Perhaps the need to green the workplace in your home is not obvious to everyone. Someone even considers plants in the office to be excess and pampering – they say, there is nothing to be distracted by “gardening”, work! How to create a green oasis in the workplace?
However, the facts say the opposite: plants on the desktop help to increase productivity, reduce stress and revitalize the atmosphere. In a complex epidemiological situation, the need to take care of clean air is as high as ever. Natural plant filters help to fight viruses, pathogenic microbes and harmful chemicals in workrooms.
Air purification
There is usually a huge amount of harmful substances and pathogens in the indoor air: these are bacteria living in air conditioners, viruses, radiation and fumes from computers, office equipment, printing. There are fewer such harmful secretions in the home “work” office, but they are there, because there you also use a computer, printer and printed products.
Almost all plants in the process of metabolism absorb dust, toxins and particles of chemicals from the air. And many “green nurses” not only absorb harmful, but also emit disinfectant volatile substances. Thanks to the release of phytoncides, plants purify and disinfect the air in the workspace.
Oxygen saturation. How to create a green oasis in the workplace?
During photosynthesis, plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. We simply have to use this property of green pets to improve the atmosphere in the office and increase our own productivity. Remember how often you have to end the working day with a headache from overwork and prolonged stay indoors without access to fresh air. Plants on the desktop are a great way to improve the space and saturate it with oxygen!
Humidification
Properly selected plants will help to increase humidity and keep it at an optimal level. It’s easier to breathe next to a green oasis. If you do not work in the office of a business center, but in a cozy home office, you can create a comfortable workplace exclusively for yourself. And plants are the first helpers in this!
Aesthetics and harmony
The arguments listed above are quite enough to go to the nearest garden store for green inhabitants for your office. But there is another good reason to green the workplace, and it lies in the ability of plants to harmonize the space. With their presence, they calm down, help you focus and set you up for productive work. Green color, according to psychologists, stimulates brain activity, improves memory, protects against fatigue and stress.
Where to place plants in the workspace. How to create a green oasis in the workplace?
Often potted plants, especially small ones, are placed directly on the desktop, next to a computer or laptop. Such a place is usually defined by cacti and succulents, which are credited with the ability to catch harmful radiation from screens.
And although modern monitors are quite safe, the tradition of putting a cactus next to the screen has remained. I must say that deciduous plants will also feel good next to your favorite cup and keyboard.
Miniature specimens in pots of small diameter can be hung on a special organizer wall. There they usually place trays with stationery, calendars, stickers and other office trifles that are needed at hand.
You can allocate special shelves for your green pets on the wall above the desktop. At any moment, lifting your eyes from the screen, you will be able to linger on the natural greenery – this will allow you to distract yourself from work for a moment and relax, looking at leaves or flowers of a bizarre shape.
However, in this case, you should be careful when watering plants so that moisture does not get on the equipment and working documents lying on your desk. In addition, it is advisable for plants to use planters or boxes without holes at the bottom, providing drainage during planting with expanded clay or other porous material.
If small plants in compact pots can easily fit on a table next to a computer and stacks of documents, then large specimens need more space. They will look great in tubs on the floor, next to your workplace or shelving. In this case, despite the size, the plants will not take away the useful area, but at the same time they will please the eye and purify the air in the office.
Which plants are suitable for the office. How to create a green oasis in the workplace?
When choosing green residents for the workplace, take into account the parameters of the room and your ability to regularly take care of plants. It is worth giving preference to unpretentious species that do not require much attention and special conditions, are not afraid of drafts and mistakes in care, are able to withstand short-term drying of the soil and recover quickly.
Cacti and succulents
Traditionally, cacti and succulents are considered the most tenacious, unpretentious and suitable for office conditions. Aloe, tolstyanka, kalanchoe and other plants with fleshy leaves capable of accumulating water reserves will not die if you suddenly forget to water them on time. Moreover, they will meet you quite cheerful even after a vacation.
These hardy do not require special conditions of maintenance, they can grow in the bright sun, they are not afraid of drafts or low humidity. Many of them (like aloe and kalanchoe) perfectly purify the air and are also medicinal – their juice has bactericidal properties, disinfects and heals wounds.
Succulents are often planted in the form of compositions in special glass containers – florariums. By adding decorative stones and sand, you can get an original desktop decoration – care for such a composition is minimal.
Wherever your workplace is located – in a huge open space or a small office on the balcony of an apartment – by creating a green oasis next to it, you will render yourself an invaluable service.
Plants will help relieve stress and improve memory, purify and moisturize the air, lift the mood. They will allow you to switch once again, give rest to your eyes and thoughts. Do not deny yourself this pleasure!
