The Benefits of Indoor Plants in an Office

Learn a few ways in which Interior Plants are beneficial in an Office to Employees and Employers! Presented by Debra Ringler

Debra Ringler teaches Kids the Process of Photosynthesis

Deb teaches kids the process of Photosynthesis in this fun and interactive demonstration, where the kids get candy at the end to help them remember what they have learned.

Interior Landscaping with Feng Shui Plants

In today’s economy, we can use any help we can get!  Feng Shui is the Chinese technique of arranging one’s possessions so that positive “chi” (energy) is in your home, office, or business. Some believe that by practicing Feng Shui, you will improve your health, increase your wealth and prosperity, develop better personal relations, and achieve your goals. Feng Shui is about balancing the elements of water, wood, fire, earth (soil), and metal. Plants are considered a wood element and that is what I am going to concentrate on in this article–using certain plants in certain areas to increase the positive energy around you.

Step 1:

Live plants encourage health, wealth, prosperity and contentment. Silk or artificial plants and flowers may be used if necessary. Never use dried flowers: These represent misfortune. Flowering plants are best, but dead

blooms must be immediately removed. Keep plants clean and trimmed. Never allow plants to get overgrown, as this encourages negative energy. Fresh cut flowers provide luck and good fortune. Never use a bonsai inside a home or office, as its stunted growth is a negative force.

Step 2:

Where plants are placed is very important. Only one plant in a bathroom.  Plants can backfire into bad luck in this location.  Lemon or orange trees near the entrance to a house bring prosperity.  Place plants in the east or southeast corner of room to bring good luck. A large plant in the passage between the front and back door can result in better health and a greater ability to save money by slowing down air currents.  If you wish to become pregnant, avoid flowers in the bedroom and have a bowl of fruit instead, especially pomegranates.  Use flowering plants (especially red) in groups of three on a walkway to your front door.  Plants in groups of three promote prosperity. Tall plants should never be placed in the middle of a room.

Step 3:

Plants used in Feng Shui must have a certain type of leaf.  Use plants with round leaves that look like coins. Avoid plants with spikey, pointed, or rigid leaves inside your house or office.  Use plants with round floppy leaves to encourage a calm atmosphere.  Bushy plants keep the positive energy in the room. Thorny plants like cactus can be used outside as security, but not near the front door.  Hanging baskets provide softness.

Step 4:

Here is a list of some of the best Feng Shui plants for indoor use.  Many of them not only generate good luck by creating good chi (natural energy), but also have been shown by NASA to clean the air of harmful pollutants.

• Bamboo Palm (and all other palms): Good luck, success, prosperity.
• Rubber Trees: Calm, good fortune.
• Dracaena Janet Craig: Cleans the air of toxins.
• Peace Lily: Cleans the air of toxins.
• Ficus: Rounded leaf varieties.
• Philodendron: Money.
• Aspidistra: Strength.
• Orchid: Patience and endurance.
• Ivy: Softens, cleans air of toxins.
• Ferns: Softens.
• Fresh flowers and herbs: Positive energy and calm.
• Spider plant: Cleans the air of toxins.
• Lavender: Calm
• Mum: Happiness, cleans air of toxins.
• Jasmine: Friendship.

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Plant of the Month – Succulents Indoors

In what other plant group can you find such an assortment of foliage shapes from green globes to finger-like forms to tree types? The patterns and colors of leaves or stems are amazingly varied, and the often-spectacular flowers; some like water lilies or daisies; appear in striking contrast to the fascinating plants.  Succulents Indoors has got to be one of the most unique plant families that can create spectacular arrangements your guest will without a doubt “oooooow” and “ahhhhhh” over.

Many succulent plants come from the Tropics and Subtropics such as semi-deserts and high deserts, so they have a tolerance for surviving longer in dry conditions and little soil. This makes them low-maintenance, tolerant and easy to care for, perfect for the stress a home or office can take on a plant!  Succulents like bright indirect light indoors, if exposed to direct light they can sometimes sunburn.   Water these gems thoroughly, but let the soil completely dry before watering again.  Avoid soils with high organic content and stick with a fast-draining cactus mix.

There are so many uses for such a large family of plants from the Cactaceae Plant Family.  But as always, I have to give my two cents and let you know my personal favorite use of Succulents Indoors is in orchid arrangements.  They make the perfect pair not only visually, but also their light and water requirements are surprisingly similar.  A delicate Phalaenopsis (Moth) Orchid planted with trailing and rosette-formed succulents at the base of it’s graceful stem keep your eyes in a constant state of attention.  You can match the rainbow of colors that an orchid comes in with the equally colorful foliage of the succulents or create a sophisticated arrangement with a simple white orchid and succulents in various shades of green.   Mixing and matching is part of the fun and the possibilities are endless.

Other great ideas for Succulents Indoors:

• Dish gardens – create a miniature landscape of texture and form.
• Low table arrangements – Pick 1 variety of succulent and repeat it in small individual containers or a long thin container to give a modern appearance.
• The Vintage Look – Use soup cans or mason jars as containers for succulents and it will give your plants a rustic look.
• Modern Succulents – Plant succulents in a clear glass vase, it can be short or tall, but be sure to fill the vase with some charcoal at the bottom and sand or small pebbles at the top with soil in between.
• The Finishing Touch – don’t forget to top-dressed your creation with large or small stones, river pebbles, designer glass pieces (upscale nurseries carry this in various colors), black, white or colored sand, lava rocks or sea-shells for a beach feel (it’s amazing how much succulents looks like coral and sea anemones).

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