Plants Are Essential

During this shelter in place, we all have been forced to stay indoors all day and every day unless absolutely necessary. Besides our loved ones, being around our indoor plants can elevate our mood, help us relax, at the same time clean our environment. Plants are not only essential to our mood but to our very existence. They are essential to our well being and overall health. I would like to share a segment from letter from Mike Senneff president of greenplantsforgreenbuildings.org.

As we navigate the uncertainty of the COVID-19 outbreak, it's crucial to communicate the inherent benefits of nature and plants in our customers' businesses.  We cannot have plants viewed as non-essential and discretionary, but as an element that improves the indoor environment and employee's overall wellbeing.  And we have the information to make the case. On GPGB's website, the Well-Being Benefits of Plants paper is summarized by Charles Hall and Melinda Knuth, a professor and graduate student respectively of Texas A&M University.  The paper is a technical reference to world-wide research.  We may not use this paper in our individual communications (it's likely too technical), but it will give you a foundation to speak authoritatively as to why plants are important in business and how they improve business results.

The paper focuses on the health and wellbeing benefits of plants, so important in times like these. A few of the highlights and talking points are:

• Offices experienced a 15% increase in productivity when plants were included in office space

• Employees with plant views have fewer headaches and completed concentration tests 19% faster than those without plants

• Workers in offices with poor light without natural views use more sick leave hours

• Plants at work are significant in employee perceptions of friendliness, comfort, and freshness of the workplace

• 97% of employees would like to have more plants in the workplace

So, what's our message?  Our message is that plants create healthy environments where people flourish!  The monthly spend our customers have on their plant program is offset many times over with reduced workplace stress and increases in productivity.  In uncertain times, we should provide our customers the solid facts on how plants improve the business environment, and why they need to stay.  They are a great investment.  The research articles provide you the data to convey the message.

We will make it through this health crisis together.  As an industry, we need to stand united and convey a clear message that beyond aesthetics, plants work to improve business results.