The wonderful aroma of indoor blooms

As things die down outside, your home can be brought alive through the striking blooms and wonderful aroma of indoor flowers

FROM a blast of freshly cut grass to the delicate fragrance of jasmine in the evening, scents can really lift our spirits. But just because there aren’t many flowers in your garden at this time of year, it doesn’t mean you have to go without their delicious perfume inside your home.

A huge variety of attractive houseplants will give off floral aromas to die for throughout the autumn and winter months.

One of the most delightful indoor bulbs for fragrance is hyacinth.

Once in bloom, impressive spikes festooned with signature star-shaped flowers will fill your house with a sweet and heady lavender-like scent you will love.

They are also available in a variety of incredible colours, from the rain mac yellow of ‘Yellow Queen’ to the deep violet of the ‘Miss Saigon’ variety, so they will brighten your home in more ways than one.

But if you are one for more subtle scents, then amaryllis – hippeastrum– might be the best choice for you. The celebratory trumpet-shaped flowers, which top elegant tall stems, also give off a delicate scent if you pick the fragrant varieties.

Choose ‘Apple Blossom’ for pink-tinted white flowers accompanied by a mellow aroma. Or with ‘Jewel’ you will get mesmerising semi-double cream flowers with a mild scent.

Hyacinths and amaryllis are both bulbs that are planted indoors at this time of year and, if treated correctly, can flower in time for Christmas.

You will need to buy hyacinth bulbs labelled “prepared” – these have been chilled so that when you plant them in the warm, they think spring has come early and burst into bloom.

Narcissus papyraceus – paperwhite daffodils – are also beautifully aromatic and can be planted now to flower in December.

For a step-by-step guide, take a look at my blog, Forcing Bulbs for Christmas, which you can find over at daviddomoney.com.

Or you could buy them ready grown from florists, garden centres and even supermarkets.

Two fantastic climbing plants for some heavenly indoor fragrance are Stephanotis floribunda, known as Madagascar jasmine, and Jasminum polyanthum – many-flowered jasmine.

Stephanotis’s five-pointed white flowers will be on display now and bloom well into autumn, filling your house with a pleasant perfume.

The strongly scented Jasminum polyanthum can also be bought now and will begin to produce a profusion

Hyacinths are fragrant and come in a variety of cheery colours

GIVE your skin, lungs and mental health a helping hand by filling your home with foliage and flowers. Dr Tijana Blanusa, principal horticultural scientist at the Royal Horticultural Society, givesa few suggestions as to how houseplants can benefit body and mind: All amaryllis are bright and cheerful, but there are also scented varieties. And the stephanotis’ five-pointed white flowers will fill your house with a pleasant perfume