Why have plants
Good for you, good for business
The benefits of having plants in your home or office go far beyond simple good looks. Study after study has shown that plants are natural powerhouses which can improve our health and productivity simply by being near us.
We keep up to date with the latest research on the health benefits of plants, so we can design planting schemes which are good for you and your business.
Air quality
Plants help to keep us healthy by improving the air we breathe.
As we spend more and more time indoors, the quality of our indoor air is more important than ever. However, this air often falls far below healthy levels, especially in spaces where air circulation is poor.
Levels of CO2 and airborne mould, dust, bacteria and toxins can then build up, which in turn affects our health: headaches, dry coughs, poor concentration and drowsiness are all symptoms of poor air quality.
Plants improve indoor air in three important ways:
- They replace CO2 with O2
- They improve humidity levels
- They remove harmful toxins, dust, mould and bacteria
Plants can also:
- Improve indoor acoustics; especially helpful in open plan settings
- Increase moisture levels in a room by 17% in Winter (Wageningen Environmental Research)
- Remove 87% of airborne indoor toxins in a 24-hour period (NASA)
- Reduce airborne moulds and bacteria by 50-60% compared to rooms without plants (Stennis Space Centre)
- Reduce sick leave by up to a fifth (Wageningen Environmental Research)
Wellbeing
Biophilia: a big word for a simple concept. In short, it means we humans have an intuitive connection to nature. Being near nature, or even having nature in view, reduces stress, increases happiness, creativity and productivity and makes our thinking sharper.
The word ‘biophilia’ was coined by social psychologist Eric Fromm in 1964, but in recent years it has become a veritable buzzword in our industry, as people realise the importance of reconnecting with our natural roots to counteract the stresses of our busy lives.
We design our exterior and interior landscaping schemes with biophilia in mind, whether it is through the natural elements we integrate into landscapes or creating indoor planting schemes which reconnect us to nature in places where we often feel removed from the outside world.
Infographics
Our range of infographics reveal how plants not only help create healthy distancing, but can also benefit the workplace, educational, healthcare and home environments. In short, they improve both our environment and our quality of life.