Interior Landscaping

Recently we have had some friends over as we near the holidays and thanks to my wife’s great decorating, a bit of cleanliness and one little trick a lot of people have complemented us on having a nice little basement apartment. We are so accustomed to noticing pictures and decorations in a home, but do you ever notice the green… or lack of green in someone’s home?

After some friends left I mentioned to my wife…” I bet they never noticed that we have a bunch of plants in here. It creates an atmosphere that they appreciate, but I bet they never really acknowledge that there are plants in here.”

There are too many benefits of interior landscaping to not put at least a simple planter in your home:

-Studies have shown a higher productivity rate… up to 12% increase in attentiveness in a certain workplace that a study was done with and without interior plants. Imagine doing 12% more of your cleaning or doing it 12% faster! I’m sure every mother would be happy with an extra few minutes to watch their favorite show, read a book or take a nap.

-Here in Utah the temperatures can get pretty high in the summer, and in the winter the air gets extremely dry. Wherever you live, plants will regulate both the temperature and humidity of the home. Because plants cool through a process called transpiration, they can decrease air temperatures drastically. In addition, transpiration releases moisture into the air and creates the perfect humidity level for humans (30-60%).

-Tight on money? ….. “According to the International Society of Arboriculture, the net cooling effect of one young, healthy tree is equivalent to ten room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day. According to literature from the Associated Landscape Contractors of America, proper selection and placement of plant materials can lower heating and cooling costs by as much as 20%.” Plants at Work.

-This time of year we open our doors just fast enough to get in or out and shut it quickly to keep all of the warm air in. Our windows are sealed and never opened. Think about all of the bacteria, mold and “stuff” in the air! Research shows that plant-filled rooms contain 50-60 percent fewer airborne molds and bacteria than rooms without plants. That dirty air can be food for indoor plants… they will pull it in and feed your house with naturally filtered air.

- With all of the variety of plant materials you can make your home really beautiful and enjoyable! My wife and I were at an interior landscaping expo in Las Vegas a few months ago and scored some cheap pots that we have scattered throughout the apartment, filled with a few varieties of plants and we love our indoor “jungle”.

Not convinced? I guarantee you can go to a local hardware store or even some grocery stores will sell the most common Pothos plant for very cheap. These plants will live through anything (extremely low maintenance/ watering)… and you will see how much you enjoy having a little bit of green… then you can branch out and broaden your plant material in the home.

~Cameron