Plant a Healing Garden—In Your House!

Aloe vera

Healing property: Treats cuts. Snip into the fleshy leaf of an aloe plant, and you’ll discover a gel that speeds healing of minor cuts, soothes sunburned skin, and might lessen scarring. Before slathering it on your problem spots, test a small patch of skin for allergic reactions or irritation.
Best spot: Near a sunny bathroom window.
Care tip: Cut the small inner leaves off at the base, allowing the large outer ones to grow.





Lavender


Healing property: Brings the zzz’s. This herb’s fragrance can calm your frazzled nerves and encourage deep, restorative sleep, studies show. Make sachets from its flowers (perfect for slipping beneath a pillow), or bundle a few stalks with raffia for instant aromatherapy. Try the Goodwin Creek Grey variety—it maintains a dense, compact form, perfect for a small pot.
Best spot: On your nightstand or in a sunny bedroom window.
Care tip: Snipping the blooms will encourage more to grow. Lavender likes dry soil, too.





Gerbera daisy

Healing property: Cleans the air. This colorful plant helps purge your air of toxic pollutants like formaldehyde and benzene, which are found in many household items and can aggravate asthma and cause dizziness and headaches (and may lead to certain cancers). While helping you breathe easier, a potted gerbera will brighten any room with splashes of color (they come in vibrant hues like yellow, pink, and orange). Who knew an air filter could be so fetching?
Best spot: In your home-office window.
Care tip: Fertilize monthly for more flowers.




Citrus tree


Healing property: Provides vitamin C. A dwarf citrus tree makes it easy to add fresh vitamin C to your winter diet. Choose a variety well-suited for indoor cultivation, like the Improved Meyer lemon. The fruit is ready to harvest when it comes easily off the branch.
Best spot: In any sunny, south-facing area.
Care tip: Mist the plant with water if your air is very dry, and feed it monthly with a fertilizer designed for citrus.