When it comes to office plants, by now we should all be aware of their beneficial qualities but for those of you that are still not sure office plants have been proven, on numerous occasions, to have a positive impact on employees health, productivity and stress levels.

From a management perspective, office plants not only regulate humidity levels to help you stay in accordance with ‘Duty of Care' legislation but they can also help to improve the aesthetics of your business premises and create a lasting impression.

With more and more office managers realising the importance of planted office displays a few key plants have been identified and highlighted for their particular qualities. Interior landscapers across the globe all tend to use similar species in their planted office displays for the simple reason that certain species do better in indoor climates.

But how do you know which species are more suitable? The simple answer to this question is that to ensure that the plants you choose are the right ones you should hire a professional office plant supplier. Expert interior landscapers will be able to assess your premises and determine which office plants will best serve your needs. However, outlined below are ten of the best office plants to get you started.

The Areca palm

Perhaps one of the most popular office plants to date due to its elegant and graceful leaves and beautiful appearance. The Areca Palm is a very tolerant and versatile office plant that copes well in indoor climates. Particularly good at removing moisture from the air and regulating humidity levels the Areca Palm is an excellent all rounder and is frequently found in planted office displays.

Ficus Longafolia

The Ficus Longfolia is an ideal office plant when you have a large space to fill due its bushy foliage. With long thin leaves this well proportioned plant is a welcome addition to any planted office display and is especially popular with fans of more traditional office plants. Along with its brother the Ficus Benjamina this large plant is an excellent choice for anyone looking to improve indoor air quality.

Dracaena Janet Craig

Part of the hugely popular Dracaena family the Janet Craig is an extremely popular choice amongst interior landscapers due to its versatility and beautiful foliage. Along with other members of the Dracaena family the Janet Craig is highly sufficient at improving indoor air quality and makes a welcome addition to planted office displays.

Ficus Benjamina

The Ficus Benjamina is other wise known as the Weeping Fig and is another member of the highly popular Ficus family. These ideal office plants come in a variety of green shades and are tolerant of the sometimes harsh indoor climate.  A reasonably large office plant this particular species is also very popular in showrooms and shopping malls as part of planted displays.

Boston fern

The Boston Fern is definitely ‘a golden oldie' and has been popular as an office plant for many years. Particularly useful for improving humidity levels and removing formaldehyde, an indoor volatile compound produced by modern office equipment. Although this office plant does not produce any flowers it remains in demand and is highly recognisable.

Spathyphyllum Sensation

More commonly referred to as the Peace Lily, this beautiful plant is perhaps the most popular of all office plants. Included by almost all interior landscapers the Peace Lily is highly versatile and visually stunning. Having been proven to be particularly good at removing indoor air pollutants including benzene, acetone and formaldehyde this office plant is a must for any planted office display. Spathyphyllum's have long glossy leaves and a creamy white flower enclosed in a spathe.

Euphorbia Ingens (Cowboy Cactus)

This highly popular cacti is ideal if you are looking for an interesting addition to your office. The shallow spikes and traditional shape make this office plant a fashionable statement.

Guzmania

This show stopper of a plant is very colourful and makes an excellent statement whether on its own or used as part of a planted office display. Being very versatile and beautiful has made this office plant very popular and has a huge impact on visitors to your office.

Calathea

Sometimes called ‘Prayer Plants' or ‘Zebra Plants' the Calathea species are very popular with indoor office plant lovers and have large attractive foliage. Well recognised for their patterned dark green leaves and silver coloured stripes or blotches Calathea's are well suited to dimly lit office environments.

Aglaonema

A very versatile species with the ability to grow in numerous lighting conditions the Aglaonema is another favourite amongst interior landscapers and indoor plant lovers. A relative of the Spathiphyllum and the philodendron families Aglaonema have oval shaped leaves in a variety of green shades. Highly adaptable to any indoor environment the Aglaonema is an ideal plant for the office.

There are two ways you can plant vegetables in your garden. First, you can plant using seeds. The means that you will plant the seeds at the correct depth and spacing suited to each vegetable variety. The second method is to plant seedlings that have been transferred from a nursery.

It is cheaper to grow the seeds from the beginning rather than buy seedlings and transplant them. With seeds, you do not need to prepare a nursery. Consequently, purchasing quality vegetable seeds determines your success in gardening. Before you pick any brand of seeds for your garden, there are some crucial considerations that you should take into account.

In the first place, the seeds that you are going to use must be either the Pelleted seeds or the primed ones. Pelleted seeds are the already treated seeds that can be found at any garden center. Garden seeds are usually treated in order to protect them from diseases. If you do not want to spend money, or you have some alternative seeds, you can treat them yourself. Such seeds are known as primed seeds.

