Nature helps to relieve our stress and also allows us to tap into greater sources of mental and physical health benefits.
Today, stress is a part of life choices, responsibilities and many other factors that can cause fatigue and anxiety in our lives. It's difficult to believe that the typical person spends 90% of the day away from the natural world. As many stresses can be traced to either our indoor environment or nature deprivation, try including plants as an important part of your interior design.
Benefits of Houseplants
* Reduces pollutants such as Benzene (paint, smoke, plastics); Formaldehyde (wood, carpet, foam); and TCE (cleaning solvents).
* Increase a room's humidity.
* Five minutes a day spent caring for plants reduces stress levels.
* Certain plants can reduce pollutants up to 87% in 24 hours.
* The presence of plants provide a sense of health and well-being.
Recipes for Your Rooms
* An 8- or 10-inch (container size) plant for 100 square feet.
* One small 4- or 6-inch (container size) plant in your personal breathing zone.
* 15-20 plants for 1500 sq. feet
* Generally, plants with larger leaves have a higher transpiration rate and an increased ability to reduce toxins.
Best Plant Choices
* Bamboo (Chamadorea)
* Corn Plant (Dracaena)
* Golden Pothos (Epipremnum)
* Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
* Ivy (Hedera)
* Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema) (pictured)
* Spider Plant (Chlorophytum)
* Dracaena deremensis 'Janet Craig'
* Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)
* Philodendron
Source: How to Grow Fresh Air; NASA research
What’s the buzz? The sound of summer. Filling your garden with flowering plants that bees like is the perfect way to a part of the cycle of nature. Bees are hardworking insects—pollinating our crops and flowers for us and feeding themselves and their community at the same time. And, don’t forget the honey—one of nature’s simplest pleasures.
