Plants make office workers happy, but can anything green survive in a cubicle? Yes. In fact, there are many plants that grow happily in the workplace.
This rattlesnake plant, which I just added to my cubicle, is the secret to my increased productivity.
Best Plants for Low Light
Peace lily (Spathiphyllum )
Cast iron plant (Aspidastra)
Norfolk island pine (Araucaria)
Aglaonema
Ponytail plant (Beaucarnea or Nolina)
Peperomia
Rattlesnake plant (Sansevieria)
Ferns
Devil's Ivy (Pothos)
Like many people, I spend a fair amount of time in a windowless office. If I stand up, I can see the windows, but when I'm seated, it's just me, the PC and the coffee cup.
Will anything grow inside these fabric-covered cubicle walls? The answer: Yes.
Even if you work in a windowless office, chances are you can grow some sort of plant. What's more, green plants have other benefits to the office denizen. Studies have shown increased productivity (12 perecent) and reduced stress (lower systolic blood pressure) in offices environments with plants. Participants in the study, conducted by Washington State University, also reported increased attentiveness when plants were present.
More benefits of green plants:
Studies have shown that houseplants remove toxins from the air. There's hope that indoor plantings might help relieve "sick building syndrome", a condition found in many energy-efficient buildings.
In a process called transpiration, plants release moisture, increasing humidity in winter-dry offices.
Healthy plants make your office look sharp; your boss is sure to be impressed.
My shelves are full of gardening-related titles that get used rarely. But there are a select few that are always within arm's reach.
Michael Dirr, author of the most widely used books on trees and shrubs, speaks with students at Middlebury College in Vermont during a 2009 visit to the campus.
I’ve collected hundreds of garden-related books over the past few decades. My bookcase shelves are organized by topic: vegetables, fruits, trees and shrubs, perennials, herbs, travel and field guides, landscaping, water gardening, small-space gardens, xeriscaping, flower bulbs, pests and diseases, companion plants and weeds, lawns and more. All have been useful at one time or another, but most of them just insulate a wall of my office and collect dust.
A handful of them, however, stay at arm’s reach, ready to answer questions, give advice, or provide inspiration on a weekly or even daily basis. In my professional life as a garden center nursery supervisor, I use Michael Dirr’s Manual of Woody Landscape Plants every day as I help customers make buying and planting decisions. I’m willing to bet that nearly every garden center in the U.S. that sells trees and shrubs has a reference copy of Dirr’s manual, too.
I used the first edition of the manual as an undergraduate horticulture student back in the 1970s. After five revisions, this bible of woody ornamentals remains fresh and invaluable. The current edition, released in July 2009, tops out at 1,325 pages. It’s organized alphabetically by plant genus and species. To assist readers who haven’t memorized hundreds of scientific names, the book has two indexes: one by botanic name and one by common name.
“The manual”
The book’s clear organization and depth — plus Dirr’s opinionated and often humorous writing and expert recommendations — make this book truly valuable and accessible. He covers each species in depth, including most commercially known cultivars. Each species includes 19 topics, including leaf, bark, fruit and flower descriptions, major insects and diseases, growth rate, mature size and habit, hardiness, culture, propagation, native habitat, landscape value, and cultivars. Most species include pen-and-ink illustrations of the leaves and twigs for identification purposes.
Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs also makes my short list of most-used books. This one is filled with color photos of the author’s most recommended woody plants. Most are shown in landscape settings, making it easy to imagine how they might look in your own situation. One of the book’s finest features, though, is the section at the back in which Dirr includes nearly 40 lists of trees, shrubs, and vines categorized by specific uses. Looking for shrubs that tolerate dry soil, have fragrant flowers, or make good hedges? Need a tall, narrow tree or one that has great fall color? When I’m working with customers who have specific landscape challenges and requirements, this is the first book we consult.
Average gardeners may not need or want to own these books, but I think it’s important to know that they exist and that they’re readily available references at most garden centers. When you shop for trees and shrubs and want more information than appears on the tag, ask a salesperson to pull out their copy of Dirr's book. Chances are they’ll have a tattered copy of the manual somewhere within reach.
I'll be writing about more of my favorite gardening books and authors in future blogs. What books do you turn to year after year?
—Ann Whitman
Green Goods Supervisor, Gardener's Supply
There's no easier way to shield plants from frost, hail, wind and too much sun, as well as many sorts of insect damage.