If you are treating seeds for the first time, you should know that different seeds are not treated the same way. For instance, Valerian extract is best suited for treating carrots, while cabbage, radishes, beans and peas are treated with chamomile solution. If you do not have the time or resources to treat your own seeds, it is better to buy Pelleted seeds. These seeds are well coated for easier handling. Before you buy these packed garden seeds, check the expiration dates on the packet. It is not advisable to buy old seeds. Although they may be cheaper, older seeds may fail to germinate or result in weak plants.

Secondly, you should choose seeds according to their growing season. You must pick seed varieties that can be harvested at different times of the year. This will ensure that you will have a supply of mature garden vegetables throughout the year. In many areas you can find vegetables for winter, spring, summer, and fall. Each of these vegetables has its own growth cycle. A good example would be to plant some broccoli, beets, and beans. If you do this, you will initially harvest beans, then beets. Broccoli will be the last.

When you buy seeds at a garden center or specialized grower, you will get packaged seeds with all information relating to planting and harvesting. All the instructions about when you should plant and harvest the seeds can be found on the packets. Pick a seed selection that will ensure that you have fresh vegetables throughout the growing season.

Finally, it is good to compare different sources of seeds. Garden centers and stores are not the only places where you can get seeds. You should find out what local farmers have, because they have experience. You can also visit a planter's market and see the varieties of seeds they have to offer. Local farmers are best suited to understand the soil and climatic conditions of the area, and they can provide the most suitable seeds for your needs, and often useful advice. These farmers can be found in the vegetable market or planter's market, where they sell their seeds. You will be guaranteed of getting high-quality vegetable seeds for your garden.

Aside from the beautiful flowers and good-smelling herbs people often associate with garden planters, vegetables also do great in these contained and compact environments. Depending on the planter size, most anything can be grown within, especially is care is taken to choose more dwarf or bush varieties, which take up even less space.

Some of the best vegetables for garden planters include the following:

Tomatoes: Small Fry, Saladette, Toy Boy, Spring Giant, Pixie, and Tiny Tim

Radishes: Scarlet Globe, White Icicle and Cherry Belle

Cucumbers: Spacemaster, Salad Bush Hybrid and Bush Pickle

Green Beans: Kentuckt Wonder, French Dwarf and Blue Lake

Green Onions: Beltsville Bunching, Evergreen Bunching and Crystal Wax

Eggplant: Bambino and Slim Jim

Leaf Lettuce: Bibb, Salad Bowl and Buttercrunch

Peppers: Banana, Red Cherry, Jalapeno, Chipotle, Habanero, Cubanelle and Frigitello

Squash: Gold Rush and Ronde de Nice

When deciding what to plant where, take into consideration the space needs of the plants and their roots, along with what amount of sunlight different plants require. For example, tomatoes, cucumbers and green onions have about equal watering requirements and sunlight exposure. Also, some plants, like tomatoes, will continue growing after other vegetables have ceased to yield their harvest for the season.

Choosing which garden planters to use is a matter of personal taste. A lot of people opt for the classic wooden planters because they are natural looking and attractive, hold up well outdoors, and are relatively easy to build by hand. Some other materials found in garden planters include metal, fiberglass and stone, each of which has its various advantages and disadvantages. When considering planters, If you have limited space or reside in an urban setting, you may choose to opt for the latter type.

Regardless of which material or model you choose, there are some basic things to take into consideration. All garden planters should come equipped with a rudimentary drainage system, often something as simple as having holes on the bottom from where water seepage can exit. Excess water, especially in the case of strong rains, can easily kill a plant, especially those varieties prone to drier environments. If your planter does not have drainage, it is usually pretty easy to drill a few holes into the bottom of your vegetable garden planter. Another concern for planters is color. Not simply an aesthetic consideration, darker colored containers are apt to absorb more sunlight than light containers, the result of which is more heat. Too high of a temperature can damage a plant's roots. If you already have decided on a dark container, consider keeping it in the shade and planting vegetables there that also do not require direct sunlight.

Aside from the garden planters themselves, soil and water are the other key elements that must be applied correctly. Using regular soil will work, especially when paired with a fertilizer of some sort, but pre-mixed synthetic soils, like peat-based mixtures, are easier and tend to work better. Space permitted, starting your own compost pile can also add valuable nutrients to the soil. Finally, watering is obviously of the utmost importance, but too much watering can have the opposite effect. Vegetables in garden planters require more frequent watering than ground planted vegetables, especially once the plants have begun to mature and the roots expand. Checking the soil's moisture by touch on a regular basis is the best way to keep track of how much watering is needed. Also remember to adjust your watering schedule in light of temperature and weather changes.

