The advantages of having trees for small gardens in your office

You might be a tech-savvy, computer-dwelling corporate worker, but you have a biological connection with nature as a human. There is no point in blaming anyone, but the truth is nature is declining. However, corporates are trying to add trees for small gardens inside the office complex. Yes, it is an aesthetic factor and a trending way to decorate office spaces to attract environmentally-active customers. However, there are more reasons why you see more offices with gardens.

Reduce stress with trees for small garden

In 2010, the University of Technology, Sydney proved that employees who work amidst greenery showed less stress. The study showed that those who had a green environment have a 37% reduction in anxiety and tension. It also reduced anger by 44%, fatigue by 38%, and depression by 58%. Although medical science extended the average life of an individual, the quality of life is a significant debate because of the rising stress due to work. Thus, planting simple trees for small garden would increase the quality of the workforce.

A workforce with reduced stress, fatigue, depression, and anger would work effectively even when the workload is heavy. Moreover, the well-being of employees would reduce the number of sick leaves and hostile environment.

Increase in productivity

The stress reduction indirectly will increase productivity. Moreover, having trees for small garden around an employee would improve memory retention. Dr. Chris Knight of the University of Exeter proved the same via a basic test between employees with and without plants around them. According to Human Spaces Report 2015, 58% of employees worldwide do not have any plants in their workspaces. Those with plants showed 6% increased productivity.

Trees for small gardens can reduce sick leave

Sick building syndrome is a psychological pressure that one experiences while being at a specific location. Once he is out of the building, he would feel better. Although it is a psychological effect, this syndrome’s side effects are physically intensive, like chronic fatigue, headaches, runny nose, wheezing, and more. There could be a lot of reasons why one would experience sick building syndrome.

According to experts, the best way to reduce the symptoms is by improving ventilation and gaining fresh air. In a corporate building with AC vents around you, it is not possible to open windows. Moreover, most corporates use bright lights to disrupt the biological clock for inducing employees to work overtime without realizing it. However, it is possible to reduce the symptoms by 25% by using indoor trees for small gardens or a small backyard where employees could step out for a relaxation break.

The trend of biophilic design

Biophilic design is the trend of using nature as a part of the design. The workplace design has a significant effect on the hiring process. The nature-influenced workplace also improves the decision-making ability of the employees.

Improve the quality of the workplace by using small gardens or trees

Trees absorb carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene from the environment and release oxygen. University of Technology, Sydney proved that using indoor plants will improve air quality. If you want to choose the best plant for improving air quality, choose palms. Palms absorb a higher amount of carbon dioxide.
The second element that reduces the quality of the workplace is noise. It is not possible to keep the noise down in the workplace. Chronic noise pollution can increase distraction and cause physical problems. A large plant in the edges of the room would absorb the noise. London South Bank University proved this effect in its 1995 paper.

Attention restoration theory

An organization can find hundreds of candidates with technical skills and experience. Or, it could train its employees and improve the skill set of the workforce. One of the few traits that are not effectively trainable is creativity. Many organizations create new job titles to hire creative individuals. But, the current workspace design drains that creativity. According to Human Spaces Report 2015, employees around trees or small plants score 15% better in creativity tests than their counterparts.

The attention restoration theory states that an environment filled with nature or even pictures of nature would stimulate the brain to undertake different processing modes, thereby increasing creative output. Moreover, the plants would keep the employees relaxed. Thus, they can offer creative output without fatigue.

Best trees for small gardens in office

It is not easy to grow trees inside the office. Even if you have a small balcony garden, you cannot randomly choose a seasonal or indigenous species. It would help if you chose a species that is easier to tend, can thrive in low light and does not grow very tall or broad. The cliché options are palm and rubber varieties. The top trending options are dumb cane, jade plant, calamondin orange tree, fiddle leaf fig tree, yucca, parlor palm tree, weeping fig, and Guiana chestnut.

Where companies go wrong?

While choosing plants, companies prefer ones that are aesthetically pleasing and cost-effective. However, they usually forget about the maintenance factor. Some plants tend to shed leaves very often. Choosing plants with flowers could induce allergy in many employees. Also, plants attract insects, and under-maintained plants become a breeding spot for parasites.

It is best to assign an employee to take care of the plants. Each employee would already have a lot on his plate, and tending to the office plants would not be a priority during peak days. A dried or dull plant can bring down the energy of the room. Thus, either choose succulents and cacti or assign an office management employee to handle the plants every day. If you pick a unique species, learn about how often to water the plant, the amount of sunlight required, and more.

There are several nurseries around you where you can find good plants to add to your workplace. Many companies spend on productivity tools, time management software, and more to increase productivity by a few points. On the other hand, plants can offer the same with little to zero cost.