A bed of spinach and beets, still thriving in late October under the cozy warmth of Garden Quilt.
Here at Gardener’s Supply, we’ve been singing the praises of season extending fabrics since our very first catalog way back in the early 1980s. There's no easier way to shield plants from frost, hail, wind and too much sun, as well as many sorts of insect damage.
This fall we ran several blog posts and how-to articles about using season extending fabrics, and for 2010, we’ve also expanded our selection of season-extending products (Shade Netting is back!). But the fact remains that most gardeners are still not taking advantage of this super-effective, low-tech gardening solution.
Maybe the White House and USDA will be more successful in spreading the word.
In this short video, Sam Kass, assistant chef and garden coordinator for the White House, and Kathleen Merrigan, USDA Deputy Secretary extol the benefits of garden fabrics, as their workmates put it to use covering some of the beds in the White House vegetable garden.
Harris Sherman, USDA Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment also makes a brief appearance to talk about a new program for farmers that’s encouraging the wider use of these fabrics by helping to offset costs. He encourages interested farmers to contact their local NRCS office to sign up.
Don’t be left out in the cold this spring. Discover what savvy gardeners like Eliot Coleman have known for years: garden fabrics keep plants happier and healthier and will make your vegetable garden more productive.
After poring over about a dozen 2010 seed catalogs, I've come up with my list of new vegetables to try this year.
Guardsmark beets and Black Cherry tomatoes are two of the varieties I will try this year.
Seeds to Try
in 2010
After poring over about a dozen 2010 seed catalogs, I've come up with my list of new vegetables to try this year. Some of these varieties have already made their debut in seed catalogs in prior years, but they're all new to my garden.
Guardsmark beets
Black Cherry tomato
Calypso cilantro
Dancine lettuce
Finale fennel
Super Delight squash
At my house, gardening is more art than science. In the vegetable garden, I strive for bumper crops, high soil fertility and timely succession planting. But my vegetable garden is also a canvas for experimenting with color, texture, form and flavor.
At this time last year, I listed nine new vegetables I’d be trying in my 2009 garden. More than half of them will be back for 2010, including Goldie husk cherries, Fresh Pick green beans, Astro II arugula, and the bitter green spigariello liscia, which I wrote about in a blog post last fall.
Tops on my list this year is a new type of beet: Guardsmark. Beets have preferred status in my garden. I grow both red ones and golden ones, but have yet to try those red-and-white-striped Chioggia beets. Guardsmark is supposed to be an improved strain that keeps its bull’s-eye stripes even after cooking. For more information and seed sources, see my detailed list of new vegetables for 2010.
What's on your list of "things to try" in 2010? Please share by leaving a comment, below.
Houseplants can be used to improve the quality of indoor air. But a new study shows that some are better than others.
Asparagus fern, one of the top air-scrubbing houseplants.
More Information
The abstract from the UGA study: "Screening Indoor Plants for Volatile Organic Pollutant Removal Efficiency", published last year in HortScience.
A Guide to Indoor Air Quality: A comprehensive guide for people who suspect problems with the air in a home or office. From the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Sure, most people know that houseplants can be used to improve the quality of indoor air. But a new study from the University of Georgia shows that certain houseplants that are better than others.
Purple waffle plant
Researchers tested 28 plants and identified a set of five "super ornamentals" that removed the most contaminants in a process called phytoremediation. So, look for these beauties in your local greenhouse:
Purple waffle plant (Hemigraphis alternata)
English ivy (Hedera helix)
Variegated wax plant (Hoya cornosa)
Asparagus fern (Asparagus densiflorus)
Purple heart plant (Tradescantia pallida)
Going into the project, the researchers knew that plants would reduce indoor pollution. The big surprise: "the poor air quality we measured inside some of the homes we tested" said Stanley Kays, UGA horticulture researcher and one of the study's authors. "We found unexpectedly high levels of benzenes and many other contaminants that can seriously compromise the health of those exposed." Indoor pollutants, also known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), can emanate from many things, including furniture, carpet, plastic, cleaning products, drywall, paint and adhesives.
