Benefits Office Plants Have in the Work Place

We already know that offices plants are a good thing to have around. They brighten up the working environment, freshen the air we breathe and are generally quite pleasant to look at.

In bringing the positives of nature indoors, they work a treat. But these are only some of the benefits that plants bring. Health and aesthetics are great and, in fact, can be considered very important contributions to the ideal modern working environment.

There are less obvious benefits to them too, some of which we could consider quite surprising. Who would have guessed, for example, that indoor office plants could reduce the levels of dust in the air, or could reduce the levels of noise around us.

Indeed, the benefits of indoor plants even extend to contributing to keeping a room temperature low and comfortable. With this in mind, it is difficult to have any doubts over the extensive worth that greenery has in the work place.

Reduces Background Noise

There is no doubt that an office can be a noisy place at times, what with the tapping on keyboards, phones ringing and printers printing, and the street noise that can flood in through open windows. But plants have been shown to counter these aspects.

Scientific studies have revealed that offices that have a sufficient number of plants absorb the sounds around them, effectively taking the edge off the sound. In fact, some plants have been shown to be better at absorbing certain frequencies than others, while other plants will diffract the sound waves and others still deflect them.

Reduces Dust

Offices with plants in them show a significant reduction in the dust levels. NASA had a study carried out to ascertain the effect of plant life in enclosed areas, and the results showed dust levels were reduced by an estimated 20 per cent.

The precise reason is unknown, but it is thought that, since plants filter the air by nature, the particles that would ordinarily find themselves lingering in the air are effectively processed. Keeps Temperatures Down This is related to the fact that plants cool themselves by a process known as transpiration which involves releasing moisture into the air around them. The effect is to lower the room temperature by as much as 10 F, and increase air humidity by between 30 and 60 per cent.

As a coincidence, that humidity range is considered to be the ideal for humans, meaning that people working in those conditions are at their most comfortable. Humidity can, of course, be controlled by de-humidifiers and air cons, but it is the natural process that makes the real difference, keeping everything to a normal level according to nature herself.

Reduces Stress

Perhaps this is not so surprising but while it is a matter of common knowledge that plants make us healthier and happier, the idea that stress in particular is reduced is not usually thought of.

They are all very closely linked, of course, but it is interesting to note that at the busiest times in an office, research has shown that signs of stress, like impatience, destructive criticism, over reactions and high emotions, are significantly reduced when plant life is close by. They are replaced by greater levels of cooperation, increased productivity and a more relaxed atmosphere.

Increases Sales

Just as people working in offices have admitted to feeling happier and more productive when indoor office plants are present, research has shown that plants have a similar effect on consumers. For example, diners in garden restaurants tend to order more, cafés with plant life as part of their interior decor see customers stay longer and, consequentially, spend more. In retail stores, the results are the same, with greenery seemingly helping shoppers to be more decisive, thereby avoiding the frustration that is often punctuated by fatigue. So, instead of a customer giving up and walking out, a sale is more likely.

Clearly, there is a lot more to office plants than we thought, with the advantages extending beyond what looks good and what smells nice. With the knowledge that the benefits of indoor plants go so far as to increase sales, even marketing gurus have to concede that the investment is well worth the return.

Sarah Shore writes articles for Ambius, who provide indoor office plants designed for both large and small offices throughout the country. Office plants are not only pleasing on the eye but can help to reduce pollution.

Why Silk Plants Have Enjoyed a Resurgence in Interior Landscaping

Silk has long been revered as one of the most beautiful materials known to man, boasting a natural sheen and a coolness of touch that few other materials have. For centuries, this attraction to silk has been extreme, especially in the clothing industry where pure silk dresses and shirts are so highly prized. There can be little surprise, then, that silk plants are also keenly sought after.

Once upon a time, these plants were an extravagant example of craftsmanship that won plaudits at state fairs across the country, and were the ones that hotels were happy to invest grandly in to give guests a sense of luxury when they walked through the doors. These days, they are a key aspect of interior business landscaping both in terms of large and small floral displays.

Indeed, the market for artificial plants has grown dramatically in recent decades, with a range of materials coming into favor from time to time. However, in recent years, silk has regained its place as the favored material with which to enhance the interior landscape of an office or reception area. But designers are keen to highlight that it is not just because silk looks pretty.

Quality of Plants

The quality of plants made of silk is particularly high. In the past, silk was colored and then cut into the shape of a leaf or petal, and then applied to a framework, usually made of wire. However, that simple process has been replaced by high tech precision machines that are capable of creating perfectly measured plant parts. Not only that, but the coloring has become so exact that every aspect of shading can be allowed for.

The result is that, both visually and physically, these plants have real depth to them, making them very difficult to differentiate from real flowers. In fact, the silk materials used are made in such a manner as to replicate as closely as possible the texture of a real petal, bud or leaf.

So, even touch, which was once a sure give away when identifying an artificial plant, is no longer a reliable way to tell the difference.

Durability

There was a time when the petals on silk flowers and foliage on plants would fray over time, making the plant itself look dowdy and old. But the processes involved in manufacturing these plants have been perfected, ensuring this is no longer a concern, and the plants maintain their impressive appearance for much longer.

Of course, artificial plants, tend to last much longer than real plants. They require little or no maintenance, can never die so do not need to be replaced regularly, need no watering and no feeding. Silk always enjoyed these same traits, but since silk frays less easily now, the durability of silk artificial plants is even greater than it once was.

No Fire Hazard

As a choice of artificial plant material, silk may have succeeded in regaining its place at the top table in the eyes of interior landscapers for its quality and durability, but others favor it for different reasons. With fire and safety regulations being so important for all buildings, the fact that silk flowers, trees and plants have passed a range of tests makes it an acceptable material.

Silk is a fire retardant and has passed both the NFPA 701 and the ASTM E84 tests, with the result that interior landscapers know it will not harm the fire-safety status of an office. Other materials, such as plastic and nylon can release toxic fumes when set ablaze, making them not just a fire hazard but a health hazard also.

The fact that silk plants are now considered a safe option, as well as a precise replica boasting quality and extreme beauty, makes them impossible to ignore. Little wonder then, that interior designers and landscapers are happy to use them as an alternative to real plants, and that safety officers in workplaces are happy to accept them too.

Needless to say, as far as office workers are concerned, it is the fact that these plants make the interior landscape at work so much more pleasing that matters most. The degree of creativity, reliability and durability that silk boasts makes it a favorite once again when business landscaping plans are being agreed between seasoned landscapers and their clients.

Sarah Shore writes for Ambius, one of the primary business landscaping services in America. Ambius works with companies to provide a vibrant interior landscape to produce a dynamic corporate environment. Either real or artificial plants, such as silk plants, can be used, in accordance with the business' liking.