pots as its stems can reach up to four feet indoors.

It should be potted in loose soil that both drains and retains water well, since its root might rot if it is constantly soggy. To minimize this risk, the plant should be watered when the topmost two inches of soil have become dry.

To avoid pests, the Hoya should be placed in bright light, preferably in front of an east-facing window. Artificial lighting can also be used as a substitute if there is a dearth of natural light in your locale.

This plant may be fertilized on a monthly basis with organic fertilizer to ensure good health.

Be careful not to move the Hoya once it is blooming and keep it away from drafts to avoid the buds from falling off.  When grown successfully, you will see beautiful pink and white Hoya flowers in your space!

There are dozens of other sweet smelling plants that you can grow indoors – they’ll boost your indoor air quality and you’ll be able to show off your botany skills to your guests. Don’t worry if you’re a novice – there are plenty of detailed guides strewn across the internet that will give you a step-by-step demonstration.

A word of caution though – before planting any exotic plant indoors, make sure that is safe for humans and pets, and that none of your family members are allergic to it.