Working from Home & Office: How Plants Can Help

Office space with opaque room divider filled with plants

The UK workforce has transitioned to accommodate more remote work, presenting both advantages and challenges. Explore the benefits of working from the office, the appeal of cleaner office environments, and how integrating plants into both spaces can create a harmonious and productive work atmosphere, facilitating a seamless transition between home and office settings.

The Pros and Cons of Working from Home

Pros

A person working from home pointing at a computer screen with plants surrounding them

Apart from self-employed individuals, such as freelancers, remote working was new for the vast majority of people. Most have adapted very well to the circumstances and have reported an increase in their productivity and efficiency. In fact, in a recent survey, 43% of bosses surveyed found that remote work had a positive impact on productivity since lockdown started.

After all, working from home allows you to have more flexibility when it comes to work hours, since you are able to create or adapt your schedule to fit your lifestyle. This means more time with family too.

It might also be your case that working in an office means having to deal with distractions that bring down your productivity levels; so, you may find that working from home allows you to focus on work and makes it easier to take a break.

Another benefit is not having to commute. Not only is commuting time-consuming and, therefore, an interference on work-life balance, but it can also be expensive. Due to this, you probably appreciate being able to save money on fuel or train fares; working from home also means you’re not spending money on coffee runs and eating out.

Cons

large leaf plants in an open office with other plants around

However, while there is no doubt that working from home offers a host of benefits, it can also have several downsides, which make people keen to return to the office.

A big issue with remote working is isolation. If you’re used to chatting with colleagues on a daily basis, you probably miss the face-to-face interactions and might end up feeling lonely. Loneliness is not conducive to productivity or creativity. On the contrary, if you feel lonely, you will likely feel less motivated and without energy as well.

Another disadvantage of remote working is how boring the experience can quickly become. Before the pandemic, you may have dreamed of working from home. However, it’s clear that looking at the same four walls every day without a change of scenery can be harmful to your mental health. This means cabin fever, stress or depression.

Working from home blurs the lines between professional and personal lives, as you may have been forced to work from your kitchen, bedroom or living room. Not every home environment is appropriate for remote work either, be it because of children in the room or simply lack of space, which can have a negative impact on work.

Something else to consider is how out of touch people have felt with their wider business community and with their clients. In the office, it’s easier for you to communicate with your peers, partners and customers but, when working from home, these connections are not as strong.

Returning to the Office

People are still working remotely but also returning to the office in a new balance of both.

It is and always has been crucial that workplaces ensure the safety and comfort of their staff, and you’ll be surprised at the key role plants can play in this process.

Plant Barriers

main feature of plants in an office

For example, office plants can be used to delineate areas and teams. They allow you to implement social distancing measures easily and, because you’re using plants instead of tape to mark spaces, your employees can benefit from a green and aesthetically pleasing office.

A 2016 study found that cognition can be boosted by 26% in green workspaces, and that people’s wellbeing and productivity improve with plants around them as well. This makes adding green barriers to the office a great argument.

Replacing Desks with Plants

If, because of social distancing, you have to remove desks, you don’t want the office to look sparse and empty. Adding plants to the newly vacated spots is a great solution because it makes the office look attractive and vibrant.

 

Plants Help with Anxiety

A fantastic benefit of plants in the office is that they ease anxiety and stress levels, perfect to help with the current circumstances.

Plants reduce stress at work, as they help people feel calmer and more positive. Both having visual access to plants and being allowed to care for them (passive and active involvement) can have a calming effect. So, by adding plants to the workplace, you can help your staff fight anxiety and stay relaxed.

Get In Touch

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you create a peaceful environment that your employees will love.

 

 

Hotel Flowers Fit for A Royal Wedding

xNewsThumbResizex481

19th May is a day the world will be paying attention to, as the highly anticipated Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle commences.

As a provider of corporate floristry solutions, Planteria Group offer a plethora of flower options for hotels and commercial environments that are fit for a Royal wedding!

hotel lobby desk with bright green square vase and an arrangement of lily plants

 

Why Flowers Are Essential Elements

Studies have shown flowers have a huge effect on an individual’s mood, impacting their happiness and providing long-term effects of self-satisfaction. Without us even realising, flowers have a greater impact than we think, proving they are an essential element of an interior design for numerous commercial buildings.

