Your home needs more plants. More of these plants, to be specific. They don’t just look good; they are a great mood booster too.
Our home is our happy place, we fill it with things we love and adore. Perhaps we need to look at filling it with more plants and succulents too. Pot plants, succulents, and indoor ferns don’t just look great and add a natural look and feel to the home, and some of them are good for your health too.
House plants are great for boosting your mood, concentration, productivity, and creativity. Some house plants have even been known to reduce stress and assist with fatigue. They’ve been known to absorb toxins in the air, increase humidity, and produce oxygen. Chris Knight and his fellow psychologists at Exeter University say that employees perform better when household plants are added to their workspaces. In fact, after studying this concept for 10 years, the team concluded that workers are 15 percent more productive when they have houseplants around them. I’m sure you’re now feeling inspired to pop into your local nursery.
While shopping, here are a few plants to look out for:
Productivity boosting plants: Succulents have been known to give their owner’s little brain bursts. The University of Exeter released a study showing that employee productivity increased by 15 percent after plants were introduced into a bare office. House plants or office plants are known to reduce stress and improve calmness, and wellbeing, which increases creativity and focus. One of our favourite succulents is the ‘string of bananas’. This trailing succulent with leaves that are shaped like bananas, needs plenty of bright sunlight. It is mildly toxic to dogs and cats though. Another firm favourite, is the ever so popular Desert Rose. This succulent is popular due to its beauty and low maintenance regime. It’s perfect for a little bathroom window, a bedside table, or as a desktop companion.
Humidity plants: Humidity plants will add a boost of moisture to the air; thus ensuring your hair and skin won’t get too dry throughout the year. One of our favourite humidity plants is the ‘maidenhair fern’. This fern doesn’t do well around dry air from heaters or air-conditioning units. If you do have one in a room that has a heater or an aircon, then please mist your plant daily, by spraying some cold water on the leaves, or set it on a water-filled pebble tray, so it can drink when it gets thirsty. This plant is non-toxic for dogs and cats.
Air purifying plants: Air-purifying plants ensure that the air in the room remains fresh and highly oxygenated. This plant does great in a bright, well-lit, home or office where you need to exercise your brainpower daily. One of our favourite air purifying plants is the ‘maranta kerchoveana’, known as the prayer plant, because it lies flat during the day and stands upright in the evenings. This plant is non-toxic for dogs and cats.
Pure mood-boosting plants: Aloe Vera is a great mood-boosting plant that’s multi-functional. The gel from the Aloe Vera plant can also help soothe acne, dry skin, and burns. These plants love bright but indirect sunlight. Lavender is another firm favourite. This plant can be placed in your room of choice, and the scent will help to reduce your stress levels. If placed in the bedroom, it’s been known to help you to sleep better too. Finally, we would love to mention the Peace Lily. Peace lilies are lovely, low-maintenance houseplants to have around, as they not only soak up mold spores in the air, they also absorb their own water before releasing it back into their environment. So, place your peace lily in a room that’s dry.