Reap what you sow: The benefits of having a garden in your office

Can you imagine having a garden in your office? Not a small, portable Zen garden you can keep on your desk or a couple of potted plants in the hallway, but a real garden with trees, flowers, and vegetables?

What started out as an optimistic thought slowly developed and is today practiced in a number of big companies all over the world – botanical offices. Using plants in order to boost your employees’ productivity isn’t a new idea, but here is why it would be good to take it a step further.

The proof

The reason why people choose to bring plants in their workplaces is twofold – not only does it brighten up the space and makes it more inviting, but there are certain health benefits that can’t be ignored. Plants in the office can reduce the number of sick days you take and they will also lower stress levels.

As Danica-Lea Larcombe wrote in The Conversation, it’s proven that indoor plants can virtually “scrub” the air of harmful bacteria and help remove different chemical compounds which cleaning products release. In addition to this, plants do wonders for people’s mood and can help when you’re struggling with high levels of stress.

It’s sustainable

Fortunately, the world has been paying more attention to environmental issues as of late, and business owners are focusing on sustainability much more than they did in the past. They are paying more attention to details: from the materials they use to whether appliances are energy efficient.

Since office gardens can double as workspaces, especially during summer, it’s important to make sure all employers stay in the shade. While trees provide natural shade, retractable roof blinds are also a good idea since with them you can choose how much sun you’re going to ‘let in’. Not only will this make the workspace more comfortable, but you’ll also save some money on your bills as you won’t have to cool the office down as much.

Diet changes

A lot of us are always trying to find new ways to improve our diets and lead healthier lifestyles, and this is where office gardens can help. When you have a chance to pick fresh basil and tomatoes for their salad, it means you’ll be more likely to eat healthy food.

An on-site garden is a good idea because you’ll know that all the food you pick and harvest is organic and grown with love by you and your coworkers. Not just that, but gardening allows people to find other things to talk about than just work, assignments, and deadlines.

Being active

When you’re growing your own food in at work, you can’t help but be active, to get up and walk around more often. This is especially significant if your job requires you to sit in front of a computer a lot.

By checking up on plants, watering them, and moving the pots around, you’ll be more active than you usually would be. Gardening is an excellent way to keep busy during the day and waking up in the morning, and when your days start with a positive thought you’ll be more likely to keep the good mod later on.

Meditation space

If you’ve been meditating on a regular basis or even just reading about it, you’ll know that one of the best places to meditate is the outdoors. Fresh air and the sounds of insects, wind, and water can do wonders to help us relax.

This is the reason why interior designers are often asked to create a botanical meditation area for different companies. We all know how difficult it can be to relax even on our breaks, so meditation areas that have trees, moss-covered benches, and grass on the floor are the best.

It seems as if a great number of modern offices and corporations have embraced the idea of office gardens because of the many benefits they offer to both the company and the employees. Even the simplest things such as desk plants and living walls are a great idea which can, later on, grow to become a real garden.

The physical and psychological benefits of office gardens can’t be overlooked, and if that’s not enough just remember how aesthetically pleasing it is to walk into a room full of living plants.