The Health Benefits of Plants - Home, School & Work
11/04/2012

http://www.holisticdesign.co.uk

An article by Suzy Chiazzari of the Holistic Design Institute

Most people enjoy the beauty of a pot plant or two in their homes but there is more to keeping plants indoors than mere aesthetics. It is now proven that having plants around us can greatly improve our health and well-being.

Studies at Cornell University support the connection between greenery and human health. Recent finding have found that plants can improve concentration in children and parks can lower crime rates in inner city neighbourhoods, so it is not surprising that architects, city planners and interior designers are making use of these findings and incorporating plants into their schemes.

Plants, therefore, play an important part of any interior design scheme in an office or workplace. Flowers on reception desks are welcoming to clients and staff while plants on desks help personalize work areas, helping with motivation and concentration. Larger specimens can offer natural privacy in large open-plan spaces. Office plants also play an important role in offices because they help absorb electronic smog and radically reduce background.

Studies have even shown that different plants are able to absorb different frequencies of noise. Having plants indoors have many other health benefits. Green leafy plants contributes to keeping a room temperature low and comfortable and also reduce levels of dust in the air by as much as 20 % (NASA studies) that is good for allergy sufferers and asthmatics, providing you do not have flowering plants that give off pollen.

One of the most common factors for absenteeism from work is stress and here too plants can be of great benefit. While it is common knowledge that plants make us generally healthier and happier, studies have found that they can have very specific effects on productivity, level or co-operation and ability to handle stress. Businesses can also benefit from introducing living plants into their premises. Diners in garden restaurants tend to order more, in cafés that have plant life as part of their interior scheme. Customers also stay longer and consequentially, spend more.

Similar results have been found in retail stores where greenery helps shoppers to be more decisive, thereby avoiding the frustration that is often punctuated by fatigue. So, instead of a customer giving up and walking out, a sale is more likely. Plants are therefore a wonderful, inexpensive and readily available resource that we can all use to improve our lives no matter what our economic situation.

o Plants help clean the air of dust and electronic smog

o Plants reduce noise pollution o Plants aid relaxation and help prevent stress

o Plants promote decisive action and concentration

o Plants help us to be more co-operative

o Plants are uplifting and beautiful

o Green spaces can help reduce crime and bring communities together

Holistic Design Institute offers Distance Learning courses in all aspects of Colour and Holistic Interior Design.

http://www.holisticdesign.co.uk

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