Tags: Announcement, Biophilia, Biophilic design, Facilities Management, Office, Planteria Group

We’ve Landed: Planteria Launches in the United States

We’ve got exciting news to share – after two years of behind-the-scenes work, we’ve officially launched in the United States.

Our new headquarters at 460 Park Avenue South in New York marks a major milestone for Planteria Group. But this isn’t just an expansion. It’s a response to something far more meaningful: client demand.

Why We're Here

Our move across the Atlantic wasn’t part of a grand plan for global conquest. In fact, it started with a request from some of our most valued clients:

“We want you to bring the Planteria experience here too.”

And so, we did. We listened. We planned. We built. Now, we’re proud to say that Planteria is officially operating across the Northeast Corridor – from Boston to Washington DC – bringing the same trusted service that our UK clients already know.

What We're Bringing to the Table

Our US launch introduces the same signature service model that’s made us the UK’s leading office planting partner:

Biophilic design embedded seamlessly into workplace environments
Reliable, worry-free plant maintenance
Cost-efficient innovation with our Ecoponic substrate system
Enhanced employee engagement through our Engage & Bloom workplace experience program

We already maintain over 90,000 plants in UK workplaces, and now we’re bringing that experience to American businesses seeking consistency, simplicity, and results.

What's Next?

This is just the beginning. While we’re currently focused on the Northeast Corridor, our next destination is already on the horizon: California.

We’re excited about what’s to come – and we’re grateful to the clients who’ve trusted us to take this step with them.

Let's Grow Together

Want to learn more about our US services, innovations, or how Planteria can transform your workplace?

Discover ways to enhance your office environment with our expert insights on biophilic design, wellbeing, sustainability and the world of plants.

Planteria Group

We’ve Landed: Planteria Launches in the United States

Green wall in an office setting. Ans living green wall with lights and office chairs and table

Biophilic design

The Complete Guide to Green Walls

Planteria Group

London’s Biodiversity Hotspots

Tags: Biophilic design, Facilities Management, Nature & Environment, Office, Planteria Group, White Paper

The Science and Strategies Behind Engage & Bloom

Harnessing nature for workplace wellness and engagement

This resource explores the science and strategies behind Planteria Group’s Engage & Bloom workplace experience programme. It will show how the programme provides employees, organisations and facilities managers with several key benefits from both a commercial and wellbeing standpoint.

Key theories and frameworks are identified, demonstrating the scientific and strategic theory that underpins the Engage & Bloom programme.

An Introduction to Engage & Bloom

Engage & Bloom is a science-backed employee experience
programme that is centred on the principles of biophilia and its scientifically
proven benefits in terms of productivity and wellbeing. Such benefits are
achieved through harnessing the power of nature to create inspirational spaces.

The Engage & Bloom programme teaches clients how to look
after their plants at home, as well as inspiring them in the world of planting
and nature through a range of engaging experiences, including workshops,
interactive QR codes, and educational pieces.

The Modern Workplace Challenge

The modern workplace presents numerous challenges to ensure employees are working at an optimal level that benefits both the individual and the wider organisation. Since 1950, research suggests that we have gradually become more disconnected from nature and the benefits it provides.

A 2023 study by the UK Government identified that people spend 80-90% of their time indoors. To make matters worse research suggests that on average an office worker spends 12 hours per day looking at a screen.

Offices commonly experience a disconnect from nature, due to urban environments and sterile interior settings, as well as the growing importance of technology that has often acted as a substitute for nature as a source of recreation and entertainment.

Increasing Importance of Well-being and Engagement for Productivity

Engage & Bloom is based on the concept of biophilia, which refers to a human being’s innate desire to connect with nature. This is further reinforced by numerous scientific findings, notably an experiment conducted by the Chelsea Flower Show.

This experiment invited participants to take part in a study that measured their creativity, happiness, and productivity across a variety of different workplace designs. The results found that allowing staff to make design decisions in a workspace enhanced with office plants can:

· Increase well-being by 47%

· Increase creativity by 45%

· Increase productivity by 38%

These findings highlight the significant benefits that simply being around plants can have on employees. However, the interactivity of the Engage & Bloom programme enables organisations and their employees to harness these benefits to an even more powerful extent.

