Top Five Plants For Health and Productivity

Hey friends,

Spring is a time of growth, both for us and for our little friends in nature. As we have officially passed the Spring Equinox on the 20th March in the northern hemisphere, the flowers that we shall plant will soon begin to blossom. If we plant our seed early, we can maximise our chances of having a beautiful indoor garden thriving in the summer.

We as humans unfortunately spend too much time in jungles surrounded by concrete walls and not enough nature. By adding a few plants and flowers to our surroundings, we can boost the atmosphere to give us the feeling of being back in nature. This has subliminal benefits to our welfare and can even boost our productivity. If we plant our own working seeds, we too can see major growth by the end of summer.

Before we discuss the perfect house plants to have this spring, it is important that we discuss the benefits of bringing plants into your home.

Three benefits of having plants in your home/ office.

1. They will clean the air and produce oxygen - Each plant has their own benefit that we can utilise by sharing our home with nature. Certain plants absorb carcinogenic toxins in the air and produce an oxygen rich environment. This grants us a breath of fresh air while avoiding harmful toxins.

2. Plants boost your mood – As discussed in the introduction, we as a species belong to nature. Have you ever wondered why we try to escape the harsh realities of life by having a week away with nature? Nature makes us happy. By having indoor plants in our homes or offices, we can mimic this effect and bring joy to our mood.

3. Indoor plants boost productivity – Studies show that by simply having indoor plants in the office or home increase levels of productivity. For example, a study conducted in 1996 with computer science students showed that by adding plants to their workspace, they worked 12 percent faster and were less stressed. Having indoor plants nearby can give us the extra boost we require.

Having discussed the benefits of plants, we will discuss the top five plants to have this Spring. This is largely subjective and there are thousands of plants that provide similar advantages. These are the plants that I have chosen.

Snake plant

The snake plant (Dracaena Trifasciata), also known as the "mother in laws tongue" is a plant fitting to its look. It is very robust and difficult to kill so is the perfect plant for beginners. In a recent study conducted by Nasa, they found that the snake plant removed 4 out of 5 toxins associated with Sick Building Syndrome (SBS).

The snake plant is a natural filtration system and is one of the few plants that converts carbon dioxide into oxygen at night, helping for a good nights rest. This should be watered sporadically, once every week in the summer but once every three weeks in the winter.

Lavender

The Lavender plant (Lavendula) is a purple flowering plant native to almost every country. It has similar advantages to the Snake Plant but instead of releasing oxygen at night, the smell has properties that assist in a great nights sleep. Having a lavender plant in the bedroom will grant you with a deeper sleep for longer periods and have little restlessness, which is essential when falling asleep.

Indoor Lavender plants should be watered once a week and/ or when the top inch of the soil is dry. They thrive when exposed to indirect sunlight so do not keep it on the window ledge.

Peace Lily

The Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum) is a flowering plant native to the tropical regions of America. The flower begins to blossom during the Spring and Summer seasons. This beautiful plant has common properties to the Snake Plant as it is another one of NASA’s favourite plants. It has been shown to remove carbon monoxide and benzene from the air, creating a toxic-free atmosphere

The Peace Lily should be watered at least once a week or when the leaves naturally begin to droop. The plant is very helpful in the sense that it will show you when it needs water. This plant thrives in indirect light, but do not keep it on the window. If you have pets, please be cautious as it has been shown to be toxic to animals.

Devils Ivy/ Pothos

Devils Ivy (Epipremnum Aureum), also known as Pothos has a demonic name as it is simply impossible to kill. The Ivy produces leaves that will continue to grow even in the worst of conditions and will happily climb a moss pole if given the opportunity. The leaves have tiger esque stripes and is perfect for any beginner making their way into the plant world. Having the Devil’s Ivy indoors will remove toxins Benzene, Xylene and Carbon Dioxide to name a few.

The Devils Ivy is the perfect climbing and hanging plant . This should be watered once every week or when the soil becomes dry. The leaves will turn yellow if watered too much. You will begin to have a love/ hate relationship with this plant as it will grow faster than you can possibly propagate.

English Ivy

The English Ivy (Hedera Helix) is the perfect hanging plant to have indoors if you have a spare hook. It will bring life to a room that looks empty and will be the talk of the house. English Ivy is often considered a pest that grows on the outside of buildings but has been cultivated indoors for its beneficial properties. English Ivy is one of the most effective air cleaning plants that reduces carcinogenic toxins.

This is a vine plant by nature and will grow towards the earth; I would suggest having the Ivy located in a hanging basket in the living room. The Ivy should be watered once a week from underneath to avoid any dripping. Similar to the other plants, it should be located in a spot hidden from direct sun.

Hint:

I recommend watering your indoor plants from underneath in a saucer rather than from above. This may or may not work for you, but from personal experience, my plants haven't had a single problem in over a year using this method.

I place the plant into a saucer, then fill the saucer with water and leave it for an hour (topping up if required).This method gives the plants the opportunity to drink as much water as they need to. I then remove them from their saucer and place them back in their pots.

Conclusion

I have mentioned five plants that will bring life to any room. They each have their own benefit and will help you live a much more natural lifestyle that will bring happiness and joy as if they are your own children.

Have a happy spring and don't neglect your plants, they deserve a shot at life too.

Thank you,

TLB