Potted Plants
Lots of scented plants that grow well if planted in pots can be grown indoors; so why not liven up both the garden and your home with the flowers and scents of summer?
Mix it up if you like; rotating pots of scented plants inside and out, creating a continually changing affect around the home. Just remember though; indoors is not a natural environment for plants - they tend to flower for shorter periods indoors, and are not as healthy in the long term.
The inside environment is different in a number of ways:
• Light conditions may be lower - for some plants this can result in fewer flowers.
• Carbon dioxide levels can be higher (from people breathing) - particularly if the house is not well-ventilated.
• Direct sunlight through a window can act like a magnifying glass and burn tender plant tissues.
• Roots can dry out faster - because the root mass is in a confined space.
• No rain means lower fertility because rainfall contains nitrogen-bearing molecules – mains water isn’t as nitrogen rich.
• Fumes and cold air from air-conditioning units and heating can also affect the health of plants.
• Dust can clog the pores of leaves.
• High humidity inside a house can cause fungal diseases to spread quickly.
Another important thing to consider is that scented plants may be more noticeable in confined spaces. Whilst there are some scented plants which are loved by most people, others can cause some people to have allergic reactions particularly when the air becomes laden with the plant’s fragrance and pollen. It may be that your whole family loves the smell of jasmine, but the same scent may cause your neighbours’ eyes to water, or perhaps trigger a sneezing fit or asthma attack! Choosing a plant species carefully can help you overcome this problem. The scent of lavender or mint, for example, is more innocuous and may be a wonderful experience for all. So, the best approach is to choose species that are suitable for most people and which cause the least problems. This applies both indoors and out.
The importance of sunlight
The main thing you need to remember with most flowering plants is that to get a lot of flowers you need sunlight for at least six hours per day. Direct sunlight also causes plants to release scents, and this is especially so for plants with aromatic foliage such as lavender, and curry plants. Other plants such as roses also need reasonably long periods of sunlight to flower well. Some, however, will flowers with less light – flower carpet roses are a good example. These will still flower with just four or five hours of sunlight a day, so if you want to bring a potted one indoors you can, provided you place it in a well-lit area. Most of the flower carpet range is also very disease-resistant, but choose carefully because not all are fragrant.
• Marigolds - these include both the French types (Tagetes) and Pot Marigold (Calendula). Marigolds do need sun to flower well, so are best planted in pots or window boxes that are placed in a sunny position, or directly in an open garden position. They are easy-care annuals that will need replacing each season, although they do tend to self-seed readily in the garden. They have stunning yellow through to bright orange flowers.
Deadhead them regularly to promote more blooms. This plant is relatively pest and disease resistant.
• Miniature or carpet roses - although not the obvious choice for an indoor plant, if given a sunny position near a window they can be brought inside for short periods. It is best to choose from the varieties which are resistant to black spot disease, such as the Flower Carpet or Brindabella ranges. Not all varieties are scented, but all are tough and some Flower Carpet varieties will grow well with less light. They are also a good choice for pots on the balcony or patio. Trim them often to promote new flowers and bushy growth, but don’t prune them back hard.
• Scented carnations (Dianthus species) – also called ‘pinks’, these plants are the stalwart of the cottage garden. They are small, hardy ground-hugging plants
that have extremely fragrant flowers with a clove-like scent (hence their other common name - ‘clove-scented carnations’). These little gems do well in pots or as edging plants in the garden. They are very disease-resistant and have no particular pests to speak of. They must be grown in a sunny position, so if you want to bring them indoors, do so for very short periods of time only. Deadhead to promote more flowers.
• Scented pelargoniums – there are many different scented foliage species including: apple, coconut, rose, cinnamon, nutmeg, peppermint and many more! A breeze or the slightest touch releases their scent. Don’t overwater these plants as it encourages fungal diseases – they need air movement around the plants too so pop them outside at night for a breather if you want to try them indoors. They can also be prone to white-flies and aphids – hose these off as soon as you detect them. Other than that they are fairly carefree, but for the larger varieties such as the rose-scented types make sure you pinch out the new growth often as they can become unruly.
• Sweet rocket (Hesperis matronalis) – a great plant to have near the back door so you can see the white or mauve coloured flowers, and the fragrant scent can waft inside on a warm summer’s evening. They are a shortlived perennial that is easy to care for and will self-sow in the garden.
• Thyme – a great plant for the summer herb garden which is easy to grow in pots and is reasonably pest and disease free. There are many species available from low groundhugging mat types through to woody, perennial sub-shrubs. The fragrances range from lemon through to caraway and even a gorgeous lavender-scented variety. If you want to bring thyme indoors make sure you only do so for very short periods. Place in a well-lit spot or on a sunny window sill.
Further reading Scented Plants –a book by John Mason and staff of ACS Distance Education Available as an ebook at www.acsbookshop.com