The Innate Human Connection to Nature: Biophilia

Biophilia is described as ‘an innate love for the natural world, supposed to be felt universally by humankind.’ The biophilia hypothesis is based upon the belief that humans have an inbuilt tendency to seek connection with nature and other forms of life.

In fact, the word biophilia is a combination of two ancient Greek words: bio (meaning life) and philia (meaning love). The term was first used by German social psychologist Erich Fromm, who claimed that biophilia manifests as the ‘wish to further growth, whether in a person, plant, idea, or social group.’

The growing awareness and popularity of biophilic design is indicated in the below graph, which demonstrates how the word biophilia, along with related keywords, has seen a significant spike in how frequently it is mentioned in publications, particularly from 2008 onwards.

Engage & Bloom is a solution that combines both science and strategy through engaging workplace activities. As well as improving productivity and wellbeing, Engage & Bloom also promotes teamwork and fosters connections with nature and one another.

The Engage & Bloom programme applies Fromm’s concept of growth in terms of people, plants, and social groups by giving individuals the opportunity to enjoy a shared experience that connects them with plants and nature both on an individual and group level.

The Science of Wellness in the Workplace

Workplace wellbeing encompasses how employees feel at work and about work, with a focus on developing and displaying healthy behaviours.

More specifically, it can include some of the following elements:

A positive working environment
Job satisfaction and purposefulness
Good leadership and management
Pay and reward
Personal development
Physical and mental health

Impact of Stress, Poor Air Quality and Sterile Environments on Staff

Factors such as stress, poor air quality, and sterile environments can all have a negative impact on workplace wellbeing. Poor workplace mental health has been estimated to cost UK businesses an incredible £45bn each year. Furthermore, Lumien data reveals how wellbeing impacts employees 27% of the time, and as a result, companies are losing 17% productivity.

Annually, this equates to £5,318.45 per employee, representing a significant organisational cost that could be mitigated through the implementation of wellbeing-focused initiatives.

DISCOVER WORKPLACE EXPERIENCE PROGRAMMES

Talk to us today about Engage & Bloom

Call 0345 505 3333

Scientific Evidence Supporting Biophilia

Taking an evidence-based approach to workplace wellbeing allows employers to understand their employees wants and needs, along with areas of improvement.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, 45% of people reported that visiting green spaces helped them to cope. Likewise, Harvard research finds that spending 20 to 30 minutes in an outdoor setting where people feel they are interacting with nature can lower stress hormone levels.

Cognitive and Productivity Benefits of Greenery in Offices

The concept of biophilia is supported by various studies and frameworks, including Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory which found that exposure to nature reduces mental fatigue, as well as helping improve focus and our ability to concentrate.

Likewise, Ulrech’s 1981 Stress Reduction Theory claims that natural environments promote recovery from stress, while urban environments tend to hinder it.

The Psychological Basis of Nature Engagement

According to the National Library of Medicine, individuals have less mental distress, less anxiety and depression, greater wellbeing and healthier cortisol profiles when living in areas with more greenspace.

This is reinforced by NHS research, which found that people who spend at least two hours a week in nature experience better health and higher psychological wellbeing than those who do not visit nature at all during an average week.

Sensory Benefits of Plant Interaction

Sensory planting encourages an increasingly engaging and
meaningful experience with plants, stimulating senses, including smell, sound,
touch, and sight.

According to the RHS, selecting plants that are particularly
good for your senses can improve mood and general wellbeing.

Examples of plants with sensory benefits include:

· Fragrant flowers, such as lavender, jasmine, and rose

· Herbs, including mint, basil, and rosemary

· Plants with a particularly textural appearance include lamb’s ear, ferns, and ornamental grasses.

· Vibrantly coloured plants that satisfy the visual sense

· Edible plants such as strawberry plants

Employee Engagement: Why it Matters

In their 2023 State of the Global Workplace Report, analytics and advisory firm Gallup found that nearly 6 in 10 employees are feeling disengaged at work. Traits of disengaged employees can include demotivation, missed deadlines, disinterest in team activities, and avoidance in taking initiative.

