We talk a lot about scent and color to enhance your spa day experience. The topic of indoor house plants is not usually found in reference to a spa day, but it should be. Indoor plants can have a profound effect on your senses and make your spa day and every day a more beautiful, fragrant and healthy experience.
Indoor plants for color
There are many beautiful flowering indoor plants. My two favorites are my African violets and Christmas cactus. Both of these plants require a minimum of care and tolerate the dry air of central heating. My violets bloom all year and my Christmas cacti bloom whenever they feel like it. No, they do not bloom just at Christmas.
Another plant I just absolutely love is the coleus. This is usually thought of as an outdoor plant, but it can be grown indoors. What makes this plant so special is that it’s not dependent on blooms for color because the color is in the leaves. Coleus comes in just about every color imaginable. The only drawback to growing coleus is that it does require a bit more attention to keep it looking lovely.
There are many indoor plants to choose from in order to add color to your spa day. Some of the most popular include: geranium, bromeliads and orchids. When choosing an indoor houseplant for color, it’s a good idea to check with your local nursery and do a bit of research online to see if you and your new plant are a good fit.
A final word on indoor plants for color, don’t forget the flower pots. There are so many ornate and absolutely gorgeous colors to choose from, that even when your plant is not in bloom, you still have the colorful pot topped with lush green foliage.
Indoor plants for scent
Try Rondelettia splendens (Panama Rose) if you have a sunny spot for it. It likes to give off its amazing scent in the evening. Jasmine as an indoor plant will delight you with its perfume, but it requires a fair amount of tender care or it’ll just sit there and stare at you and refuse to bloom.
There are many more indoor plants noted for their scents among them geraniums. However, geraniums don’t smell pleasant to all people so you’ll want to take a good whiff of them at a nursery before you decide on geraniums. In fact, you should check out any plant you want to grow for its scent. Ask these questions: How easy is it to grow? When does it bloom? How long does the blooming last? What are the needs of the plant to produce the flowers?
Once again I suggest a visit to your local nursery and some online research to make certain you, your home and your scented indoor plant are a good match. We don’t want any disappointed goddesses.
Indoor plants for health
This is a huge wow factor. NASA discovered that the many plants can remove toxins from the air in your home. Here are a few of the best:
- Rhapis excelsa (Areca Palm – It also acts as an efficient humidifier.
- Lady Palm – This is a beautiful and durable plant.
- Chamaedorea seifrizii (Bamboo Palm)
- Ficus robusta (Rubber Plant) – The rubber plant is particularly good at removing formaldehyde, but be careful with plant chewing pets and children. It’s toxic for them.
- Dracaena deremensis (Dracaena)
- Hedera helix (English Ivy) – English ivy is particularly good if you have allergies.
- Phoenix Roebelinii (Dwarf Date Palm)
- Nephrolepsis exalta (Boston fern) – Its ability to remove mold and toxins from the air are renowned.
- Spathiphyllus sp. (Peace Lily) – This is a gorgeous addition to any décor.
- Aloe Vera – A wonderful succulent with many medicinal uses. Makes an attractive house plant.
- Zingiber officinale (Ginger) – See related post
This is far from an all inclusive list. I could go on and on, but this list will get you thinking and hopefully growing some of these indoor plants.
Conclusion
Different indoor plants require varying amounts of care. I find the beautiful flowers my indoor plants provide far outweigh any extra required care. Once I had a rubber tree that kept growing and purifying the air in my home until it outgrew its location (18’). I donated it to the Tacoma Woodland Park Zoo. They were grateful to have it and as a gift, brought me some of the most beautiful impatiens I’ve ever seen.
Not only will indoor plants provide us with color, scent and a healthy living environment, tending to them is very therapeutic. They ask for so little and give so much in return. Hmmm, I wonder if there’s a lesson in that for all of us.
Now go have fun and relax.
Related Posts:
Growing Ginger [1]