Hotels are part of a huge industry used every day, providing a service for those in need of accommodation for short periods of time. Flowers provide a touch of luxury for any hotel, making an impactful first impression.

Flowers have the power to trigger happy memories and the scent a beautiful bouquet produces can create a sense of fondness in many guests.

Our flowers for hotels cater to traditional, contemporary, classic or exotic designs. Our professionalism ensures we draw on a wealth of creativity, dedicated to help you plan stunning flower displays.

 

Hotel Flower Ideas for You

When it comes to choosing the right flowers for your hotel, the choice may feel overwhelming or confusing with the wide range of options available. This is where we can help. We buy seasonal flowers direct from the grower and can advise on the best choices available for your particular décor to help you choose the perfect one’s for you.

 

1. Calla Lily

The Calla Lily comes from the Greek word that signifies beauty, yet there is more to them than their stunning appearance. These beautiful flowers have become symbols of youth and rebirth. Commonly white, the Calla Lily may also come in a variety of colours including yellow, pink, green, purple, orange and black.

 

2. Proteas

Proteas are exotic flowers native to South Africa which are used in all seasons. This beautiful, and unusual flower is ideal for both large statement flowers or minimalist bouquets, allowing you to create an extravagant arrangement for your hotel.

 

3. Tropical Flowers

Tropical flowers are truly special, they are bold, striking and bright and can be used to create large, structural displays. Coming in an array of colours, these can be the perfect fit for any hotel interior.

 

Bespoke Flower Service

We offer a wide variety of different vase styles, which allows us to provide something fresh, inspirational and unique each time. Our flowers are sourced direct from the grower, ensuring our arrangements stay perfect for a long time.

We provide regular floristry for high end hotels. We’ve provided flowers for these hotels:

There are so many flower options when it comes to the finishing touches for your hotel. Our floristry service is available exclusively in Central London.  If you’re looking for elegant hotel flowers, we can help you.

Get in touch with a friendly member of our team today by calling 0345 505 3333 or emailing enquiries@planteriagroup.com.

An Exclusive Look at Contemporary Office Flower Arrangements

xNewsThumbResizex481

When considering flower displays and office flowers, there are a number of factors to keep in mind.

Colour, scent and size of your flowers are just some of these factors, and all of these can easily contribute to a healthier and happier working environment.

 

The Benefits of Having Flowers in Your Office Space

Plants adorning contemporary office waiting area

As discussed in our recent blog post, 10 Tips for Workplace Wellness, utilising flowers and plants in the office increases productivity, reduces stress and provides cleaner air, helping your employees to have a more comfortable day at work.

Flowers and plants are visually stimulating, encouraging reduced stress levels in the individual, whilst also creating a welcoming environment for any visitors which you may have to your office.

Biophilia, which is the science behind the need to align ourselves with nature, is gaining recognition, and with it’s intrinsic ‘feel-good’ benefits having a positive impact on people in the workplace, it is clear to see why.

Having flower and plant arrangements provided by Planteria is an easy way to accomplish this.

 

Keeping Flowers on Trend

We recognise the importance of keeping flowers and plants in line with seasonal demands.

Just as in a good restaurant you’d expect to find the freshest, seasonal produce, you’d expect any good florist to have an innate understanding of the seasonality and quality of flower varieties.

This idea influences all of our corporate flower arrangements, where fresh, original and seasonal flowers are used consistently throughout the year, providing only the best flowers and plants for a stunning contemporary arrangement.

 

Contemporary Arrangements

Today’s, arrangements tend to have fewer restrictions and vary depending on the time of year and the environment in which they are going to be situated in. For an office, examples of case studies show the difference that our flower arrangements can make to your company.

If you are working with a large amount of space, it might be worthwhile looking at the possibility of Planteria’s office plants service rather than flower arrangements. Due to their standard larger size, plants are perfect to optimise space when you think a pop of natural colour is needed.