Such behaviours have also been described by the term ‘quiet quitting,’ whereby a disengaged employee only fulfils the bare minimum of their duties.

The Impact of Disengagement

Employee disengagement can result in several issues, both for an individual’s wellbeing and the organisation. Decreased productivity is a key risk of disengaged employees, along with high absenteeism and turnover rates and the subsequent recruitment and training costs.

The 2023 State of the Global Workplace report found that disengaged employees are estimated to cost the global economy $8.8 trillion dollars, which represents 9% of global GDP. As well as the financial implications, employee disengagement also results in an adverse impact on team morale, which may cause an overall reduction in workplace productivity and innovation due to an unfavourable working environment.

The Role of Nature in Engagement

Biophilic design can be classified into six key principles illustrated below:

The last two principles provide a clear insight into how biophilic design can foster a sense of purpose and belonging. Place-based relationships refer to the link between culture and ecology. This is based upon a human’s sense of connection with familiar surroundings and feelings of protection or stewardship towards such places, known as Place Attachment Theory.

A study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology investigated the connection between green buildings and place attachment. It found that biophilic design and opportunities for connection to nature were amongst the most important aspects for supporting Place Attachment Theory and can enhance individual wellbeing, quality of life, as well as increase pro-environmental behaviours and community resilience.

When coupled with the attachment to nature and health and wellbeing benefits that biophilic design provides, it is clear to see the powerful impact that spaces with a strong biophilic element can have on an individual’s sense of belonging within that space.

How Interactive Experiences with Plants Create Meaningful Connections

Direct contact with vegetation represents one of the most successful ways of promoting human connection in design. Dr. Stephen Kellert claims that human evolution and survival require the management of natural environments, particularly with regards to sensory elements. Moreover, DelSesto highlights the variety of often overlooked ways that we interact with plants in daily life.

From clothing to writing materials, plants are used to produce essential daily items. What’s more, the exchange of plants as a mark of celebration or condolence highlights their powerful role in landmark events in our lives.

DelSesto’s below spectrum categorises people-plant interactions into key groupings: physical exertion, tactile immersion, and peaceful abiding. Different aspects can align particularly strongly with some of the identified benefits of biophilia. For example, interactions classified under the ‘peaceful abiding’ grouping are likely to be closely aligned to the benefits of stress reduction, while those classed as ‘tactile immersion’ may be particularly effective at boosting engagement and concentration.

Strategies Behind Engage & Bloom: Tailored Solutions for Every Workplace

Engage & Bloom comprises three modular packages, allowing tailored solutions for every workplace. In addition to an informative biophilic webinar, employees can dial in live and speak to our ‘Plant Doctor’ who will advise on care and maintenance of specific plants.

Furthermore, there is the opportunity to identify and learn about plant species simply by scanning a plant’s QR code, which brings up the relevant page of the Plantopedia. Silver and gold packages also include interactive and engaging biophilic-based workshops, which can encompass activities such as wreath making, floristry, and orchid arrangement.

Flexible Solutions to Suit Workplace Needs

Engage & Bloom is focused on creating tailored solutions for every workplace. The flexibility of several key offerings within the programme allows employers to implement activities in accordance with their workplace’s needs and schedules.

Plant giveaways, biophilic webinars, and workshops can be scheduled at a convenient time and location for the business, whether it is on-site or at a separate location as part of an out-of-office event.

Engagement Through Experience

According to Michigan State University, there are many activities workplaces can implement to improve group cohesion and build trust.

Such activities often give employees the chance to interact with colleagues in a different way and reveal different aspects of their personalities that may not come out during normal work interactions.

Other advantages of team building include:

Boosting employee engagement
Encouraging communication
Mitigating conflict
Increasing collaboration

Engage & Bloom workshops provide an opportunity for employees to experience these benefits, whether working directly together or enjoying a shared experience alongside each other to produce wreaths, orchid displays, and floristry bouquets.

