It could be argued that plants in an office improve the decor and elevate the image of a company. In fact plants may addition that may bring the 'look' of your office together.
As you consider how to incorporate indoor plants into your office space, there are certain practical considerations that need to be taken into account before you buy plants.
Choose the right plants (that you can maintain)
By this we mean choose plants that you know you can maintain in your office. Unless staff members are trained and given responsibility for maintaining them, plants can quickly deteriorate in a room. Erratic water supply, light and airflow are all factors that affect the condition of the plant. Some plants need more attention for example, peace lillies (spathiphyllum) may need more frequent watering and would need someone to check in on them frequently.
You should also consider who will be responsible for maintenance of the plants. It will require more than just regular watering to keep plants healthy so assign the responsibility to someone who has a solid knowledge of plants. You can also choose to outsource the service to plant rental company who will maintain the plants for you on a regular basis.
For more on which plants you can start off with, watch our video on easy indoor plants.
Designing Your Office Space with Plants
Ideally, the positioning of plants should be decided when moving in or even when designing the building. You can intentionally create shelving, alcoves and display areas just for the plants allowing them to be a feature.
Incorporate plants into your office layout
You would want to place them where they are visible but where people do not brush against them easily as there is could cause tears and wear in the leaves. Avoid placing plants where there is a strong draft as this will dry out the plant faster.
Position plants for maximum effect
Having a large plant at the in front of the focal wall can have a enhance the decor of a room. This could be strategically in the reception area where the plant is one of the first things a client sees when entering a room, or plants could be used to line a walkway or corridor acting as informal room dividers.
Choosing the right planters and containers
Another useful trick to enhance your decor is to place plants in carefully chosen cover containers; planters that match your corporate image in colour or design and compliment your decor. Orca Decor, Builders Warehouse, and even China Mall, in Lusaka frequently have a collection of these outer cover pots, in a variety of colours and styles available for purchase.
Plant Parenthood
If possible provide your staff with their own desk plants if they are interested. In our plant rental service, we do provide desk plants for staff to look after and we have observed that people easily grow into plant parenthood and develop an attachment to their plants, watering them and nurturing them and boasting about them when they are doing well.
Plants have the added benefit of increasing the sense of well-being within an office and thus indirectly, contribute positively to productivity.
Finding the right plants
Your local plant nursery will be able to tell you which plants are suitable for the shade and how you should care for them. There may be a slight learning curve in learning how to take care of plants indoors but the benefits certainly outweigh the costs. Alternatively Greenspace Zambia has a corporate plant rental service that can install and maintain plants in your office for you so feel free to contact us for a consultation.
Comments