Natural Aromatherapy: Fragrant Garden Window Boxes

Throw Out the Candles and Use Scented Plants Instead

Create natural aromatherapy for your home without candles or scented oils by growing your own special blend of herbs and scented flowers in window boxes. At the slightest breeze, the scent of these fragrant plants will drift into your home creating just the atmosphere you desire. But don't limit yourself to one fragrant window box; create several to set the mood for individual areas in your home.

The Kitchen Window: Generally, you will want an uplifting and invigorating scent for the kitchen area. Think crisp citrus scents mixed with stimulating mint. Lemon balm, lemon verbena, lemon-scented geranium, lemon mint and lemon thyme will provide the scent of lemon. Orange mint and orange thyme will emit an orange scent. Try grapefruit mint for a change of pace.

Eucalyptus mixes well with the scent of citrus. Add a peppermint plant to create just the right combination.

Bedroom:

Romance: For those romantic evenings, try the heady scent of night Jasmine or Gardenia. These are gorgeous plants and the aroma is thought to be an aphrodisiac by many. Add delicate plants like alyssum to provide a contrasting texture and add visual appeal.

Restful Sleep: A scented window box outside the bedroom window filled with lavender is sure to bring a restful sleep and combat insomnia. Try adding brightly colored dwarf nasturtiums and sweet alyssum.

Living area: Any of the various scented thymes work well here, try mixing thyme with sweet alyssum. Alyssum comes in a variety of colors and provides a mass of tiny blooms on trailing vines. Consider a scented geranium to compliment the alyssum and provide dramatic blooms as a focal point.

Personal Preference

Which plants you choose depends on your personal preferences in scents. Mint comes in a wide variety of scents and is easy to grow, but does not usually trail or produce dramatic flowers. Chocolate mint is a beautiful plant that provides the rich scent of chocolate, of course.