As noted by McKinsey & Company, being amongst nature helps with attention span, creativity, well-being, and happiness and should act as a foundational resource for both individual and team development.

How Interactive Learning Builds Deeper Connection

Referring to DelSesto’s spectrum of people-plant interactions, the different activities within the Engage & Bloom programme can be classified within this framework. Floristry bouquets, moss art, orchid and wreath making workshops are categorised under the ‘tactile immersion’ category due to employees’ physical interaction with plant materials.

Other aspects of the Engage & Bloom programme, such as plant giveaways, dial-in plant clinics, and identifying plant species using a QR code and Plantopedia are categorised under the ‘peaceful abiding’ category, due to their focus on sensory engagement with plant environments and representations of plant environments. Such interactive and informative activities can promote deeper connections within the workplace.

The social element of a shared workplace activity can help employees to feel connected to one another and the activity. According to Times Higher Education, feeling connected to what is being learnt and the people one is learning alongside is what underpins engagement. They go on to state that feeling socially connected enhances an individual’s sense of belonging, which is essential to maintain motivation and feelings of safety and comfort.

Employee Satisfaction Surveys

Employee satisfaction following increased interaction with biophilia can be measured in several ways. Heightened creativity may be evident in subsequent projects and brainstorming sessions, while reported increases in productivity can also be observed.

Organisations may find that outlined objectives are being reached increasingly quickly and projects are completed ahead of schedule. In terms of wellbeing, employers may observe a positive change in the overall mood and atmosphere within the workplace

Client Success Stories

Recently, we brought the Engage & Bloom program to a leading social media platform’s London office. Employees fully embraced the experience, from learning about plant care to taking home their own plant, the event left lasting impressions and fostered stronger connections with nature in the workplace.

The client shared the following feedback after the event: “I’m so happy that you shared some beautiful pictures with me today. The plants look amazing, and I was extremely happy to see the engagement with our members; they looked happy. Well done to the Planteria team!”.

Case Studies

Engage & Bloom activities have been successfully implemented in a diverse range of workplaces and industries.

Wreath making makes a particularly popular seasonal workshop that can be adapted to the season, whether it is over the festive period, autumn, or spring. As such, materials can also be adapted to suit the season, theme, and even the organisation’s brand colours, creating a truly personalised experience for each individual workplace.

Quantifiable Benefits for Staff Engagement and Wellness

Awareness and application of biophilia within the workplace, through biophilic design elements in the office and Engage & Bloom engagement activities can be quantifiably measured using numerous metrics.

The outlined body of scientific research strongly suggests that organisations would see a reduction in absenteeism and the number of cases of reported stress and wellbeing-related issues when biophilic design and activities are regularly implemented within the workplace.

Implementing Engage & Bloom

According to the KPMG 2024 CEO Outlook Report, the majority of UK CEOs expect companies to shift towards a full return to office work within the next three years. As such, it is important for facilities professionals to look at ways to create calming and inviting workplaces.

The implementation of biophilic design principles is a key way to achieve this and demonstrate the facilities manager’s commitment to wellbeing and engagement. Introducing new and innovative biophilic initiatives can help facilities managers to further strengthen their client relationships and demonstrate proactive awareness of scientific and strategically backed initiatives that benefit their clients.

Preparing for an Engage & Bloom Rollout

The Engage & Bloom team will contact you to book in your events on a date that is convenient to your team. They will talk through the options with you and help you choose the best event type to suit your team, goals and/or the time of year.

For example, the wreath building workshop is most popular in Quarter 4 – as staff get to take home their own handcrafted wreath ready to decorate their home for Christmas.The Engage & Bloom team will identify what sort of space they need to hold the workshop or activities.

We recommend sending out company-wide communications for the larger events or specific invitations to the workshops. Allow staff enough time to ensure they are in the office on the specific days. The anticipation of a fun and engaging event can be a engagement piece in itself – reminding them that the company is committed to their wellbeing and have them looking forward to the event.

Partnership with Planteria Group

Planteria Group is committed to delivering tailored solutions for each individual workplace. With three packages available, employers can choose the one that is best aligned to their budgetary and organisational needs, with each package consisting of several Engage & Bloom initiatives. Silver and Gold packages also let organisations choose between 2-4 yearly workshops, with the opportunity to pick from several different workshop options and tailor them to suit their organisation’s needs.

