Beautiful and beneficial, the presence of plants makes us happier and healthier. Through Mission Plant Company, Sabrina Keim outfits businesses with indoor plants, transforming workspaces into more pleasant and productive environments. Find out how to infuse your workday with some life-giving greenery.
The Pros of Plants
Hiking, gardening or taking a walk in the park, we relish our time with nature all the more because it's so rare. “Studies have shown we spend about 90 percent of our time indoors,” Keim says, “and that indoor pollution can often be up to 10 times worse than outdoor pollution.” Yikes!
In a stuffy office, often without a view of the outside world, the fumes of office machinery and cleaning products infuse the air. Plants can improve that air quality and add oxygen, and just the sight of their leaves is a mood booster. “According to feng shui,” Keim adds, “plants are great for offices because they bring vibrant energy or ‘chi' to the environment.”
For much less cost than art or redecorating, plants add beauty and fresh air to the spaces they inhabit, making the people around them naturally happier and more productive.
Green Thumb Optional
If your workplace hasn't hired Mission Plant Company for a restorative makeover, you can still adopt leafy friends yourself and reap the benefits.
First, fear not: “We've all killed plants,” Keim assures us. “It's part of the learning process! Don't let the fear of failure stop you from enjoying live plants.”
Ferns, palms and orchids are exquisite but require a lot of hands-on help. Most likely to survive the learning curve, and just plain easy to please, the spear-shaped snake plant and shiny-leafed ZZ plant are almost indestructible, gorgeous and resistant to pests and diseases.
Even a cave-like office can sustain certain plants, Keim assures: “I can't begin to tell you how many plants I've placed in hallways and cubicle spaces that have minimal light.” In addition to snake and ZZ plants, low-light options include Chinese evergreen, lady palm, mass cane, pothos and sago palm plants.
Get a Smart Start
The best place for plant shopping is a local greenhouse with knowledgeable employees. Keim's favorites are Dan Schantz and Hickory Grove, where the warm, humid atmosphere makes good medicine on a cold, dreary day. Greenhouse plants are organized by light requirements, carefully labeled with their species and come with information on what they need.
“Plants vary in water and light requirements,” Keim says. “To keep a plant alive, you must know thy plant!”
Look for a healthy specimen with new leaf growth and no discoloration or drooping. Signs of pruning indicate that diseased or damaged stems may have been removed, a superficial fix. Inspect the undersides of leaves and along the joints of the stems for insects or webbing, and underneath the pot to see that roots aren't spilling out of the plant liner or through the drainage holes, indicating plants are root bound.
Accessorize Your Living Décor
In an open-plan space with no privacy, plants can act as room dividers and sound barriers, creating collaborative spaces, blocking less-than-desirable views and alleviating a gray office ambiance.
Have fun considering the style of furniture or art in your office (if any!) when you choose containers to stage your plantscape. The interplay of materials, shape, color and size can add so much to the display, whether it's a consistent, balanced look or gets a little bohemian.
Cluster containers together in an odd number, or fall back on the classic use of repetition and symmetry, grouping plants of the same species and containers together to create an eye-pleasing, tidy look.
The immortal snake plant aside, creative modern options abound, from glass terrariums (mini self-contained indoor gardens) and succulent displays to marimo moss balls, a form of algae that dwells in a jar of water.
Defend Against Flood and Fang
Overwatering is the number one cause of office plant death. As concerned custodians with a new leafy colleague at work, it's so tempting to show them some liquid love. “Oftentimes, when we install a plantscape,” Keim says, “managers request that we place a ‘Please do not water' sign on the plants for the first month because everyone wants to nurture the plants!”
Set a Watering Schedule
In case you're applying this advice to a home office, pets can be both victims and villains in the domestic jungle. Keim is always cognizant of her Pomeranian when it comes to the 96 (and counting) plants in her home, because some varieties can be poisonous.
Screen houseplants with the greenhouse or vet, and expect a potential battle of wills with any cats involved, many of whom live for the visceral delight of shredding all that is dear.
The Expert:
Sabrina Keim
Owner & Interior Plantscaper
Mission Plant Company | 610.653.3414 | missionplantcompany.com
