The Greenest Office
By Here at Global Resources, we’re well aware that interior plants may improve concentration as well as increase productivity and reduce stress according to research. This is why we employ a plant service to take care of select ‘rent-to-kill’ plants that are placed throughout our building. There is one office, however, which boasts much more than the usual amount of greenery.
Plants also aid in hiding from pesky photographers!
One might even say that it suggests a greenhouse with lush plants trailing off desks and file cabinets. The office belongs to Randi and Theresa, who also run our travel department and were kind enough to share a few of their tips about keeping your workplace green. Both refused to claim a green thumb, despite the growing evidence to the contrary.
Favorite Plant in the Office
Randi’s favorite plant would be Cacti, but “I have killed every one that I have ever had and you don’t need to do anything to them. I have a brown thumb, not a green one, it seems.”
At home, she only has one indoor plant, a Mother-In-Law’s Tongue, which she’s had for 37 years. It was a gift from when her son was born and this association has motivated her to keep it alive, repotting it into larger and larger pots. It now resides in a pot meant for a small tree and the spiky leaves are over two feet in height.
Randi poses next to a Peace Lily bloom.
The Peace Lily on Randi’s desk came from a co-worker when her husband passed away seven years ago and “it’s the only plant that I’ve been able to grow at work. I guess the secret to growing an indoor plant, for me, is that it has to have a very special meaning in my life.”
Theresa’s plants cascade off her desk.
Theresa on the other hand, says that she has no favorites. She grew up with a lot of indoor plants, as her mother was fond of them, but she did not continue the tradition in her own home, as her husband wasn’t that into having them. Also, she tended to forget about them and they would die. She sort of inherited the office plants that were brought in by other coworkers over the years, “If it’s living, you can’t let it die; my mother would have rolled in her grave, if I let that happen.”
Tips for Thriving Plants in an Office
Theresa is the caretaker for the jungle of plants on the credenza. Her big tip to help plants thrive indoors is not to over water them. “If you don’t water them, they’ll droop, letting you know when they are thirsty.”
Randi agrees about over watering, saying “remember to water them, but don’t give them too much attention.”
Theresa further points out, given the office location, that “egg shells and coffee grounds are good for plants, but don’t pour leftover coffee into the plants, as sugar and creamer, are not!”
The Best Plants for an Office
Randi recommends the Mother-In-Law’s Tongue, as well as Ivy, for the office, suggesting that you should look for plants that do well in the shade in order for them to thrive under indoor light.
In terms of recommending a specific plant for the office, Theresa says, “it’s whatever stays alive and keeps growing.” She repeats that she has no favorites, although the Poinsettias that arrive during the holidays are a personal challenge for her. Theresa enjoys seeing how long she can keep them going. “Kept last year’s alive until our new Poinsettia was delivered!”
