Benefits and Some Disadvantage of Indoor Plants
Plant improves the quality of air:
Indoor plants produce oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from indoor environments, which maintains a healthy balance between oxygen levels and carbon dioxide levels in a house or a building.
Plants reduce noise pollution:
Plants absorb noise due to their structures, i.e., leaves catching air sound vibrations, strengthening walls with roots, etc. They also muffle sounds by creating layers of soft objects around them – curtains, carpets, comfy sofas, pillows, etc. In short, plants create an acoustic buffer zone within your home that reduces the impact of unwanted noise from outside or inside your property.
Plant creates privacy:
As mentioned before plants soften the hard surfaces indoors, they also provide a lush green backdrop to your rooms which act as a natural curtain. Even if you have an exposed back garden, avoid the direct line of sight from your windows onto it by planting trees or tall bushes on the boundary of your property.
Plants improve health:
Plants boost mental health by reducing stress levels and improving sleep quality. They are claimed to help treat mild depression and anxiety, ADHD, autism, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, etc.
A study found that office workers who took care of indoor plants at work had less eye strain, fatigue, and muscle tension than those without one after eight hours of working.
Plants make living spaces more beautiful:
Indoor plants create the illusion of having another dimension in your home, especially when they are placed behind or in front of windows. They add aesthetic value to the interiors and improve the perceived quality of living spaces by adding an element of greenery which is soothing, attractive, and visually appealing.
Plants create a cozy environment:
The best thing about indoor plants is that they provide a cozy, comforting feel to the indoors by changing their appearance with changes in seasons through blossoming flowers or colorful foliage. They also give off some pleasing aromas which make you feel relaxed while relaxing at home on weekends or during vacations.
Plants reduce stress at work:
Plants in office spaces increase productivity among employees according to some studies by up to 15%. It also reduces absenteeism due to sickness and increases job satisfaction. Teenagers may find concentrating easier after spending time looking after houseplants too!
Plants add value to your property:
People who have green fingers do not need this reason because they know it well but for those of you who do not, having healthy indoor plants in your home could add value to your property when you go out and want to sell it off later on in life. However, less maintenance is required for indoor plants than outdoor ones.
Plants improve an existing view:
If you don’t have a green garden outside your house, bring the greenery indoors by using indoor plants to compliment your windows or balconies. You can even hang them from shelves or walls so that they create the impression of having another room beyond the glass panes!
Plants are aesthetically pleasing:
One of the best things about indoor plants is that they come in different shapes and sizes with contrasting textures which means you can choose ones that appeal to any part of your aesthetic senses – be it function or form! For instance, ferns may look good on bookshelves while bromeliads could sit nicely on windowsills. Just make sure you know which plants can stay indoors in your locality or town before taking them home.
Plants help protect floors:
Indoor plants not only add to the beauty of your home, but also protect hard surfaces like wood and marble from scratches, stains, or scuff marks caused by shoes or furniture around the house. They are also kind enough to act as area rugs under coffee tables!
Plants create a welcoming indoor environment:
It is said that people feel more welcome in homes with plants inside them than those without them because it creates a friendly ambiance where one can find peace and tranquility even in crowded public places. Fresh cut flowers also give off good aromas so keep them around for guests!
Plants purify the air:
No one really wants to invite bacteria and contaminants inside their homes, making it important for people to take measures to clean up indoor air. One of the best ways to do this is by using houseplants which absorb toxins from the environment in a process known as phytoncides. Researchers have found that they can kill off 78% of airborne microbes when placed nearby!
Plants help you focus better:
Office plants have been shown to improve moods and help employees focus better at work by increasing concentration spans. This has also been the reason why many large companies are now investing in offices with lush green interiors!
Plants add life forms to your home:
One of the most fascinating things about plants is that they are all living organisms, which means they have the ability to change over time. From being a seed, it first becomes a shoot before maturing into a plant with flowers and fruits! This dynamic beauty is what brings people closer to nature through indoor plants.
Plants help clean your air:
One of the best things about houseplants is that they absorb carbon dioxide from the air during photosynthesis before turning it back into oxygen. NASA states that 10-18% of interior air pollution can be eliminated through this mechanism making them an important part of any household!
Plants resist wear and tear:
Houseplants are among the toughest additions you can make to your home because they are made up of sturdy waxy leaves and tough cellulose cell walls, which make them ideal for high-traffic areas inside the house. They are among the few plants that can handle a touch of neglect before showing signs of death, unlike others which need a lot more care and attention to grow!
Plants help you relax:
A study performed by Dr. Bill Wolverton showed that people who were exposed to houseplants in their offices experienced lower levels of anxiety than those working with bare walls because of an increase in oxygen intake.
Another research at Washington State University revealed that office plants improve worker morale eventually leading to less absenteeism and higher productivity levels overall!
Plants can be decorative:
Have you always wanted some decoration around your property but didn’t know how to go about it? Well, what better way to do so than by adding houseplants to compliment the surroundings.
This can be done easily with indoor plants because they come in different colors and shapes which could either match or contrast your existing décor making them one of the best ways to improve lifestyle!
Plants help create a homely environment:
Placing potted plants not only creates an attractive indoor setting but also helps create a comfortable secluded area for you to relax after a busy day at work. They are perfect for creating study nooks or libraries that help boost aesthetics inside homes!
