Intoxicating indoor plants
Something smells…
Smell is one of our strongest senses and one of the easiest ways to evoke a sense of joy, comfort, relaxation, or longing.
The comforting smell of something baking, fresh flowers or clean laundry all bring us a sense of home.
Just as good smells are, well, good, there’s nothing worse than a foul smell. A house that smells sour or damp or musty is simply not on!
Find the source of the stink
Now the obvious solution is to find the source of the bad smell and sort it out. Take out the trash, unblock the drain, clean the carpet or whatever other source of stink you can find.
The next step is to give the whole rest of the house a generally good scrub. Use cleaning supplies with neutral scents that compliment each other, and really get into every nook and cranny.
Finally, when your home is a no-stink-zone, take precautionary action. Yes, you could get those timed air freshener sprays, but really – no home should smell like a “Caribbean Escape” or a sickly-sweet “Strawberry Field”, 24/7.
Air quality matters
The jury is also still out on domestic free standing air purifiers…Mostly they are just overpriced machines that hiss and hum without really improving air quality.
There is, however, one solution that’s affordable, eco friendly and actually endorsed by NASA (Yep, the guys who put a man on the moon).
According to a study they did, there are various house plants that not only drastically improve the air quality in your home by removing various toxic chemicals from the air, buy these plants will also combat a whole array of unpleasant odours.
These plants purify air, and by doing so, reduce the effects of certain unpleasant smells.
But what about plants that actually give off a non-invasive, non-hay-fever-triggering, fresh, mellow and long-lasting scent. Do they even exist?
We have done our homework:
Most run of the mill indoor plants, like snake plants, peace lilies, ferns, bamboo and parlour palms all play an important role in purifying air, but if you’re looking for scent inspirations, its best to go for the blooms.
The first and obvious ones are lavender and jasmine. Both of which can be sustained well indoors as long as they have sufficient light and water. The added bonus of these two are that they are non-toxic, which means they are safe for cats, dogs, kids and curious guests.
Secondly, we move into the bougie realm
While most store-bought orchids are pretty to look at, but disappoint in the smelly- verse, there are a few exceptional orchids that delicately fill your house with an intoxicating scent for as long as they are blooming. Cymbidiums have a wonderful lemony scent to go with their bright yellow flowers. The second orchid that really packs a fragrance punch is the Brassavola nodosa, a tough little orchid from central and northern South America with delicate spidery petals and a wonderful fragrance. It’s also known as the “lady of the night” because it releases it’s citrussy gardenia scent at dusk.
Begonia for beginners
Do lavender and jasmine feel to tame, but you’re just not ready to cultivate your own orchids?
Next time you stop for basic groceries, grab that potted begonia in the fresh produce aisle. These cheap, happy little flowers are super easy to maintain, (affordable to replace) and will add a gentle hint of freshness to any room. If you take good care of your begonia (it’s really not that difficult) it should even bloom year-round!