We can offer assistance and suggestions of different planters and colour schemes too, ensuring that your plants look brilliant amidst the daily routines of your company. If physical space is limited, or a greater assortment of colour is required, opting for bright and bold flower arrangements might be more beneficial (and noticeable!).

As is common with any contemporary flower arrangement, the traditional rules do not apply. Contemporary arrangements are brighter, bolder in form, there is no size restriction, other than budget allows, and no set patterns are to be expected.

Symmetrical balance is emphasised, creating an even arrangement which is pleasing to the eye, and any part of the design may be the dominant focal point.

Take a look at how colourful office plants and contemporary corporate flower arrangements can improve the look of your office:

The options are endless when it comes to Planteria’s flowers for offices and, in such an important environment, with several health and work benefits included, the answer is clear.

Contact our friendly team of experts today by calling 0345 505 3333 or emailing enquiries@planteriagroup.com.

Fresh Flower Care – Top Tips.

xNewsThumbResizex481

At Planteria, we pride ourselves on the quality of the flowers we supply to our customers. Our weekly fresh flower service brings you a perfect arrangement in a beautiful vase, so no mess or fuss involved.

If you have fresh flowers at home, you’ll want to ensure they last as long as possible, so we thought we’d share a few simple tricks of the trade you can use to make sure you get the best out of them.

Flowers can be incredibly delicate and it is often difficult to prolong their life. The main reason a cut flower dies is due damage and bacteria in the microscopic tubes found in the stems, ‘Xylem’. The Xylem tubes draw water up through the stem to supply the flower. These tubes can be damaged and blocked easily restricting the flow of water and nutrients the flower receives.

 

The following steps can help prolong their vase life.

  1. Remove all lower leaves. When preparing your flowers, ensure all leaves below water level are removed. If the leaves sit in the water they begin to rot and decay. This is will then cause an increased amount of bacteria in the vase.
  2. Angulate the cut using sharp scissors. An angled cut will increase the surface area of the stem, allowing a higher quantity of water to be transported due to exposing more Xylem tubes.
  3. Use lukewarm water in the vase. Slightly warmer water has a reduced amount of naturally occurring air pockets allowing the water to flow through the stem at a faster rate. This provides the moisture the flower requires for turgidity.
  4. Provide the flower with a source of energy. Well we can’t live without food or water, so how can a flower? A little bit of sugar dissolved into the water can in fact provide the flower with extra energy that it no longer receives through photosynthesis.
  5. A little bleach too. It’s true, a little bleach can in fact help. This reduces the bacteria in the vase water however, ensure no more than a teaspoon and stir thoroughly before adding the flowers to the vase.
  6. Recut an inch off the stems every 2-3 days. The will simple get rid of the blocked and damaged Xylem tubes ends.

Enjoy your flowers!

 

More flower facts…..

You may have heard the term ‘flower power’ but there’s truth in that phrase! Ever wonder why flowers are given as gifts or to cheer someone up?

According to behavioural research conducted at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey USA, nature provides us with a simple way to improve emotional health – flowers. The presence of flowers triggers happy emotions, heightens feelings of life satisfaction and affects social behaviour in a positive manner far beyond what is normally believed.

“What’s most exciting about this study is that it challenges established scientific beliefs about how people can manage their day-to-day moods in a healthy and natural way” said Jeannette Haviland-Jones, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at Rutgers and lead researcher on the study.

Blooming Spring

xNewsThumbResizex481

As if taken somewhat by surprise, trees nationwide are jumping into colour. The UK has already been beset by a blaze of cherry blossoms, and by April we can expect to see our forests flooded with bluebells.

In cultures worldwide, spring is recognised as a time of life, rebirth and a return to nature. Every spring, thousands of people flock to green spaces to get a little bit closer to nature when it’s at its finest and in this article, we explain some of the reasoning behind the phenomenon.

Flowers Make Us Happy

If you have ever received or gifted a bouquet of flowers, then you will have noticed the positive effect that they have on individuals. They are popular gifts for Mothers’ Day, are usually present during Harvest Festivals and are essential at most weddings. No matter who you are, flowers will likely feature in your life at some point, but perhaps they should be even more prevalent?

