5 Office Plant Tips
for busy people
So you want to green the office but you don’t know
an aspidistra from a spider plants, and the tea lady
does not want to water them…
Introduction
As the world becomes more environmentally conscious, more and more offices are looking
towards green plants to make their space a better place to work in.
The next few pages set out some of the basics that you should know before you get
bamboozled by that smart indoor plant hire sales man.
TIP1 - The Right Plant For The Job
NO, you cannot put that beautiful topiary ficus in that dark store room. IT WILL DIE !!
Most offices don’t have a massive amount of natural light, so here are some plants you can put
in that store room ... (if you really want to put a plant in a store room)
Zanzibar Gem
Mother in Law Tongues
Cast Iron Plant
Dracaena Janet Craig
And plants suitable for a light position inside:
Umbrella Tree
Devil’s Ivies
Ficus Lyrata
Dracaena Deremensis
Travelers Palms
Did you know that on our web site we detail the general light requirements for many indoor
plants. www.greendesign.com.au/plants_index.htm
And did you know that the low light plants shown above also do not need much water to survive
even if put in a lighter position. That is one reason why they are popular in offices.
TIP2 - The Right Planter Pot For The Job
What is that rotting carpet doing underneath my beautiful ceramic pot.??
Well, I did warn you about that smart plant hire salesman. Ceramic pots inside are a remedy for
disaster, they are porous (hence the rotting carpet), they are heavy and they are eighties.
The latest range of planters are all water proof and light and come in a vast range of colours.
They can even be painted to your corporate colour.
Most planters nowadays are made from a polymer material that is environmentally friendly.
Planters can also come in various shapes, such as the picture on the left
Other reliable planters for indoors are made out of
stainless steel
fiberglass
natural materials such as wood
For a look at our latest range of planters go to Products on our web site
www.greendesign.com.au/containers_index.htm
TIP3 - Keep Things Simple (and Cost Effective)
Surely it is cheaper to buy your own plants and get the office junior to look after them
(since the tea lady won’t)?
NO it is not - Not after you allow a couple of hundred dollars for a water proof planter plus at
least sixty dollars for a healthy plant.
Considering it would only cost you three dollars per week to rent a plant, and get it looked after,
it would take more then a year to get your money back.Yes you could probably buy a cheaper
planter, but unless you know what you are doing it could leak or it could be to small for the plant
you bought.
And remember, plants only look attractive for a limited time indoors, then they need to be
changed for a fresh plant. If the office junior can keep it looking good for more then a year, they
should be working for a plant company.
It is a proven fact that healthy attractive plants make people feel better, sick unattractive plants
do the opposite.
So to keep things really simple (and cost effective), think about delegating to a professsional
Indoor Plant Hire company. To find out how cost effective - take a look at green design pricing...
www.greendesign.com.au/indoor-plant-hire-pricing.htm
TIP4 - Use Plants to Improve Office Environment
Some plants are better at removing a specific toxin then other plants, some are great for
noise levels and others counteracting dry air-conditioned atmospheres.
Did you know that most materials in a modern offices outgas toxins, such as Formaldehyde,
Benzene and Toluene. These chemicals can cause eye and nose irritation , headaches and
worse. Plants can remove these toxins through the action of microbes In the soil – root zone.
Some plants are better at removing a specific toxin then other plants, but since the office air
contains a soup of many thousands of different toxins most plants are equally good.
Studies have shown that having indoor plants improves productivity of office workers and decreases sick leave, by a factor of about 25%.
Bushy indoor plants such as Ficus, Amata etc are good at absorbing and reducing noise levels
in the office.
Low humidity in the office caused by air conditioning can be raised by the use of Indoor plants.
Contact a Green Design Indoor Plant Specialist to find out more on improving your office space
visit: www.greendesign.com.au/contact_index.htm
TIP5 - How to find the best Indoor Plant Hire Co.
So what should you look for when selecting a plant hire company?
1 - Obviously price will influence your decision, but make sure you are comparing “like with like”
2 - Do a quick Google Search for the company - are they highly visable and credible? Also,
their range of planters will tell you a lot about how professional the company is.
3 - Are they experts? Again a quick look at the information on their website will help.
4 - Beware of companies with long agreements. You may have difficulty getting rid of them if
they do not perform.
5 - Most reputable companies are a member of the national industry body NIPA. The best ones
have earned accreditation by that body. Some government departments now only deal with
accredited companies.You can go to the NIPA site to see who is a member:
www.nipa.asn.au
Well, now that you know a little bit more about office plants,and if you still want to get an idea on
price we would love to hear from you. www.greendesign.com.au
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Sydney 02 9410 0204 // Parramatta 02 9891 2643 // Central Coast 02 43721777
www.greendesign.com.au
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