Sometimes it can feel like hard work to not only keep your home looking good but also smelling good. However, if you're looking for a low-effort, high-reward home fragrance solution then these expert-approved plants might be just the answer.
Humble houseplants can go a long way to improving our homes, not only because certain plants help with condensation in any room but many popular varieties can also help to make a house smell good.
Looking for natural remedies when scent-scaping your home is ideal because even armed with the best scented candles on the market, our homes can struggle to hold a pleasant consistent smell throughout. Plus whilst candles can produce a strong signature scent, you can't leave them unsupervised or burning too long without repercussions.
Luckily there is a rather simple yet stunning solution for naturally scenting any room and it comes in the form of one of the best fragrant plants.
The 5 best plants to make your house smell good
"Introducing scented houseplants into your home can help create a relaxed environment," says Mark Lane, a gardening expert and BBC Gardener's World presenter. "Not only will the plants help purify the air and lead to better indoor air quality, but their sweet scents will fill a room."
Not only is Mark a presenter on BBC's Gardeners World he is also an accredited gardening expert at stairlift and homelift company Stannah. Mark also runs his own gardening business when not providing useful tips and tricks for blossoming green thumbs.
1. Jasmine
Starting strong with a scent everyone loves, jasmine is very commonly used in perfumes and beauty products as it has a sweet yet subtle floral scent. But what better to fill a room with fragrance than keeping a pot of it in your living space?
Direct of Polhill Garden Centre, Josh Novell explains how jasmine has become a classic house plant because of that appealing sweet, floral aroma which often reminds people of summer evenings. He says, "It may be easy on the eye, but jasmine’s potency is commonly moderate to strong, especially when the flowers bloom."
And if you need a crash course in responsible plant parenting for your plants then Josh says luckily they're quite simple to care for. He suggests putting your jasmine plant in a bright corner that doesn't get direct sunlight as well as making sure it's rooted in moist well-draining soil.
With over six years working in the horticulture industry, Josh has worked his way up the green thumb ranks to becoming a director at the Polhill Gardening Centre which he now helps run.
2. Lilies
Whether you're on the lilies hype or not, there's no denying the strong earthy-honeyed aroma they give off immediately when placed into a room. If you're looking for ways to make your kitchen smell good then lilies are your flower, they're great at overpowering unwelcomed scents.
Another advantage of lilies, especially for those of you with a green thumb, is how easily they grow in a garden no matter what size. Plant expert and assistant manager at J.Parkers Garden Center, Hannah Rowson says, "After vibrant and fragrant plants for your home? Cut flowers are a great workaround, providing months of colour to both your garden and your vase."
"Lilies are a florist’s favourite bouquet-filler for a reason. There are plenty of varieties for you to grow in your gardens, regardless of how much space you have to play with," she continues.
If you're looking for a house plant, then peace lilies are a great alternative. They have various benefits for your home but will need a little more care than their floral counterparts. Forget to water them once and you'll be asking why my peace lily tips are turning brown.
Hannah has worked with bulb specialists J.Parkers for over 8 years, she is RHS qualified and is a fountain of knowledge with all things gardening and horticulture. Hannah has even had some of her garden designs displayed at the RHS Tatton Flower Show.
3. Lavender
It's certainly no secret the powers lavender holds, not just with its beloved scent but also its soothing and relaxing nature when used in beauty and bath products. "An absolute staple of British homes and gardens, lavender’s unmistakable scent offers a calming, herbaceous fragrance with a touch of sweetness," says Josh.
Lavender can be potent at times however its natural levels are moderate until you brush against its leaves. Because of this subtly, lavender is a great scent for fragrance layering as it mixes well with other scents such as citruses and vanilla.
Whilst you can easily grow lavender outside, bringing it indoors in smaller ceramic pots will not only bring a wonderful smell to your home but also calming energy. You can also make fragrant lavender pillows from the plant which are ideal for popping in sock drawers, hanging in your wardrobe or placing on your bed.
Lavender is also said to be a great natural solution when looking at how to keep ants away from your house.
4. Sweet Peas
There's no surprise that sweet pea plants are one of the most fragrant plants to have in your home. The clue is of course in the name as these flowers give off a sweet and summery floral scent like the best floral fragrances.
Sweet Peas are particularly hardy plants and are a great choice for those of you looking for what to plant in February. Hannah says, "They’re easy to grow, whether that’s from a plug or a seed, and can be grown in both borders or containers."
You can choose between harvesting the plants and displaying them in a vase or letting them grow in a small indoor pot. Either way, they'll bring a touch of summer to your home both with their scent and colour.
5. Scented Geraniums
This one may come as a surprise but Geraniums are great for adding subtle scents to your home, although they give most of their floral aroma off when their leaves are disturbed they can give off a variety of different smells. And if you want to keep up with the garden trends but don't fancy yourself a gardener then Geraniums are a super easy gateway plant.
"The scent of geraniums varies depending on the variety, ranging from citrusy lemon and lime to spicy peppermint or nutmeg and floral rose," explains Josh.
Their potency can differ depending on variation and their maximum scent only comes when their leaves are brushed against. That's why we'd recommend having numerous pots of them in indirect sunlight, perfect for brightening up a corner of your home.
While using flowers and various plants for fragrance layering and scent scaping is a great idea it's important to be mindful of just how many scents you're playing with. Mark explains, "The knack is not to overdo it. Too many scents in one room can overpower the senses. Keep it simple with just one plant per room, perhaps two if it’s a large room. Choose plants that flower at different times to extend the scented period."
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