The Science Behind the Beauty

Human happiness can be boiled down to some simple ingredients: dopamine, oxytocin and serotonin. These three ingredients are chemicals that are triggered in your brain by certain stimuli. Each chemical has many possible triggers that can vary for different people, such as different foods, and some people have less dopamine in their bodies to draw from than others.

Evolution

Flowers trigger the release of these happy chemicals in our brains partially because of their vibrant colours. Our brains have evolved to perceive bright colours as a symbol of growth and spring, and in humanity’s infancy, the season of spring was concurrent with the return of food and growth.

This led to flowers and their bright colours becoming synonymous with healthy times for early humanity. It signalled vital nutrition after a difficult winter, and this would fill anyone with happiness. Over generations, our brains came to automatically associate these bright colours with food, health and happiness.

In today’s world where food and bright colours are easy to come by all year round, the coming of spring doesn’t have quite the same grandeur that it once held for our ancestors. Nonetheless, we can all continue to benefit from our brain’s evolutionary reaction to flowers.

Woman hiding behind large bunch of sunflowers

Social Etiquette

It’s not just evolution that teaches us to take joy from flowers; current social rules and etiquettes imbue flowers with meaning beyond their physical beauty. For example, in some friendships it may be a staple to bring flowers during a house visit. The exchanging of fresh flowers in this situation displays respect and gratitude nature of friendships.

There are plenty of other circumstances where gifting flowers may take on a new meaning. While our brains react positively to bright colours in general, receiving flowers of particular colours can signal different meanings in different cultures.

Flower bouquet tied together with ribbon 'standing' on table in front of wooden background

Red flowers are often seen as a symbol of romantic interest, which when given spontaneously or during events like Valentine’s day can have a huge positive effect on the receiver’s mood.

For Mothers’ day, a popular choice of bouquet would include pinks or yellows. Yellow is often seen as a colour of happiness and friendship making it a perfectly suitable choice for a Mothers’ Day arrangement. Pink is also a good choice because it suggests friendship but is also linked with themes of nostalgia and familial bonds.

Seasonal blooms that could be incorporated into a spring bouquet include the daffodil, tulip and hyacinth. Yellows and pinks are not reserved solely for Mother’s Day; however, you may wish to gift one of these warm bouquets for a birthday or Easter celebration too. For more information regarding our beautiful bouquet service, please go to our gift bouquet page.

Planteria Group arrangement of flowers on the edge of a hotel reception desk

Don’t Worry!

There is a lot to think about if you want to create the perfect bouquet, but luckily for you, there are plenty of talented florists who can prescribe you the perfect flower arrangement after asking you a few questions relating to the receiver’s personality or hobbies.

One important thing to remember is that even if you don’t know your gerbera from your carnation, the simple act of sharing flowers with a friend or loved one is going to improve their mood. In a study done by the University of New Jersey, it was found that people who receive flowers feel less depressed, anxious or agitated after receiving flowers. They could even result in increased contact between family and friends, suggesting that the presence of flowers can even improve social skills.

Given the positive effects that bringing nature into our lives can have, it is important to spread the word – and plants – further. Biophilia is humanity’s innate love of plants, and it is a rising trend to bring more plants and flowers into our everyday lives.

This Spring, we will be supplying some of our clients with our seasonal window boxes which will consist of flowers such as the dainty snowdrop, brilliant hyacinth and cheery crocus. Don’t wait to improve your business’ kerb appeal with window boxes in the city.

You could also be improving your city’s greenery by petitioning for more green spaces in your city, putting office plants and flowers in your business premises to improve staff morale and output, or it could be as simple as remembering to give your friend a bouquet next time you visit.

Our happy staff arranging sunflowers

The Science Behind How Flowers Make Us Feel

 

Do you feel joy when you are surrounded by flowers and plants? That’s normal! There have been plenty of studies exploring how and why flowers make us feel happy, so we’ve collated some of these studies into this article for your benefit. These findings may also be important for your workplace, especially if you work in hospitality.

