Archive for September, 2011
Houseplants grow more exotic
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No matter what weather the fall and winter bring, you can keep gardening indoors. Putting together a stylish indoor garden is easier than ever. The houseplant business has grown way beyond philodendrons and Christmas cactus.
There are hip new houseplants and interesting variations on well-known themes for sale everywhere. The selection of houseplants at garden shops, big-box stores and even grocery stores hasn’t merely grown, it has matured. Cool carnivorous plants are stocked side-by-side with gorgeous moth orchids; fancy-leaf begonias are nudging out dependable but demure scheffeleras. Read More→
3 Vital Tips on Indoor Plant Care That No Gardener Can Do Without
Posted by: | Commentsby Virginia Pena
One of the more recent and much loved aspects of interior decor is lighting up a room with the help of different types of indoor plants. Just as flowering trees and plants are intrinsic parts of every landscaped garden, similarly, a few of these flowering plants and other types of indoor plants have made the transition from outdoor gardens to indoor gardens and have entered the pride of place in living rooms or office lobbies.
Indoor plants of different colors, textures, heights, shapes, sizes and species, sitting resplendently in living rooms or bedrooms or kitchens or in office spaces are a common sight nowadays. Not only do they beautify a room, they also bring in the freshness, cheer and bright color of outdoors as well as impart a sense of openness in an otherwise dull, dreary, suffocating, closed room or office environment. Read More→
Stressed out at work? Put potted plants on your desk..
Posted by: | CommentsHaving potted plants in the office is good for your health, a new study has discovered. Research found that the presence of potted plants in offices reduced fatigue, stress, dry throats, headaches, coughs and dry skin among workers. The study was led by environmental psychology expert Dr Tina Bringslimark and her team at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, and Uppsala University, Sweden.
In a second study, based on 385 office workers, the researchers looked at sick-leave rates and the number of plants individuals could see from their desks. Results showed that the more plants they could see, the less sick leave they took.
One explanation is that plants and the microbes in their soil are good at removing volatile, organic compounds that can affect health. ‘There could also be a psychological explanation in that people believe plants are healthier and are likely to evaluate their own health more optimistically,’ adds Dr Bringslimark.
The presence of potted plants in offices reduces fatigue and stress. They are particularly beneficial for offices where workers do not have a window, according to a report from Washington State University. Read More→How to Choose a Good Office Plant.
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Anyone who keeps houseplants knows that indoor foliage can brighten a dull, dreary atmosphere and create a refuge from everyday stresses. Plants can also remove common toxins from indoor environments and add oxygen to stale air. Given these benefits, you’d think that indoor plants would be as common in offices as staplers and annoying coworkers!
Sadly, most of us know only two kinds of office plants: the silk ones and those dusty brown fire hazards on top of the filing cabinet. While many of these leafy casualties could have been saved with proper care, it’s critical to choose plants that can thrive in the challenging office biome. With a little forethought, you can choose the perfect plant to improve your workplace’s aesthetics and your health. Read More→
ScienceDaily: Heirloom plant
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Growing Expectations planted its first organic garden this summer using seeds from heirloom plants. As the tomatoes ripened into yellow, green, purple, and veined, we served them to various guests. When asked why they were not red and strange looking, we responded that they were heirloom varieties. Heirloom vegetables are know for their nutrition, flavor and varieties. Many people had never heard the term “heirloom”. I decided to include this article from ScienceDaily defining heirloom plants so that those of my readers who had never seen or heard of them would become more knowledgeable. Read More→Can Plants Think?
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