Conclusion

Engage & Bloom is rooted in a scientific foundation. It’s based upon the key principles identified in Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory regarding nature exposure reducing mental fatigue. It is also based on Ulrech’s 1981 Stress Reduction Theory and its belief that natural environments promote recovery from stress.

Engage & Bloom harnesses the power of nature in the form of interactive initiatives that improve cohesion, build trust, and encourage enhanced team relationships.

As highlighted, the implementation of an Engage & Bloom workplace experience programme provides several key benefits, both in terms of individual employee wellbeing, productivity, and creativity. Additionally, there are a multitude of wider organisational benefits, including reduced absenteeism, labour turnover, and heightened team morale.

Discover tailored solutions that provide organisational, individual, and team benefits. Let us help you transform your workplace today.

About Planteria Group

Planteria is the UK’s leading office plant company, operating as an independent, family-run business of experts for more than 40 years and maintaining over 90,000 plant displays nationwide. We are committed to creating best-in-class biophilic design and have worked on some of the UK’s most prestigious projects.

You’ll find our work in offices, showrooms, and public buildings across the UK. Our Services: Design, installation and maintenance of planting for workplaces. Interior and exterior biophilic design, living walls and moss walls. We also offer corporate floristry and seasonal decorations, including orchids, Christmas trees and more workplace experience services via our Engage & Bloom Programme.

Contact Information

ENGAGE & BLOOM TEAM

T: 0345 505 3333

E: engageandbloom@planteriagroup.com

Discover ways to enhance your office environment with our expert insights on biophilic design, wellbeing, sustainability and the world of plants.

Planteria Group

We’ve Landed: Planteria Launches in the United States

Biophilic design

The Complete Guide to Green Walls

Planteria Group

London’s Biodiversity Hotspots

Tags: Facilities Management, Office, Workplace

Office Space Saving Plant Ideas

Managing budgets for office plants

A Facilities Manager may understand the phrase ‘squeezing a quart into a pint pot’ better than anyone else, and its hard to find office plant space saving tips. With office space, especially in City Centre locations at an all-time high, the careful planning and use of space is high on the agenda. For 2024 in the city centre of London rent is £77.50* per sq. ft with other areas also calculated by Oktra. Decisions about moving are not taken lightly and in times of growth, fitting more staff into your building can be like doing a 2000 piece jigsaw puzzle, painstaking and complicated! Modern-day Facilities Managers should perhaps be called ‘Workplace Managers’ as they now hold a much more holistic role, working closely with other senior colleagues to deliver a service to stakeholders that meet business objectives. It is no longer just about providing a safe, clean, fit-for-purpose environment where everything works well; it is now about providing competitive advantage, creating a strong brand image, employee engagement and retention. It is about corporate responsibility, green infrastructure, well-being and optimal productivity.

Why should you consider adding plants to your office space?

It has long been recognised that corporate planting is a key feature for the modern workplace with many benefits. Whether that means roof terrace space, ‘Green Infrastructure’ to break up the concrete jungle of an inner-city location, or planting solutions for interiors to bring tranquillity and beauty inside. Corporate planting is no longer just a ‘nice to have’, it has become essential. Including plants in your office space can be a great way to add some life and colour to your workspace. Desk plants, in particular, can be a great addition to your office desk. Research has shown that biophilic design relieves stress, negate ‘sick building syndrome’ improving sickness absence rates, improve air quality and plants of all shapes and sizes can help to restore concentration levels. The intricate patterns of leaves and office flowers do this by holding our attention, while making no demands on us, which allows our brains to rest and recuperate. In addition to improving your mood and productivity, desk plants can also help purify the air and add visual interest to your workspace. What is the answer then?

What are some office plant space saving ideas with limited floor space?