How do you know if your indoor air is polluted? Testing is expensive, but adding plants is a simple way to ensure that the air is better. Try a diverse mixture of houseplants, including some of the "super ornamentals", above. It's not clear why some plants are better at scrubbing indoor air. "That's one of the things we want to learn," says Kays. "We also want to determine the species and number of plants needed in a house or office to neutralize the problem contaminants."
Research will continue at UGA, where Kays and his team collaborate with researchers in Korea. "Scientists [in Korea] are substantially ahead of us in phytoremediation research," Kays says.
The key to keeping cyclamen happy and healthy is to replicate their natural environment as closely as possible. They thrive in cool temperatures that drop as low as 40 degrees F. at night
Cyclamen Slideshow
Slideshow: Cyclamen
Press "play" to start the show. To share comments or explore further, go to Flickr.
Giving and receiving flowering plants at the holidays is a time-honored tradition, but one that’s fraught with anxiety. Unlike a box of chocolates or a pair of gloves, a living plant requires care to keep it healthy. Holiday houseplants, such as cyclamen, are particularly worrisome for most folks because their flowering cycle and general care are unfamiliar, even to seasoned gardeners.
Florist’s cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum) start showing up in grocery stores and garden centers between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Flowers with swept-back petals resemble shooting stars and their heart-shaped leaves are embroidered with intricate, silvery patterns. In the right conditions, the plants will bloom continuously for a couple of months.
Like many other plants in their native eastern Mediterranean climate, cyclamen naturally bloom in the fall, winter, and spring when the weather turns cool and damp. During the hot, dry summers, cyclamen become dormant; their foliage yellows and dies back and plants show no signs of growth. They store energy for the next flowering season in their round tubers.
The key to keeping cyclamen happy and healthy is to replicate their natural environment as closely as possible. They thrive in cool temperatures that drop as low as 40 degrees F. at night and rise into the 60s during the day. Place them close to a bright south-, east-, or west-facing window for maximum sunlight.
Cyclamen are a bit fussy about watering. It’s best to let the soil get somewhat dry between waterings, but not to the point of wilting. When the pot feels light or the soil feels dry just below the surface, water it thoroughly and let it drain. Pour out any water left in the saucer so that the soil doesn’t stay soggy. Fertilize with regular houseplant fertilizer for flowering plants.
To keep plants blooming, remove flowers as they finish by cutting the stems near the base of the plant. Sometimes the petals will fall off and leave a round seed capsule that resembles a flower bud. Remove these, too. True cyclamen flower buds are long and pointed. Also remove yellow and withered leaves.
In the spring, let the soil dry out and keep the pot in a cool dry place for the summer. The plants will look dead, but as long as the tubers remain hard and plump, they are only resting. Begin watering in the early fall and put it back into a cool, bright window for another season of bloom.
-Ann Whitman
Green Goods Supervisor, Gardener's Supply
This year's regional garden shows are just around the corner, so it's time to start planning a fun day out with a gardening friend.
The scene at last year's flower show in Philadelphia.
Charlie Nardozzi
Melinda Myers
This year's regional garden shows are just around the corner. It's time to start planning a fun day out with a gardening friend you rarely see; or an enjoyable afternoon with any friend or family member whose spirits could use a boost.
These February and March events always happen right when winter seems the dreariest and we desperately need a shot of something green. You can always expect to see some impressive show gardens, take in a few interesting seminars and speakers, and connect with fellow gardeners and local gardening merchants.
Gardener’s Supply is pleased to be co-sponsoring two of the speakers at this year’s shows.
Charlie Nardozzi is the senior horticulturist and spokesperson for the National Gardening Association. He is also a popular writer (several Gardening for Dummies books), radio commentator and television host. Charlie will be speaking at the Northwest Flower Show in Seattle, as well as the Philadelphia, Chicago and San Francisco Flower Shows.
Melinda Myers has spent the past 25 years promoting the goodness of gardening. She is a horticultural consultant, arborist, teacher, prolific author (with more than 20 gardening books to her credit), and host of several radio and television programs. Melinda will be speaking at the San Francisco, Chicago and Philadelphia Flower Shows, as well as the Northwest Flower Show in Seattle, Southeastern Flower Show in Atlanta, and New Jersey Flower Show in Edison.
A few of us from Vermont may be attending as well, so check the program schedule and please stop by to say hello.
Some of this season's shows are featured in the box, below. For more events, see the American Horticultural Society's comprehensive list of regional garden shows.
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