y Lorraine Kiefer I eagerly watch for a little more sunlight each afternoon. Well with the new year each day has just a little a bit more daylight than the day before. Houseplants will respond to this with new growth. A shower and a mild application of time-release fertilizer any time in the next couple of weeks will be good for...
y Lorraine Kiefer
I eagerly watch for a little more sunlight each afternoon. Well with the new year each day has just a little a bit more daylight than the day before. Houseplants will respond to this with new growth. A shower and a mild application of time-release fertilizer any time in the next couple of weeks will be good for them. Then in February I also give them a dose of liquid Plant Nutrient, a mild liquid organic food. Once holiday decorations are gone the green of a fern or citrus tree in a sunny window brings sparkle to a room.
Candles, potpourri, and simmer pots can all add aroma to the home, but my favorite way to bring some 'spring' into a room is the natural way with a window full of fragrant plants.
If you have a window that receives a few hours of sunlight a day, you can grow one or more of the sweet-scented plants that will bloom indoors. Fragrant plants bring a new dimension to a windowsill of green plants. A fresh, spring-like fragrance is a joy on a snowy day!
Some plants such as the sweet olive (Osmanthus fragrans) are very easy to grow and bloom most of the year. Others, such as paper white narcissus or hyacinth, have a much shorter time of bloom, but are intensely fragrant and colorful. Even a primrose or pot of pansies is a treat this time of the year once they are available.
Paper white are bulbs that can be placed in pebbles with water. They often bloom in a few weeks. It is so much fun and excitement for a child or even an elderly person to plant these and watch the daily progress of the growth. Give a few as a new year's gift to shut ins, kids or anyone you would like to delight. Triple Oaks has made up ready-to-water kits that are easy to grow.
Paper white narcissus has a very short time of bloom, but are intensely fragrant and colorful. There are many types of plants from which to choose. Before deciding which plants are for you, consider these factors. First, approximate the hours of sunlight at each window in which you could place the plants. Also determine which areas are cool and which are near heat sources. Many fragrant plants like citrus need a cool place in order to bloom. Others, like jasmine, need a warm humid area, often found in a laundry room, kitchen or shower area. Very few will flourish in a dry, warm spot, but I have found that a hoya bloomed riotously in a west window near a fireplace. Some folks find that a blooming hoya is really too sweet but I like it. Patchouli is another that will do well in a hot sunny room.
There are a few common sense rules to follow for success with most plants, including the fragrant ones. I have found that all need fresh air and fairly cool temperatures, especially at night. Good light is important, but there are certain plants that will adjust to less light and still flower. A spoon of time release fertilizer is good as it feeds when ever the plant is watered.
It is important to find the right spot for each plant. I can grow fragrant olive everywhere in my house where there is a window; including places that only get a brief kiss of morning sunlight. On the other hand, jasmine is much more selective and needs a warm sunny window. Some herbs only last a few weeks because there is just not enough light for their Mediterranean needs. I noticed that my hanging nasturtium pot looks dreadful, half dead, but starting to get green leaves and even some blooms.
Jasmine (Jasminum sambac), a native of India, is a wonderfully fragrant vine that needs a warm, sunny spot when grown indoors. It will take partial shade while outdoors for the summer and it loves humidity, which can be created by pans of pebbles filled with water under plants in sunny bay windows. Grow the jasmine in a hanging basket above the other plants and keep it cut back and fed so it looks healthy and bushy. A stringy-looking jasmine probably needs trimming, food, and more light. A summer outdoors will usually remedy any health problem.
There are many types of jasmine. Most require the kind of care outlined above, but some may bloom more readily than others. I feel that if I am going to have a hanging basket or a vine, it may as well be a jasmine. It is really worth growing jasmines because of their delightful scent.
There are many herbs that also smell good, but again these usually need lots of sun. Indoor or 'tender' lavender wants an airy spot with full sun; patchouli also likes warmth and sun, as does the lavender scented thyme and scented geraniums.
Citrus trees smell good; too and often bloom even in very cool rooms. I delight in the fragrant blooms and fruit that cover them now.
If lack of sun is a problem try some ferns, peace lily and other low light plants. Few have fragrant blooms, but some might surprise you. Many are thrilled when a coffee plant blooms. Violets, kolanchoe, cyclamen, primrose, geranium and even a pot of pansies are rather seasonal, but they often bring a spot of color to your window on a cloudy day. Try to water your plants on schedule because if they dry out too often leaves will drop.
All add a green dimension to your home for a bright look in winter.
Direct plant questions to lorrainekeifer@gmail.com or call 856-694-4272.
Lorraine Kiefer is the owner and operator of Triple Oaks Nursery in Franklinville. She can also be reached by e-mail at Lorraine@tripleoaks.
