Any suggestions as to an inexpensive indoor flower?

that has a strong smell. I would like to grow some very strong and settle, yet sweet flowers to make my room smell fresh. The strongest scented flowers would be best, due to my rollerblades and laundry. I am very active and the smell my clothes get from work isn't very appealing, so I'm looking for something to cover that smell or to even it out. and please, I know to seperate my clothes and put out work shoes and uniform. I'm an experienced grower that lacks the knowledge of flowers and fragrance.

Any suggestions as to an inexpensive indoor flower?
You might have a tough time finding such an indoor flower that isn't an awful lot of work, I'm sorry to say. The one flower that came to mind as having a scent strong enough to mask unpleasant smells are plants in the family called narcissus - the variety in particular are Paperwhites.



The good news: They have an amazingly strong scent! It is very sweet and will fill your room/rooms. They're rather attractive.



The bad news: The strong scent is too sweet for me - and overpowers my nose! I've moved mine out to the front porch because they attack my senses. Other people find them charming - and you might not be as sensitive as I am. :)



The other bad news: The don't grow and bloom constantly. You buy them as bulbs and "force" them to bloom. They'll bloom for a few weeks, then they're done until next year. You could keep a constant supply of bulbs handy and ready to bloom - but that's a whole lot of work - especially for someone new to plants.



Ideally - I think you might be best suited to find another way to mask the smelly problems. :) First - hide open boxes of arm and hammer baking soda (cheap! found in the grocery store baking section) all around the smelliest segments of your home. You can disguise the box with pretty paper, or hide it inside an empty vase etc. Baking soda absorbs odors. You can even sprinkle baking soda inside your roller blade and shake it out later. (it won't hurt your skin). Or, buy some "Shower to Shower" body powder which contains an excellent and fragrant mix of powders which absorb and mask odors.



You might also have to do your laundry a bit more often. :)



For your laundry - search around in the laundry soap section of your store for products like, Borax, or Washing Soda. Both of these items are somewhat natural - but they'll be murder on destroying stains and SMELLS while washing your clothes.



Activated carbon / charcoal also is a super odor eater! You can buy it at any plant shop, or pet shop (they use it in aquarium filters) You could fille a mesh bag with some charcoal and keep it in your clothes hamper to absorb even more smells.



If you realllyyyyy are stuck on the idea of a plant. Here is another list of scented plants to consider. None of them seem strong enough to me to do the job ..... but ... if you combined this with the other ideas I gave you, you might just find a good mix. :)



Quoting University of Utah:



Indoor Plants: Nature's Air Freshners



By Dennis Hinkamp



Most homes have at least one house plant. Possibly the most popular is the low-maintenance cactus. House plants serve to soften the hard interior and create interest by inviting nature into the home. Other benefits from house plants include higher humidity, added color and healthier air.



Aromatic plants bring into a room or house an often overlooked benefit. Not all house plants are fragrant, but some have a pleasant scent and thrive indoors. The long winter months, when only the smell of cooking fills the indoor air, is a good time to introduce some new fragrances that can help bring a glimpse of spring into the home, says Jerry Goodspeed, Utah State University Extension horticulturist.



"Fragrant plants can help mask cooking and other odors, eliminating the need for air fresheners," Goodspeed says. "It's preferable to have a nice plant emitting a fragrant aroma than have the smell of burnt toast masked with the smell of 'tree in a can.'"



He says scented geraniums are probably the most popular fragrant house plant. They do not thrive indoors, but will stay healthy if placed in a well lit location, plus there is a wide assortment of aromas. Among the most popular are lemon, almond, pine trees, peppermint, orange, pineapple and even chocolate.



However, one of the drawbacks with some scented geraniums is their scent is weak, Goodspeed explains. Some require that you rub the leaves to get a strong whiff of their fragrance. This would be fine, but most plants can only stand so much rubbing before they die.



"It's the foliage of scented geraniums that carries the pleasant aroma," he says. "These geraniums need to dry out between watering, and be fertilized only about once a month during the winter. In the summer they can be moved outdoors and allowed to bloom."



Goodspeed says another blooming aromatic house plant is the gardenia. Lack of light is the biggest problem with getting a gardenia to grow and bloom indoors. They require a sun room, and do best in indirect light. In the winter they need to stay cool at night (55 to 60 degrees), and can be a high maintenance plant.



He suggests other flowering plants that may be easier to grow in the house: pink jasmine (Jasminum polyanthum), string of beads (Senecio rowleyanus), wax flower (Stephanotis floribunda), and wax plant (Hoya). These plant all require some special care and bloom better in indirect light in a sun room or other well-lit location. They all should be allowed to slow down and rest during the winter, by reducing the fertilization and keeping them somewhat cooler.



Goodspeed says the Hoya, string of beads and wax flower are all vining plants and can be trained up a wire or trellis, or planted in a hanging basket. The flowers have a sweet fragrance that can be smelled throughout a small greenhouse or large room.



"The common hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis) can be planted in a pot and forced to bloom indoors during the winter months," he says. "It also has a very sweet aroma that can fill a room. After they have bloomed and the foliage has died back, they can be planted outdoors and enjoyed for many springs to come. Buy new bulbs each year for forcing indoors."



Best of luck!
Reply:Instead of buying a indoor plant why not grow Jasmine or gardenias outdoors and bring in the cut flowers or better still buy some plug-ins or other room deodorisers and your home will smell beautiful all the time not just when the plant is in flower
Reply:Fresia. Look around, some have a stronger scent than others.