Office Space Saving Plant Ideas: Moss Wall

Creative and innovative plant solutions are available. It’s time to think outside the proverbial box. Living walls bring a room to life and look stunning inside or out. Whole walls can be planted in striking colours and patterns, echoing your design theme or corporate logo. On a smaller scale, plants become art inside the office. Don’t hang static two dimensional pictures, instead hang living pictures, elegant frames full of lush green planting. Living pictures can be used anywhere to add the wow factor and transform a boring office wall. We are all striving to be paper free, keeping the office uncluttered, but there will always be a need for storage in the office. Stationery supplies, documents and personal belongings must have a home. Sometimes cabinets can provide structure to an open plan office, sectioning off areas so teams can work in defined spaces. Cabinets can multi-task too. Cabinet top planting can be used effectively to soften clinical open plan offices, bringing lush colour and life in to an otherwise bland space with the added benefit that it stops the clutter of left-over snow-drifts of paper from the printer and abandoned coffee cups.

Creative office space saving plant ideas displays

Office Space Saving Plant Ideas: fire extinguisher

If you’re a Facilities Manager, I expect you know the location of every fire extinguisher in your building. Do your staff know where these are too? How about a planted fire-extinguisher stand as the perfect multi-tasking furniture. It’s completely functional and it also makes an attractive office feature. One would argue that it makes the office safer as everyone will take note of the location of your firefighting equipment! Looking for something completely different? Upside-down planters give a totally different perspective. Hanging from the ceiling, they take up no extra space but they do add a fun, fresh, modern look to your décor. Working well over desk space, or to accent your communal areas, perhaps over the breakfast bar or dining tables. Now is the time to explore the myriad of possibilities and be open-minded about trying out some exciting new solutions in planting to improve your building. There’s so much choice it’s just a case of finding what works best for you.

Contact Us

When we nurture that connection by adding plants to our own environment, we feel in balance, happier and calmer. We are on a mission to raise awareness of the importance of biophilia in the built environment. We offer a single service solution for facilities management and cleaning companies, which is why we are the preferred choice for these companies. If you’d like us to present to your team office space saving plant ideas or share case studies of work we have done as well as, discuss how we can support you and give you the competitive advantage to win tenders which include planting, contact us today. Information source: Oktra- The Cost of Office Space in London 2024

Tags: Facilities Management, Nature & Environment, Sustainability

Sustainability – what is it and why is it important?

Sustainability is much more than a buzzword. While the use of the word has certainly increased in frequency, the concept itself is hardly new. An ecosystem, a lifestyle, or a community that is sustainable is one which supports itself and its surroundings.
Sustainability itself can be defined by three core elements:

Environmental Protection
Social Development
Economic Development

Environmental Protection

Environmental protection entails examining how our use of the environment affects it, and how we can ensure that negative effects are minimised and behaviours that positively impact the environment are emphasised.

Social Development

Ensuring that human beings have access to basic resources, that their health is being protected, and that they enjoy a good quality of life within a sustainable environment is crucial.

Economic Development

Sustainability without economic development simply cannot succeed. In order to convince individuals, communities, and organisations to invest their resources in sustainability, there must be incentives above and beyond the long-term advantages.

Why is it so Important?

Sustainability is important for a very simple reason: we cannot maintain our quality of life or the Earth’s ecosystems unless we embrace it.

Sustainability in the Home

There are many different ways to support sustainability at home.

Recycle

Recycling should be something we’re all doing as a matter of course now. Recycling eases pressure on the world’s resources and the environment.

Growing Food

Giving up a portion of your garden to plant vegetables has become increasingly popular in recent years. Container gardens, which can be moved and easily swapped out, are another great choice.

Conserving Water

Choosing plants native to your area that have evolved to thrive under the naturally present conditions is one choice. You can also consider installing rain barrels, depending on your local regulations, or planting a “rain garden”—planting water-loving foliage in areas where water tends to gather, to allow it to be absorbed into the soil rather than running off into storm drains.

Use of Fertilizers, Pesticides, and Herbicides

The chemicals you use on your lawn matter, and not just to your grass. Using safer, organic alternatives can help you keep your landscaping looking lovely without polluting or endangering the ecosystem. Lawn and garden care chemicals can have lasting effects on plants, animals, and insects in your area, and can also have a negative impact on the water supply.

