Recent years, we have been hearing and reading a lot about bringing plants into our homes to not only increase the air quality of our homes, but also boost our mood and enhance our spaces. Knowing how much I believe in the health and happiness benefits of surrounding ourselves with plants, I want to share some ideas with you on how to replicate that same inspiring vibe in your work space.
At work, we are at our desks the majority of the day. If we believe in the benefits of plants decorating our homes, then we should bring that belief into our work space as well!
Here are some easy and beautiful ways to add plants to your office, whether you work from home or go to an office.
Just before we dive into the different options for work spaces, I wanted to share some cool and cute ideas that will put a smile on your face and will catch your coworkers’ attention…
PRIVATE OFFICE OR HOME OFFICE
No matter if you work in an enclosed private office or in your home, chances are that you have access to a window. If not, don’t worry, I have options for you too (just check out these ideas now so that you can apply them to your plants at the end). In addition to having natural light, a private enclosed office will usually have more space than an open office desk or cubicle. As a result, you can make use of your walls and shelves, your floor, your desk, perhaps even a window sill!
Here are a few ideas for decorating your working space with plants, and they apply to multiple options!
CUBICLE DESK
you can still hang plants in your cubical, even if it’s confined within the panels of the panels! Your desk is likely your best place for one or two plants…you may want to try a collection of small succulents and cacti or even a huge succulent plant!
OPEN DESK
Your work space has limited living space, so you have limited space for plants, but it doesn’t mean you can’t do it! For most of my career, I worked in an office that had an open floor plan, so I quickly learned what good personal space etiquette was! The advantage of open offices, besides being a great collaboration environment, is that they provide more natural light. This makes them a good place to cultivate plants. It is ideal if your coworkers are nice and have similar green love and values. But if they don’t, you can fool them into thinking that plants near their desks are like a fence, and that you will not stare at them eating muffins! A living partition screen is a kinder and more delicate way to create your own space as both of you will be able to enjoy the beauty of your own space.
Here are a few options.
IDEAL PLANTS FOR YOUR WORK SPACE
Now that we have a better understanding of how you can decorate your desk at work so that you have daily inspiration, it is important for you to carefully evaluate which plants are suited to your work space and your needs.
When choosing plants for the right environment, lighting is most definitely a critical factor, however, maintenance and amount of care you are willing to provide are equally as important.
This list below is divided by light requirements and includes plants that are low maintenance.
LOW LIGHT
This is the type of plant you should choose if your office is lacking natural light, as are so many out there.
Snake Plant, (Sansevieria Trifasciata)
This is a relatively large plant that thrives in any type of lighting. It only requires watering every couple of days.
Air purifying qualities are well known for this plant.
ZZ Plant, (Zamioculcas)
Even if you buy it as a small plant, it grows very fast. With this plant you can test the low-light limits to the extremes!
This plant is easy to care for and requires regular watering.
English Ivy, (Hedera Helix)
These great trailing plants thrive well in low natural light environments and are highly ornamental.
Between waterings, it needs to be allowed to dry out well.
Staghorn Fern, (Platycerium)
Despite having a small amount of soil and little natural light, this plant does exceptionally well.
Plants around its roots require little moisture.
Wall plant decorations can be created with this plant by hanging it on walls.
Echeveria
Echeverias are among the most common and popular succulents. They are known for doing well with low natural light environments.
Typically, Echeverias require little watering, like the majority of succulents.
Zebra Plant, (Haworthia Fasciata)
Natural light is not necessary for the growth of this type of succulent.
The amount of water it needs varies depending on the environment and the type of pot that it is in, but it should be watered every two weeks.
BRIGHT LIGHT
Fiddle Leaf Fig, (Ficus Lyrata)
Plants of this size are exceptionally easy to care for, however they prefer a bright spot near a window and do not thrive in being moved!
It is recommended that plants be watered once a week, depending on the environment where they are placed.
Birds of Paradise, (Strelitzia Reginae)
This plant is a large floor plant and requires lots of light, just like its cousin the Fiddle Leaf Fig.
It requires frequent watering as it prefers moist soil in spring and summer, and drier soil in fall and winter.
Rubber Plant, (Ficus Elastica)
This plant grows fast and needs bright light. It has small to medium size leaves.
During dry periods, it doesn’t like to be watered, so it’s very infrequent.
Variegated versions are available in this plant, making it quite attractive in stark offices!
Pony Tail Palm, (Beaucarnea Recurvata)
As long as it is placed in a bright spot and is not over watered, this plant is virtually impossible to kill. It thrives on being neglected… only if you remember to water it every so often.
String of Pearls, (Senecio Rowleyanus)
An interesting succulent plant, this one loves sunlight and can survive with little water. It requires a lot of sunlight, so it thrives even in direct sunlight.
During the winter months, one can water the plant up to once a month, depending on where it’s placed.
It’s definitely something to talk about!
Living Stone, (Lithops)
Succulent plants grow in full sun light and need minimal watering. This is why they are exceptionally drought resistant.
It is definitely an intriguing plant, so if you do not want too much attention from your co-workers, do not purchase this for your office!
And there you have it!
I hope you enjoyed this article!
If you have any questions, please submit them here below or email me directly! I’ll be happy to answer them all!
Cheers!
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