A healthy lifestyle includes filling our homes with natural scents and our bodies with natural ingredients.
Thankfully, these 5 natural fragrance ideas are also edible! When you next run out of chemical-based air freshener, why not skip a trip to the supermarket and pot up a naturally fragrant plant instead? Both your health and the planet will benefit.
Basil: You will be familiar with roughly chopping basil for salads and pasta recipes, but did you know there are several different scented varieties of this versatile herb? Some basil plants have minty undertones while others give off lemon, lime, and anise scents. For a fresh, clean-smelling home, pot a basil plant in well-draining soil and keep it moist without overwatering.
Lavender: A delicate purple herb, lavender is commonly used to decorate desserts or flavour artisanal ice cream. It has a deep, sweet scent that is known to promote a feeling of serenity and calm. A lavender pot plant in the bedroom will encourage a restful night’s sleep. It will also provide pretty flowers that can be dried and used to make scented sachets for resting on your pillow before bed.
Geraniums: Often used for their aroma in meat dishes and delicate flavour in salads, geraniums will bring a fresh, peppery scent, bold colour, and playful texture to you home décor. The scented geranium family includes orange, nutmeg, rose, and lemon varieties. Pot by a regularly open window for wafts of fragrance throughout the room.
Mint: The ultimate breath freshener, mint is also used to freshen the air in kitchens and bathrooms. This easy to grow plant will add a splash of vibrant green to any room and only asks for partial shade and well-draining soil in return. Keep your plant looking and smelling its best by regularly harvesting new growth for use in salads and herbal teas.
Anise hyssop: Calling all liquorice fans! The leaves of the anise hyssop plant will scent your room with an uplifting, sweet liquorice smell. The anise plant needs 16 hours of direct sunlight each day, so position it by a sunny, uncovered window. The plant’s scented leaves can also be blended in smoothies and the pretty blooms can be dried to make organic herbal tea with health-boosting properties.
