Environmentally friendly, stress busting gifts that last
Plants for Wellbeing
Whether it’s rewarding hard work, welcoming to staff to a new office, or celebrating significant milestones like birthdays and weddings, plants are particularly welcome and sustainable gifts that help show appreciation and spread well being.
Plants remove toxins and dust from the home and work environment
NASA did a fascinating study a few years ago about the best plants for removing toxins from the air. They found that in the controlled environment of a space ship, plants not only removed carbon dioxide and released oxygen but they also removed a number of potentially harmful toxins including benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene from the atmosphere. They tested over 30 plants and came up with a brilliant short list of strong and resilient plants that will thrive in difficult situations and are particularly good at removing unwanted toxins (and let's face it your dark office is not anywhere as challenging as space!
You can read the full article on the NASA website but special mention was made to the following plants:-
- Peace Lillies (Spathyphyllum)
- Parlour Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)
- Aracea Palm(Dypsis lutescens)
- Spider plants(Chlorophytum cosmosum)
- English Ivy (Hedera helix)
- Devil's Ivy or Pothos plant(Epipremnum aureum)
- Cornstalk dracaena(Dracaena fragrans 'Massangeana')
- Mother in Law's tongue(Sanseveria trifasciata)
- Weeping fig(Ficus benjamina)
- Rubber Plant(Ficus elastica)
- Aloe vera(Aloe barbarensis)
- Dendrobium orchids(Dendrobrium)
- Moth Orchids(Phalaenopsis)
Plants have been shown over and over again to have mental health benefits.
They improve the appearance of any space or desktop and the colour green has been shown in many studies to have a naturally calming effect on the central nervous system.
The most recent study by the Royal Horticultural Society highlights how important the appearance of houseplants is when measuring the well being benefit of houseplants. The RHS teamed up with Reading university for this research you can read the full details on the RHS website but essentially researchers questioned 520 participants about their responses and feeling towards a number of plant pictures. Plants have long been linked to improved health and reduced sick leave and this study seems to suggest that the aesthetically pleasing nature of plants is part of this. Again this study concentrates on popular houseplants and it's top 3 plants based on respondents preference were:-
- Weeping fig (Ficus benjamina) – lush, green, high leaf area, dense canopy, can be pruned into pleasing shapes such as spheres or columns
- Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) – lush, green, high leaf area, trailing vines are considered interesting
- Palm (Dypsis lutescens) – lush, green, familiar, incites possible happy associations or memories such as of holidays or tropical destinations
These plant lists are a great place to start when thinking of plants that will thrive in any conditions and have a proven track record of well being benefits. At Plants4Presents we've been delivering plants for business gifts for nearly 20 years and we work with a a number of excellent British growers as well as nurseries in mainland Europe. We can advise on the best plants for a given position and can source any of these plants and many more in a range of sizes and presentations to meet your project. Drop us an email to find out more....
There aren't many gifts that are universally appreciated and plants tick that box
The right plant will be appreciated by the hippest new joiner, to more senior staff or clients. They promote a healthy lifestyle and good choices ,unlike chocolates or alcohol and they are a great talking point that can bring people together.
Gifts that keep on giving
With the right care our plants will last for weeks, months and even year, spreading joy and gratitude over and over again.
