Our Easy-Care Houseplants for Your Home Office...
The world's pandemic has forced many of us to merge our office and personal spaces together. Now that the novelty of working from home has worn off, what better time to add some green into your workspace - especially as winter digs her wellies in...
Create Your own Green Environment!
Our environment impacts our experience, thoughts, emotions and behaviours, as well as our general health and well-being... It's amazing what adding a few plants can do for your mood (Check out our top 5 mood-boosting houseplants). Remember that you can also use plants to divide your workspace from your home life which will improve your air quality and increase work productivity!
With this in mind, we have come up with a shortlist of easy office plants to add to your space, along with some simple tips that are easy to put into practice. We can help you carve out your own little jungle to keep you feeling motivated!
Easy-Care Plants for Your Office...
The Chinese Evergreens - Aglaonema
The Chinese Evergreen family is a perfect choice for any new plant lover who needs a bit more colour and life added to their environment. Also known as Aglaonema, the Chinese Evergreen has to be one of the most easy plants to care for and they come in all different vibrant shapes and sizes. Aglaonemas have also been proven by NASA studies to remove nasty toxins from the air, boosting air quality.
How to look after her...
Water - water her every 7-10 days, letting the top part of the soil dry before each watering - if the soil is still wet the next time you water - hold back a little longer.
Light - as long as you don't give her hot direct sunlight she will be a happy plant! They work well in many light conditions but the more vibrant and colourful ones need a little more light.
Feed - feed her 1-2 times a month - this will increase her growth rate and keep her happy!
The Aglaonema maria awesome camouflage foliage! Just £17.99
Aglaonema's are a great choice if you want to add some colour into your home.
Easy Trailing Houseplants for Your Office
Philodendron Brasil and Marble Queen and the Scindapsus Aureus N Joy
For me, this plant trio looks ace together and they are all super easy to look after. You could have these scattered around your office, or grouped together to create a wall of green, which is what I have created in my home (see below). They will stretch towards the light source, which means you can train them to climb up a pole or even a wall.
How to look after her...
Water - water her every 7-10 days, letting the top part of the soil dry before each watering!
Light - not fussy at all when it comes to light which makes them perfect office plants! Just keep these out of hot direct sunlight.
Apologies for the naughty word ;)
Create a Tropical Vibe with these Big Plants!
Any larger plant will create an instant jungle feel, perfect for adding some life into those gloomy corners of your office. In my home, I have a mix of larger plants and smaller ones placed on the floor - this creates a beautiful green frame around each room. I also lack surfaces in my home, so having these placed around the room allows me to have more plants together. Take a look at our selction on large easy to care for plants here.
Why not create a beautiful green frame around your office?
Ceropegia Woodii variegated
The string of hearts is one of our top selling houseplants here at the jungle. I actually have 4 in my home and, since working with me, Hayley and Ashlee couldn't resist taking a few home. These will trail down, creating a fountain of hearts and look great perched on a shelf. They are very easy to look after as long as you don't overwater them, they won't need repotting for some time, and work well in bright and low light! What more could you ask for? Oh, and they are also non-toxic!
Water: Only water once the soil is dry in the winter months - once a month should be enough. Let her sit in water for no longer than 5 minutes, or gently water around the edge of the pot. Remember that the roots are very small so too much water will cause root rot!
Note: These are succulents and can hold water in the leaves for a while.
Light: Bright light to low light. The variegated varieties will benefit from a little more light as this will keep her foliage nice and pink.
This is a picture of one of our lovely customer's snug office space features with our Ceropegia Woodii 'variegated'
Peperomia Hovaria®
This is a new variety of Peperomia that has been specially grown with easy-care in mind. It's tall, soft to touch and elegant, really making it stand out from the bunch. Try placing these on your desk or on a windowsill, watering only every 2 to 4 weeks - so so easy!
Care: Water her every 2-4 weeks and let her sit in a shallow tray of water for no longer than 10 minutes - this way she will take what she needs and will store water away in her plump leaves!
Note: As we head into autumn/winter, I would water every 4 weeks.
Light: Bright light to low light.
The Calathea Family
The Calathea family has such a vast choice of colour and leaf pattern like no other houseplant. These naturally grow all over the jungle floor and underneath the tropical jungle canopies, so only require dappled light - this means that they are a popular choice for any home environment. Some can be a little tricky for beginners but the Calathea is definitely worth the extra effort.
Calathea Orbifolia X-large: Super cool foliage! The Calathea Orbifolia is native to Bolivia with beautiful large silvery green leaves. It’s one of the largest Calathea with leaves that can reach 30cm across. It's also a great air purifier which makes it a perfect statement plant for any home or office - and it's pet safe! Available in two sizes: X-Large with a pot diameter of 27cm, and a total height of approximately 80cm for £85; or 10.5cm for only £16.66. View all our Calathea
Calathea sanderiana: This Calathea has the most incredible glossy foliage. The leaves are a deep purple colour with pink pinstripes - a really special plant!
What Else Can You Do to Improve Your Workspace?
Crafting a healthy work environment can help you and your work reach new heights!As well as having plants to boost your mood, here are a few other options to mix up working from home.
Change is a Good Thing!
If you've been stuck working from home for a long time, maybe it's time to move your office about! Even a small change, like moving your desk closer to your window may help. This will give you a sense of change and enjoyment as you walk into "work", giving you that much-needed boost!
Flowers...
I didn't used to be that interested in flowers, but when lockdown happened, they really helped to perk me up - I was surprised to feel such joy every time I saw them!
I always go for bright coloured flowers and find that the mix of colour amongst the green really pulls the room together.
Please support and have in mind your local florist rather than the big chain supermarkets, especially as winter kicks in... They will need your support as much as any small business in these challenging times.
Philodendron verrucosum with some Orange Roses creates a nice contrast.
Add Some Botanical Aromas
Set the mood by adding some different smells to a room such as a candle or incense - this can really help boost your space and mood.
That wraps it up for today! If you have any further questions on what plants would work for your home office, please get in contact with us - we are always here to help! If you have any further tips on working from home, please comment below.