January 29, 2020
One of the things you should consider this year is a fragrant garden with a comfortable bench or seating. When you or your mom feels stressed, you can take a few minutes to go outside and sit in the sun.
With the right mix of flowers, you’ll benefit from aromatherapy. Plus, gardening is a handy way to get some exercise outside. Here are some of the flowers that work well for aromatherapy.
Freesia
Freesia is one of the most popular scented flowers for bouquets for good reason. It has a strong scent and comes in a range of bright colors like yellow, red, and purple. The flowers grow on stems that can be almost a foot and a half high. Put them in the back row of a fragrant flower bed.
Heliotrope
Vivid purple, white, or blue heliotrope are easy to grow in many areas. The scent they emit is strong and draws butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees. The scent is unique and is best described as a mix of floral, fruit, and vanilla.
Hyacinth
Hyacinths grow from a bulb and have a very strong scent while they’re in bloom. The clusters of flowers that come from one bulb will fill an area with their aroma for days. You’ll find hyacinths come in a variety of colors from pink to red and white to yellow.
Lilacs
A lilac bush fills an area with a sweet scent when blooms are present. Bees and butterflies flock to the blooms. Typically, the blooms go away by late spring, but some varieties flower all summer. Many lilacs will send up shoots and start new bushes on their own. Be ready to prune and remove saplings as needed.
Lily-of-the-Valley
The perfumed scent of lily-of-the-valley is strong enough that you’ll smell it while sitting feet away. The flowers grow from a bulb and are perennials that return year after year. The one thing you should know is that the flower spreads quickly to cover the ground. Put it in an area where you don’t mind it taking over.
If you feel you’re struggling to find time for yourself while caring for your mom, stop and evaluate your responsibilities. Caregiver stress is common, but it’s preventable. Talk to a home care agency about caregivers. You don’t have to have caregivers stop to help your mom every day, but you should look at part-time home care services to give you the break you need for self-care. Call a home care agency to get started.
