Indoor Plants, Why Should You Get Them?
You might spend a good amount of time in the office working on this or that. So, why not find a way to add some personality and color to your workspace with indoor plants?
Why indoor plants though? Consider a few reasons.
1. Indoor plants may help reduce stress levels
A study published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology found that plants in your home or office can comfort and soothe you, now wouldn’t that be great in a stress-inducing space as your workplace.
And to think that it is also said that working with plants could reduce both physiological and psychological stress… What can we say?
2. Real indoor plants may sharpen your attention
There are two studies now that have proven that real plants can improve your focus and workflow. One of these includes a study at the Royal College of Agriculture in Cirencester, England, which discovered that students taught in a classroom containing plants showed 70% more attentiveness.
So, why not try it out in your office? Bear in mind though, that this wouldn’t work with fake plants or photographs of plants.
3. Plants may help you recover from illness faster
Although most research about plants improving health has been done in hospitals, it is still worth mentioning that compared to patients in rooms without plants, patients in rooms with plants request less pain medication, have lower heart rates and blood pressure, experience less fatigue and anxiety, and are released from the hospital sooner.
In another study by the Agricultural University of Norway, sickness rates fell by more than 60 percent in offices with plants.
4. Indoor plants may improve the quality of air
When researchers in NASA were looking for ways to improve the air quality in a sealed spacecraft back in the 1980s, they concluded that the roots and soil of houseplants reduced airborne volatile organic compounds (VOCs) significantly.
Recent research has also confirmed this.
5. Indoor plants make breathing easier
When you breathe, your body takes in oxygen and releases carbon dioxide. During photosynthesis, plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. This opposite pattern of gas use makes plants and people natural partners. So adding plants to interior spaces can increase oxygen levels.
Now that you’ve got some reasons to add plants to your office, how about we look at a few that are best for office spaces?
SNAKE PLANT
The tough nature of Sansevieria, also known as the snake plant, means that it might continue to grow until its owner retires.
Not all snake plants grow equally, so read the plant label carefully to avoid choosing a cultivar that grows several feet high. Instead, look for a dwarf selection like ‘Futura Superba’ or ‘Whitney.’
Snake plants require little attention and so, they shouldn’t take time out of your work.
African Violet
Modern African violet hybrids thrive in the same conditions as humans do, with average humidity and temperatures.
Although they need sufficient light to bloom properly, African violets aren’t picky about the source of that light, and a fluorescent lamp aimed at the plant is acceptable.
A window that faces north or east provides ideal light conditions; avoid placing this plant in direct sunlight.
ZZ Plant
Zamioculus zamifolia, commonly known as the ZZ plant, is a succulent with two characteristics that have made it a popular houseplant: tolerance to low light and the ability to grow with little water. The ZZ plant will do just fine with fluorescent bulbs as its only light source. The laddered leaves of the common ZZ plant are a pleasing addition to the office setting.
ALOE
Aloe plants are easy to grow if they are supplied with one essential ingredient: a lot of bright light.
If a desk is located near a sunny window, place the plant there, and forget about it, because these succulents only need watering every couple of weeks.
The standard Aloe barbadensis is attractive enough for any modern space, or you can explore the merits of the dwarf ‘Minibelle’ or the speckled ‘Tiger Tooth’ cultivar that only looks like it has sharp teeth.
It is important to have plants in our workspaces. So hopefully this blog has served educational purposes to help you understand this fact as well as encouraged you to take the first step in incorporating plants in your office.
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