Masking smell of cat litter/ portuguese cooking coming from downstairs.

July 1, 2010 4:01 PM

IndoorGardenFilter -- What are some sweet-smelling plants or flowers I could fill my apartment with?

I occupy the top two floors of a house with no patio or garden. I would like to fill my living room/kitchen/spot above the cat litter box with some friendly plants and/or flowers to liven the place up a bit and hopefully make my apartment smell a little nicer (We do occasionally get wafts of cigarette smoke and meaty Portuguese cooking coming from downstairs).

So -- what sort of plants should I be looking for that would do well in my apartment? The place is fairly well-lit with some spots getting direct sunlight, some not, but few places I would really consider "dark". I prefer dark green leafy things and plants with big leaves rather than spiky ferns, but my apartment is rather large and could use a wide variety of plants all over. And are there any sorts of flowers i could keep indoors that would last over the whole year? I have a peace lily downstairs that was doing very well until it didn't get watered for a while, now the leaves look great but it won't flower.

And is there anything specific I should know about keeping plants indoors as opposed to outdoors?

posted by custard heart to Home & Garden (9 answers total)

Night blooming jasmine smells very nice (but strong) for a few nights every year.
posted by natteringnabob at 4:22 PM on July 1, 2010

Basil and lavender are both pretty easy to grow and smell nice.
posted by jessamyn at 4:25 PM on July 1, 2010

Rosemary smells lovely and is a perennial that can last forever if you take good care of it. There are tons of different varieties with different growing needs, appearances, and smells.
posted by Mizu at 4:30 PM on July 1, 2010

I once worked across the office from a woman that always seemed to have fresh sweet peas, and it was like a little slice of heaven.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 4:41 PM on July 1, 2010

Fragrant orchids might work for you. Generally, they bloom at least once a year and stay in bloom for months at a time. I have one miltoniopsis which fills my whole living room with a fresh, flowery scent, and oncidium "Sharry Baby" is known as the chocolate orchid for its strong fragrance.
posted by kalanchoe at 6:12 PM on July 1, 2010

Since you have a cat, make sure whatever plant you get isn't poisonous to the little fella. For instance, lilies are deadly.
posted by I'm Brian and so's my wife! at 7:09 PM on July 1, 2010

I have a potted orange tree, and while it doesn't always have a fragrance, when the orange blossoms bloom (which happens for me about 4 times a year) it's pretty much the best smell ever! Plus, bonus=tiny oranges which make the best orange-ade!
posted by fresh-rn at 6:53 AM on July 2, 2010

Many fragrant herbs are quite strong smelling if you brush against them, and have the advantage of being very easy to grow. Try sage (sunny dry windowsill), mint (can take part shade, likes moisture), lemon balm (similar to mint but with more flowers). Chamomile and sweet woodruff both smell great but are very low growing, so they would be good for small pots or as components of larger containers.
posted by Wavelet at 8:12 AM on July 2, 2010

Response by poster: Wha--lilies are poisonous? My black cat nips at the leaves and has been for years with no apparent side effects. Just bought basil n rosemary yesterday!
posted by custard heart at 3:54 PM on July 2, 2010