There are so many ways to embrace sustainability, we hope this blog has given you some ideas to get you started.

Tags: Facilities Management, Happiness, Workplace wellness

World FM Day 2018: Enabling Positive Experiences

It’s #WorldFMDay – Hurrah! We’re joining in the celebrations and recognition of Facilities Management (FM) people and projects that enable positive experiences. Some of our biggest clients are FM companies and BIFM members, so we know a thing or two about helping get things right for you and your clients.

In today’s world our cities are so built up and our environments often claustrophobic and bland so it’s more important than ever that we work together to create welcoming, feel-good spaces to enable businesses (and people) to thrive.

What could be more suitable than floristry and green planting to bring positive changes to the built environment? Planteria Group has 40 years of experience working with FM companies providing planting and floristry services to suit your budget. Even if you’re already working with another planting provider, we’re confident we can go above and beyond to meet your requirements. If you’re considering us, why not request a no-obligation free quote?

5 Positive Benefits of Planting for the Built Environment:

1) Soften the interior and/or exterior of your business, providing psychological benefits such as positive effects on reducing stress and promoting health and well-being. As humans we have an innate desire to be connected to nature, also known as biophilia, and it seems we have lost much of this ability to be in the natural world as our cities and work environments have become absorbed by the concrete jungle. By adding a variety of plants and flowers for businesses we suddenly bring back a part of the nature that we crave.

2) Increase productivity, creativity and happiness. It is proven that a vibrant, welcoming environment has positive effects on the speed at which we work and improves mood. Studies show that employees who are exposed to plants within the workplace, actively engage with their surroundings, are more productive and have a more positive outlook at work.

3) Make spaces more welcoming and inviting for employees, visitors and clients. Having a space that is pleasant to be in and beckons to visitors has a positive effect on businesses and improves perception of their image. Plants and flowers bring life to a space and boosts eco-credentials too.

4) Improve air quality and reduce allergens by cleansing the air. As shown in NASA’s Clean Air Study, plants provide a natural way of removing toxins from the air and also reduces the presence of aggravating allergens. NASA researchers suggest efficient air cleaning is accomplished with at least one plant per 100 square feet of home or office space.

5) Reduce sickness and absence at work. Combining all of the points above results in reduced illness and time away from work, increasing the overall effectiveness of businesses and staff wellbeing. One of the most common illnesses in today’s workplace is Sick Building Syndrome which is often linked to poor air quality and indoor air circulation which can easily be combated with a variety of planting solutions.

A recent Norwegian research study tested what happened when plants were placed into and then removed from offices. When plants were present headaches, coughs, sore throats, fatigue and dry skin all reduced. Several similar studies around the world have found similar results:

Absenteeism reduced by 30%+
Minor illnesses reduced by up to 30%
Dry skin reduced by up to 20%
Coughing reduced by up 37% due to improved air quality

Interested in how we can offer similar improvements for you?

Have a look at some of our Creative Planting Innovations & our Nationwide Orchid Delivery Service.

Tags: Facilities Management

Women in Facilities Management – Planteria’s Plant Technicians

International Women’s Day is annually held on March 8 to celebrate women’s achievements throughout history and across nations. So how is our industry doing in terms of inclusion of women? Planteria has been in operation for over 40 years, and our first female technician joined the workforce in 2013. Women now make up 33% of the technician workforce. I caught up with three of our plant technicians Catie Scott, Carol Nelson and Laura Kearsey to hear their views and insights on working in the Facilities Management and Horticultural industry, to find out what changes they have seen over the past few years and what they think about their role.

Carol has been working in the horticultural industry since 1992 and has been a technician for almost 20 years. What she most enjoys about her job is the freedom and the travel “ I love the freedom and responsibility, it’s my job to keep the customer happy and get the best out of the plant displays. I feel supported and encouraged by Planteria, it makes me want to do my best. I feel a valued member of the team and I’m proud to work with a company with such honesty and integrity “ says Carol. “My training has been gained on the job and through experience”. Carol has worked for several planting companies and in her experience has found more women in this industry than men. She has found that men have tended to do more of the large-scale jobs for example shopping centres, ladder work, fixtures and trees. But, she has been instrumental in changing this, involving more women in doing the outside work including fixture beds and training on tree loppers etc.

