For many of us the phrase ‘keep greening inside … its good for you’ is nothing new. Filling your home with living greenery is not a new thing. Particularly so to those of us who have been loving, growing, nurturing and selling indoor plants ever since we can remember. Your locally owned garden centre has always had a dedicated area well-stocked with indoor plants, pots and plant care products. This is in addition to passionate plant people who can advise you which plant to put where for it to thrive.
What is new is that plants inside the home have now become a real passion for many. Almost an obsession for some and an ever increasing trending topic on social media as more of us realise that plants can genuinely make us happy. In days gone by we would purchase a plant and put it on our desk or in our bathroom. Now we are photographing and posting them, using hashtags and words like #plantstyling #plantinspo, #junglevibes and #plantscaping whilst keeping a #houseplantjournal and calling ourselves #plantparents.
Keep Greening Inside … It Is Good For You
It makes no difference if we are trying to “keep up with the Kardashians” or we simply love plants. Perhaps we have learned about the health and wellbeing benefits of having plants inside the home. What we should know is that statistics quoted by the Australian Government Department of Environment and Energy has found we spend on average 90% of our time inside the house. That is a lot of time inside!
This is quite an alarming statistic for many reasons but more so when you consider the concentration of some pollutants inside our homes. Building and work spaces are up to 10 times higher than the typical outdoor concentration. The USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Authority) quoted, back in 1993, that indoor air pollution is amongst the top five environmental risks to public health. Moreover, experts suggest that now it is potentially even higher
There are so many long and confusing words associated with toxins and pollutants in our indoor air. Words such as VOC’s, formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene. There are issues such as electro-magnetic radiation, air-borne mould spores, conditions such as sick building syndrome and other illnesses caused by inhaling particulate matter.
Good News
The good news is that plants can improve the air inside our homes. Plants have been shown to remove 75% – 90% of airborne pollutants. This is dependant on the species and size of the plants as well as the nature of the pollutants. It really does make sense to fill your home with living, breathing greenery and to bring some of the goodness from nature inside.
