| 1. Most offices
do not have much natural light. Even when there
are windows, they have coverings of some kind
to provide privacy. Low to medium light plants
work best unless you have identified a specific
location that has bright filtered light where
a high light plant could survive. Direct afternoon
sun will burn the leaves of most interior plants.
Artificial lighting helps, but usually not enough
to sustain high light plants. If someone goes
on vacation, don’t forget to temporarily
remove the plants from the dark unoccupied office
2. Some plants do better than others when the
temperature goes below 60 degrees. If you lower
your office temperature to conserve energy at
night, make sure the plants you buy can withstand
this lack of heat. Interior plants cannot be
used to decorate an unheated entranceway where
the temperature may dip into the forties during
the winter months. Think silk for these areas.
3. No one has the time to be constantly cleaning
up after messy plants. Ferns are beautiful but
not when they are shedding all over people’s
desks. Everyone loves a ficus but not if it’s
near a draft and fifty leaves a day are all
over the floor. Select plants that are not prone
to constant leaf drop.
4. Be careful to protect your computers, desks,
carpets or floors from water. Do not direct
pot your plants into decorative containers.
Leave them in their grower’s pot; place
a 2” or 3” deep plastic drip saucer
under the plant, and then place it in the appropriate
rattan basket, terra cotta pot, fiberglass or
ceramic container. Finish the arrangement with
a layer of Spanish moss on top. Don’t
hang your plants over a computer, fax, or copying
machine; or any other place that is difficult
to reach or where it may damage equipment should
it accidentally drip.
1. Most offices do not have much natural light.
Even when there are windows, they have coverings
of some kind to provide privacy. Low to medium
light plants work best unless you have identified
a specific location that has bright filtered
light where a high light plant could survive.
Direct afternoon sun will burn the leaves of
most interior plants. Artificial lighting helps,
but usually not enough to sustain high light
plants. If someone goes on vacation, don’t
forget to temporarily remove the plants from
the dark unoccupied office.
2. Some plants do better than others when
the temperature goes below 60 degrees. If you
lower your office temperature to conserve energy
at night, make sure the plants you buy can withstand
this lack of heat. Interior plants cannot be
used to decorate an unheated entranceway where
the temperature may dip into the forties during
the winter months. Think silk for these areas.
3. No one has the time to be constantly cleaning
up after messy plants. Ferns are beautiful but
not when they are shedding all over people’s
desks. Everyone loves a ficus but not if it’s
near a draft and fifty leaves a day are all
over the floor. Select plants that are not prone
to constant leaf drop.
4. Be careful to protect your computers, desks,
carpets or floors from water. Do not direct
pot your plants into decorative containers.
Leave them in their grower’s pot; place
a 2” or 3” deep plastic drip saucer
under the plant, and then place it in the appropriate
rattan basket, terra cotta pot, fiberglass or
ceramic container. Finish the arrangement with
a layer of Spanish moss on top. Don’t
hang your plants over a computer, fax, or copying
machine; or any other place that is difficult
to reach or where it may damage equipment should
it accidentally drip.
4. Avoid plants that might be harmful to clients
or their children. A cactus with its long sharp
spines should never be placed where anyone might
brush against it. If a child were to chew on
the leaf of a dieffenbachia, his mouth &
throat would swell & he would be unable
to speak. In some cases a child has even suffocated
to death when his airways swelled shut. Check
the toxicity of all plants that you purchase.
5. For your convenience and bottom line, office
plants should only need to be watered once a
week. Stay away from really small pots (2”
& 4”); since the smaller the pot the
more often it will have to be watered.
6. Everyone is “Thinking Green”
today and office plants can play a vital roll
in cleaning the air of formaldehyde, benzene,
and carbon monoxide. Improving the quality of
the air in your office makes it a more pleasant
place to work and increases the efficiency &
well being of your employees. The good news
is that the most highly recommended air purifying
plants according to NASA are also among the
best plants I suggest for offices.
7. Finally, the aesthetics of the situation.
The size of any plant you use should be in proper
proportion to the location where it is being
placed. Plants will grow; if you have a nine-foot
ceiling in a 12ft. X 15ft. room you don’t
need to install an eight-foot plant; a five
to six foot tree will look just fine. A flowering
plant on the reception desk can brighten the
whole room and lasts a lot longer and is less
expensive than cut flowers. Table plants should
not take up important working space, think upright
or dish gardens for desks, draping for the top
of file cabinets and to cover unsightly computer
wires, floor plants to hide outlets and additional
wires. If you have several trees in a large
room make sure they are of varying heights (3ft/4.5ft/6ft),
different leaf shapes, and that they don’t
clash because of too many color variations in
the leaves.
8. You can email us your blue prints, a description
of your color scheme, and style of furniture.
For a small fee we will recommend appropriate
plants and containers as well as locations in
your area where they may be purchased. We are
also available for on site consultations.
Recommended
Office Plants
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