Ditch the Candles – The Best House Plants to Make Your Home Smell Lovely

Is it time to ditch the candles and artificial air fresheners and invest in some plants in your home? Not only are plants eco-friendly, they are economical, long-lasting and have a whole host of hidden health benefits ranging from helping you sleep to easing pain. What’s more, if you choose wisely your plants can replace air freshener to make your home smell amazing.

Gardenia

The scent of Gardenia is often added to perfume as the smell is simply stunning. It has a sweet aroma that’s also fresh helping to keep your room beautifully scented for months. It needs regular watering and care to keep it healthy and the scent stronger for longer.

Lavender

This is one of the most popular scented houseplants and lavender is used in our everyday lives in candles, air fresheners, sleep aids and even some natural medicines. It has a widely recognised scent and is renowned for being calming and relaxing which is often why it’s used on pillows to help you sleep. It requires a high level of sunlight and so should be kept on a windowsill to maximise its light exposure.

Citrus

Zesty fragrances such as lemon, orange or grapefruit are refreshing and cleansing. To have a citrus scent radiating throughout your home will give it a fresh and appealing scent. However, these plants require some maintenance as they are Mediterranean plants requiring plenty of sunlight and need to be soaked every week.

Geranium

Geranium has a scent of lemon, apple and strawberry much like floral air fresheners. Geraniums have a unique scent, and there are different varieties available. They are split into categories including rose, mint, lemon, spice, fruit and nut, pungent and oak so you have a great choice! They require watering every month to keep them fresh and to prolong the scent.

Mint

Fresh, zingy and a great alternative to florals – mint is a fabulous plant to have in the home. It’s hardy and smells great, what’s more, it can be used in cooking and to make a refreshing mint tea. Choose from peppermint or spearmint. They are a hardy plant and if planted in the garden will dominate wherever they are planted but if in the home they require watering every other day to stay healthy and strong smelling.