Research shows that plants can boost your mood and health. Give yourself a lift and create a relaxed environment with the selection available from our branches.
No home is complete without healthy plants for colour and style, but did
you know that they are also good for you? Plants provide cleaner air, absorb toxins and dust, help to reduce noise pollution in the home, and improve your feelings of wellbeing.
Give your home or office a new look by adopting a fresh approach to plants. Whether you choose large, dramatic plants or smaller, flowering varieties, you will feel positive benefits. Plants can help create a more relaxed, balanced environment.
Scientists have discovered that plants can boost concentration, reduce stress levels and help prevent coughs and sore throats. In hospitals, the presence of plants and flowers has been found to help patients recover faster, and with less powerful medication. Plants are also beneficial in an office environment as they can help reduce blood pressure and heart rates, as well as aid memory and encourage positive thinking.
All house plants will help you relax and feel better, but some varieties are particularly effective. Boston fern, pot chrysanthemum, gerbera, rubber plant, weeping fig and peace lily, for example, can dramatically improve air quality by removing formaldehyde from the atmosphere through their leaves and roots. Formaldehyde is one of the most commonly occurring harmful chemicals and has been linked with asthma and other respiratory problems. It is emitted by gas cookers, as well as being present in everyday items such as tissues, carpet backing, ceiling tiles and cigarette smoke.
Spider plants are good for absorbing carbon monoxide, the toxic exhaust gas that can build up in buildings with low ventilation. Laboratory tests, based on research by space experts NASA, revealed that a spider plant in a small, enclosed space can remove 96 per cent of the carbon monoxide from the atmosphere.
Dragon tree plants and dracaenas absorb many of the harmful emissions from computers, printers, chipboard and MDF, while hibiscus, Boston fern or rubber plants are natural humidifiers.
Amazingly, plants are not harmed by the absorption process and will continue to function as long as they stay healthy. Our tips will help.
Caring for your Plants
Looking after house plants is easy if you follow a few basic rules.
- Identify how much light and water the plant needs, and how warm it likes to be - you will find this information on the plant care label. Choose plants to suit the conditions in your home. Cacti, for example, are ideal for warm, sunny rooms while ferns or ivy prefer cool, shady areas.
- Remember to give plants the right amount of water.
- Don't forget to feed plants regularly with an appropriate plant food.
- Occasionally wipe broad, glossy leaves with a damp cloth to keep them clean.
- Spare time for a chat with your plants - you will be breathing carbon dioxide onto them, which they need to survive. In return, the plants will provide you with oxygen.
For stylish ways of using plants in the home and more information on how plants can improve your wellbeing, log onto www.flowers.org.uk. This is the website of the Flowers & Plants Association, the UK's promotional organisation for cut flowers and indoor plants. Seasonal plants and flowers are available from your local branch of Waitrose or can be ordered from FlowersDirect. Freephone 0800 592761, or visit www.waitrosedirect.com.
This recipe was first published on Waitrose.com in September 2002.