Laura Kearsey started working as a technician 15 years ago in a garden centre and training was on the job shadowing watching and wanting to know more. In her opinion, she has found that men and women have been always treated equally working in this field. She has faced no barriers to her role from being female the only comment is that the uniform manufacturer should make a female uniform cut.

Laura says “I think women are expected to do a more hands-on role now, so the future can only get better for us all. What I like most about my job is that happy feeling I get at the end of each day, knowing I’ve made a difference to the environment for hundreds of office workers, even though most probably don’t realise how important plants are to them. Each day is different, meeting new people and visiting different sites, variety is the key”.

Catie Scott joined Planteria six months ago. She started her career in horticulture three years ago at a large independent garden centre. Catie has a BA degree in Fine Art and Sculpture and went on to complete a professional floristry course in New York, her passion for plants and flowers has grown since then. Catie says “I have experienced some clients commenting on the fact that I am a woman as they are so used to seeing men doing this job. I don’t think I have faced any barriers in this role because of my gender, I am a confident person and feel strongly about gender equality not just in this job but in life general, so I tend to carry myself with strength. I have had occasional varying comments, and looks which I have struck off, it’s not an issue which I take seriously enough to worry about. I think times are changing and equality between men and women is becoming more and more important, so I can only see things improving in regard to that. What I like most about my job is a sense of empowerment and responsibility. I love being in charge of my own sites and dealing with clients directly. The level of knowledge I have about plants is a huge plus for me in terms of that sense of responsibility, as I am confident to speak with people about what I am doing for their sites and why. I also love to be out and about, every day is different and that definitely keep things interesting for me”.

By Katie Le Chevalier

With thanks to Carol Nelson, Laura Kersey and Catie Scott.

We’ve Landed: Planteria Launches in the United States

Why We're Here

What We're Bringing to the Table

What's Next?

Let's Grow Together

Read More

We’ve Landed: Planteria Launches in the United States

The Complete Guide to Green Walls

London’s Biodiversity Hotspots

The Science and Strategies Behind Engage & Bloom

Harnessing nature for workplace wellness and engagement

An Introduction to Engage & Bloom

The Modern Workplace Challenge

Increasing Importance of Well-being and Engagement for Productivity

The Innate Human Connection to Nature: Biophilia

The Science of Wellness in the Workplace

Impact of Stress, Poor Air Quality and Sterile Environments on Staff

DISCOVER WORKPLACE EXPERIENCE PROGRAMMES

Scientific Evidence Supporting Biophilia

Cognitive and Productivity Benefits of Greenery in Offices

The Psychological Basis of Nature Engagement

Sensory Benefits of Plant Interaction

Employee Engagement: Why it Matters

The Impact of Disengagement

The Role of Nature in Engagement

How Interactive Experiences with Plants Create Meaningful Connections

Strategies Behind Engage & Bloom: Tailored Solutions for Every Workplace

Flexible Solutions to Suit Workplace Needs

Engagement Through Experience

How Interactive Learning Builds Deeper Connection

Employee Satisfaction Surveys

Client Success Stories

Case Studies

Quantifiable Benefits for Staff Engagement and Wellness

Implementing Engage & Bloom

Preparing for an Engage & Bloom Rollout

Partnership with Planteria Group

Conclusion

About Planteria Group

Contact Information

Read More

We’ve Landed: Planteria Launches in the United States

The Complete Guide to Green Walls

London’s Biodiversity Hotspots

Managing budgets for office plants

Why should you consider adding plants to your office space?

What are some office plant space saving ideas with limited floor space?

Creative office space saving plant ideas displays

Contact Us

Environmental Protection

Social Development

Economic Development

Why is it so Important?

Sustainability in the Home

Recycle

Growing Food

Conserving Water

Use of Fertilizers, Pesticides, and Herbicides

5 Positive Benefits of Planting for the Built Environment:

WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE?