Put Some Spring in Your Sleep!
Strategic Indoor Gardening in the Bedroom Yields Wonderful Results
Feb 21, 2009
Sure, plants are pretty, but garden expert P. Allen Smith wants people to think outside the box when it comes to flora and fauna. Though known for his outside garden tips, he is the author of "Bringing the Garden Indoors," his first foray into indoor gardening ideas.
Benefits of Indoor Plants
Smith, who appeared on February 21st in his monthly segment on NBC's "The Today Show," advocates bringing plants into the bedroom and bathroom of the home to create a beautiful ambience and bring people closer to nature. He says they create a restful atmosphere and can reduce stress, which are important qualities in tough economic times such as the ones occurring right now. Houseplants absorb odors and fumes and purify the air in general, which help many people breathe and sleep better. And not only can the plants be aesthetically pleasing, but their aromas can have stress-reducing benefits as well.
How to Put Together a Simple Indoor Garden
Smith recommends placing five or six different houseplants in the bedroom. Some of his favorites include calla lillies, croton, jade plants, sansavaria (also known as Mother-in-Law's tongue), bird's tail and ivy.
Cut flowers like hyacinths, gardenias or citrus blossoms are also great additions during the spring months because of their radiant hues and sweet fragrances. Cut flowers can last eight to ten days when placed in cooler temperatures with less light. The great thing about all of the plants Smith listed is that most do not need a lot of watering or caregiving, so they won't add to a person's list of things to do and subsequently, their stress level.
Other Garden Tips
Herbs and essential oils can also fragrance a house nicely. Smith provides an easy recipe for making homemade sachets: Take dried lavender and put in a liberal amount of essential oil, mix and put in a sachet bag. This can be placed in a pillowcase to aid sleep. Another option is to place a few drops of an oil like lavender in the rinse cycle with bedding, since lavender is known to improve sleep.
And instead of buying potpourri, make it! Take lavender blossoms, rosemary, shavings of eastern red cedar and bay leaves and place in a bowl. Douse with about a quarter cup of lavender oil and mix. The oil only needs to be re-added every four months.
Smith also advocates using beautiful containers for the plants and potpourri placed around the house. He says containers can be found to fit any decor and improve the already positive effect the plants have on the house.
Simple, Economical and Beneficial
Bringing spring inside the house creates a beautiful ambience with many health benefits, including stress reduction, improved air quality and tranquility. The simplicity of caring for low-maintenance plants and creating inexpensive homemade sachets and potpourri bring satisfaction and ease to anyone's life. And who wouldn't want to experience spring as soon as possible?
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