Houseplants give pet owners peace of mind:
Have cats or dogs run around the house? Then consider planting some houseplants because they purify the air especially if you own a pet with allergies or asthma. When exposed to indoor plants, such animals won’t be as likely to suffer from nasal and pulmonary problems making them more comfortable in your home!
Plants are calming:
If you can’t find the time to meditate in order to calm yourself, why not try looking at some houseplants? The beauty of leafy green plants is that they have been shown by psychologists to reduce stress levels when viewed for short periods of time. This has led many people to keep potted plants indoors in an attempt to improve their mental well-being!
Disadvantages of indoor plants:
Plants need a lot of maintenance:
Houseplants are not as easy to maintain as some people think they are! They require a lot of care and attention especially from those who want to keep them alive for more than a few weeks. In order to make the most of them, one needs to have enough time on their hands in order to regularly water, feed, and prune the plants accordingly before they start showing signs of death!
Some houseplants can be poisonous:
Although houseplants provide many health benefits through improved indoor air quality, some species have been shown to be toxic when ingested by pets or children. Even small amounts could be fatal so regular checkups should be performed to ensure that your houseplants are not growing at their expense.
Houseplants can be expensive:
Houseplants may look beautiful but they don’t come cheap! Some species can easily reach hundreds of dollars if they are rarer species meaning you need to spend a lot of money on them before you start enjoying all the benefits that they offer. If however, you do not like spending too much then it may be wise to consider cheaper alternatives, especially when starting out with houseplant care!
Aesthetics:
Although some people love the way houseplants look in different interior settings, others find them rather annoying because of the mess they leave behind when dried leaves fall onto the floor or when they start shedding older leaves. This can be especially problematic for people who own pets that like to chew on plants which could potentially become toxic!
Not all plants purify the air and indoor plants are best suited for specific purposes:
Did you know that not all houseplants help improve air quality? Some plants actually contribute to indoor air pollution while others do little in the way of improving the quality of your environment which makes it difficult to find out exactly what type of plant is suited to your individual needs without doing thorough research beforehand.
Houseplants require water, light, space, and soil consideration before purchase:
Although may look beautiful and interesting, if you do not have the time, money, and patience to look after them, then it is best not to buy such plants because you could soon kill them without expecting to! Houseplants require a lot of care and attention especially when they start to grow up.
It’s important that you check how much water they need per day or week, what kind of light they will take before selecting one for your home because if you don’t know what you’re doing, there is a very high chance that you’ll fail from the beginning which will significantly decrease your enjoyment factor in terms of having houseplants around the house.
Indoor plants not suited for all homes:
Although indoor plants can be useful in improving aesthetics and air quality, they can be more of a nuisance than an actual benefit for some people. If you live in areas where the temperatures are too cold or not warm enough to support such plants, then definitely do not buy them because you could soon kill them without expecting to!
There are no studies showing that having houseplants is equivalent to seeing a shrink:
Although most people who own houseplants claim that they feel better and less stressed after having their indoor plants around the home, there has been little research done into whether that feeling was influenced by other factors like being in a more pleasant environment, having family members around, being treated better, etc.
Houseplants require chemicals to grow healthily:
Although most people who own houseplants claim that they feel better and less stressed after having their indoor plants around the home, there has been little research done into whether that feeling was influenced by other factors like being in a more pleasant environment, having family members around, being treated better, etc.
Mental health benefits of indoor plants:
Improved air quality:
Houseplants help to purify the indoor environment by releasing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide which in turn creates a healthier living space for you to enjoy!
Improved mental health:
Houseplants have been used as a form of alternative therapy for people who suffer from depression, anxiety, fatigue, etc because plants are thought to stimulate feelings of happiness and calmness when they are around the home or office.
Improved focus:
Plants not only look aesthetically pleasing but can also boost your productivity by creating an interesting and relaxing “green” environment which has been shown to improve concentration levels in the workplace.
If you work in an open-plan office or just want to switch off after a long day at work, then having houseplants around you could help you achieve that!
Improved sleep patterns:
Houseplants have been known to act as natural air-conditioners because of their cooling effect on the overall temperature of a room with some plants able to lower humidity levels even more than central heating systems do during wintertime! This is beneficial for those who experience difficulty sleeping because of hot sweats or don’t like the feeling of being too hot while trying to sleep!
Helps decrease stress levels:
Houseplants are thought to be therapeutic because of their ability to lower cortisol levels which is the hormone associated with stress production in humans.
Healthy mind, healthy body:
Houseplants have been known to act as natural air-conditioners because of their cooling effect on the overall temperature of a room with some plants able to lower humidity levels even more than central heating systems do during wintertime! This is beneficial for those who experience difficulty sleeping because of hot sweats or don’t like the feeling of being too hot while trying to sleep!
Sunlight:
Having houseplants automatically makes you want to spend more time indoors because it creates a natural habitat for them which encourages people to provide the conditions they would need to survive in, i.e. sunlight! Although most plants are said to grow well under artificial light nowadays, nothing beats natural daylight so if you have an indoor garden or just one plant then making sure they receive plenty of sunlight can be beneficial!
Ambiance:
Houseplants not only look aesthetically pleasing but can also boost your productivity by creating an interesting and relaxing “green” environment which has been shown to improve concentration levels in the workplace.
If you work in an open-plan office or just want to switch off after a long day at work, then having houseplants around you could help you achieve that!