Gone are the days when environmentalists exclusively deal with green living. Now, all of us are enjoined to get into the act to save our environment. We have to exert much effort in order to catch up with what we have lost. You should be one with us. Don't hesitate to do your act because there are only very simple techniques you should undertake.

To reiterate, green living requires simple strategies. These may be done in your own homes. Start it and who knows you will be able to make a difference in this world. Play your part and be a role model to others. Here are the easiest ways you may practice in your daily living.

General thoughts on green living for the home - pre-cycling

If you think recycling is already an important part of going green, well there is something you may do better than that. This is called the concept of pre-cycling. Pre-cycling means setting your goals on the items you will purchase so that you will be able to recycle these materials later on.

One concrete example of pre-cycling is buying things in packages that you may reuse later on. For instance, you may purchase towels with a paper carton. The carton may be used to decorate your home or in filing some of your documents. This may happen most especially if you bought the towel with a decorative box.

Eco friendly living in your kitchen - what you should do

Inside your kitchen, there are many items you should start getting rid of. One is the use of paper towels. Such type of paper may not be recycled. Moreover, it will only add up to wastes in landfills. Replace it with cloth towels instead. These are washable and reusable. Below are other good things on going green that starts in your kitchen:

Food preparation. You may also prepare food for your family in lunch boxes especially for your children who go to school and your husband who goes to the office daily. This is a more eco friendly technique over the use of paper bags and plastic.

Bottle recycling. There are many bottles in your kitchen - usually those that come from seasonings and other condiments. You should reuse these jars or bottles for other things. Decorate and place them in your bedrooms, bathrooms or living rooms. If they are large enough, you may use them to store leftovers. These are very simple pointers on green living that you may follow.

Learn how to cut back on energy - this is one of the best green options

Much more than focusing your thoughts on materials you purchase and items to recycle, one of the green living concepts you may adapt in the home is cutting back on energy. This means gearing towards energy-saving techniques. You may do this through the following steps:

Use lights only when necessary. Always turn the lights off when you leave your bedrooms or bathrooms.

Use warm clothing during winter and cotton clothing during summer. That way you avoid using much of your heaters and air conditioning systems.

Avoid using your vehicles if you can walk to your destination. A substitute is utilizing your bike. This will get rid of air pollution which is a common problem in going green.

These are but some of the many ways you may do to save the environment. As you take all these things seriously, a lot of people will thank you for your effort. Start green living through practices in your home now. There is no reason for you to delay the act.

_Here are a few tips for effective watering of plant containers and pots.

• The larger the planter, the less watering they will require over time.
  
  
• Greenbo planter has a built-in draining solution which has two removable, cleanable, and replaceable trays
  
  
• If they are placed in the shade, then the need for water will be greatly reduced.
  
  
• When you do water, make sure that you water thoroughly, flood until water comes out the bottom, and then repeat.
  
  
• Make sure that your hoses are easily accessible; you don’t want to drag them from afar every time.
  
  
• Use water retention materials in your soil. There are numerous varieties at your garden centre. Make sure to read the instructions for us.
  
  
• Lastly, if your plants are severely wilted, try and move to a shady spot and then give them a good watering. They are hardy and will survive.
  
  

Water is essential for all your pots, planters and containers. It is ideal to ensure that the soil is evenly moist at all times. You may have to water more than once a day in very hot, dry weather or if you have your plants in small pots.

Take the time you spend watering and make it a pleasure. The watering wand is very easy to use and doesn’t flood the plants; it offers a gentle spray to give a good soaking. Ideally, be sure to soak the root ball. This encourages the plants into deep rooting, thus making them more drought tolerant over time. Take the time to enjoy your containers, watering offers a chance to deadhead if required, see which plants are thriving and can be considered a winner for next year or perhaps some would do better moved to another location.

The easiest way to make sure that your planters are in excellent shape is to install a drip irrigation system. Whether the drip system is practical or not depends on the layout of your containers and planters. If they are close together, all on your patio or balcony area, you may be able to install a spigot and pipe around the perimeter of your deck with emitters in each pot. You may want to create different zones so that the pots can be watered at different times.

One of the simplest ways to ensure that your plants are properly watered is to create self watering planters, pots and window boxes. You can do this with any of your Greenbo planter. The two trays on the bottom will use as a reservoir for the water. Over time, the plant roots extend down into the water.