Our Top Tips for Horticultural Success at Work
If there’s one surefire way to brighten up an office space, it’s getting a plant. Or painting the wall luminous pink, but hey, not everyone is as daring as we are.
Perched amongst the hard surfaces of laptops, monitors and plug sockets, our little herbaceous friends quietly emanate good vibes, positive energy and oxygen into the working environment, effortlessly transforming cold, sterile spaces into homely havens. Here at SESOME, we couldn’t imagine life without our leafy pals, but looking after them hasn’t always been plain sailing….
Here are some handy hints and lessons we have learnt to help you flex your professional green fingers, and ensure blooming office fauna every time. You’re welcome.
1.Choose your plants wisely
If you get the horticultural TLC process right, your office plants are likely to be around for a while. Therefore, it’s important to make sure that the ones you choose are not impulse purchases, but evergreen favourites – remember, a plant is for life, not just for Instagram. Steer clear of the show-off types that may instantly grab your attention with their zingy hues and ostentatious flowers – their looks will fade. Plump for a solid, reliable combination of lush foliage and strong roots – no one has the time to be deadheading in between meetings.
2. Name your plants
Yes it sounds like the advice of an ageing, herbal hippy, but naming your office plants will really help you bond. A personal connection means a more caring attitude, after all, you’re much less likely to forget to water your good friend Colin the Cactus, than some random plant that sits on the table next to you. Just think how Colin would feel if you did. His little face. 🌿 💔
3. Think carefully about where you position your plants
As we all know from GCSE Biology, plants need sunshine and water to survive. Therefore, office windowsills are the perfect surfaces to grace with a leafy new feature. However, and this is a sage warning, windowsills can also be THE WORST place to house a plant. Picture the scene: desperate to ensure that your precious plant takes in as much uninterrupted sunlight as possible, you come up with the genius idea of balancing it on the sill outside the window. One unnaturally strong gust of wind later, and the plant is lying three floors down, pot smashed, roots exposed, a small trickle of sap running into the gutter. Unfortunately, this is a true story from the SESOME office of Russell the Weeping Fig. RIP.
4. Plants don’t respond well to caffiene
As much as you struggle to get through the day without a regular intake of coffee/tea/red bull/all three, this is not true for your office plants. Yes, it might be tempting to get rid of those silty tea dregs by sneakily pouring them into a nearby plant pot, but this will lead to nothing but yellowing branches, wilting foliage and a progressively more and more acrid smell that will take you at least a week to identify…
5. Remember, caring for your plants is a 7-day-a-week deal
On a friday afternoon, it’s tempting to stop writing that email mid-sentence, leap up from your chair and get out the door as soon as the clock strikes 5:30. But wait! What are you thinking? You’re a responsible plant owner now! Before you hit the road, spare a moment to stock your leafy friends up with enough water, daylight and love to sustain them during your two-day absence.
Bank holidays and christmas breaks are a different matter however…