10 Months of Research

ten-month study, titled An Environmental Approach to Positive Emotion: Flowers (2005), considered participants’ behavioural and emotional responses to receiving flowers. Unsurprisingly, the results confirmed that flowers are great for moderating moods. In all age groups, participants were happy to receive the flowers, and this didn’t only occur for the initial gift-giving; the study also recorded that the participants were less depressed or anxious for three days afterwards, too.

Let’s think about the effects that this could have on the hospitality industry; keeping flowers present in lobby areas will help to reduce visitor’s stresses if the above research is to be believed. This can be useful in hospitals and hotels alike.

Hospitals

Health care sector providers that allow flowers help to bring peace and calm to their visitors, many of whom will be struggling with high levels of stress. Whilst we don’t expect that the presence of flowers can completely negate the worries that accompany an illness, flowers may make long periods in waiting rooms a little more bearable and accommodating on a subconscious level.

Flowers are considered a luxury when given as gifts, but their inherent therapeutic qualities suggest that they should be a necessity for comfort in stressful environments.

Hotels

Hotel lobbies also benefit from the natural reassurance provided by flowers. A visitor’s arrival at a hotel should be stress-free and happy, and the presence of flowers enhances both of these feelings, and also improves the perception of value and luxury.

Keeping flowers on the main desk may help with handling any difficulties the guest is experiencing by creating a calming atmosphere. As Dr Haviland-Jones lead researcher of this study, stated:

“Flowers bring about positive emotional feelings in those who enter a room. They make the space more welcoming and create a sharing atmosphere.’

At Planteria we offer posy flower arrangements and flowers for restaurants to help make your hotel, bar, or restaurant the best it can be.

 

Offices

Another place where managers should consider hospitality is in their offices; your staff need some care and attention too! An office decorated with natural elements (also known as biophilic design) is more likely to be a healthier and happier office. Understandably, this also correlates with higher levels of productivity which you can read about in our blog: plants in the office make you 15% more productive. If you’re interested in flowers for offices, please get in touch with us.

More Research…

Dr Hamilton-Jones’ study with Rutgers University also found that 88% of people reported that the act of giving the flowers themselves also made them feel happier. This means that flowers have positive effects for all those involved.

By this notion, flowers make the perfect gift solutions with benefits for the giver and the receiver, what’s more you can’t get the wrong size, or offend anyone by getting an inappropriate gift (wine for someone you did not know was tee-total for example). We supply gift bouquets , to make it simple and straightforward to say thank you, happy birthday, seasons greetings or for any other occasion you can think of. In the Rutgers University study, it was found that participants who received flowers were more likely to answer positively to social support questions (contacting people, talking intimately).

Flowers and Human Evolution

One of the ideas explored by Dr Hamilton-Jones is the idea that flowers have evolved to be seen as rewarding by humans to help with their own survival:

 “Just as other plants have evolved to induce varying behavioural responses in a wide variety of species leading to the dispersal or propagation of the plants.

This may be a side-effect, however. Birds and bees are animals which are both very important for the survival of many plants and flowers in the wild, and both species see in colour vision. This means that flowers with bright colours are more likely to stand out to birds and bees, thus ensuring their propagation.

Humans can also see in colour which makes flowers very attractive to us, too. This may mean that our enjoyment of flowers is a result of our shared colour-vision with birds and bees. On the other hand, it is also speculated that the bright colours of blooms signal bountiful harvests, which humans are also likely to take enjoyment from. The two factors could have become historically linked, and now trigger an evolutionary response of happiness in humans worldwide upon receiving flowers.

Give A Bouquet this Christmas

Flowers and natural bright colours can be hard to find during the winter, which is why giving the gift of flowers will be especially effective during the Christmas period. You may even want to gift some to yourself to reward your own efforts over the past year. We can supply you with beautiful gift bouquets, colleagues, family, or for your yourself, as well as regular weekly flowers for your office space.

We know that flowers have so much to offer businesses, offices, hotels and clinics, and we can help deliver their benefits to your location. Our professionally trained florists work magic with fresh flowers to ensure you are delighted.  Get in touch so we can help you too.

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT US