Ashok Gupta
As and when there is SMOG issue(severe air pollution),people start remembering Air purifiers. plants or other mechanical air purifiers. A few days back commercials regarding marketing of air purifiers increased and the Bollywood beauty like Karena Kapoor endorsed purifiers marketed by Honeywell automation and wall of Indian Cricket Rahul Dravid endorses Philip airpurifiers and claim to clean the air in 6 minutes in one room.Air purifiers cost in thousand and lacs of rupees and require constant electricity adds to the electricity bill. But nobody talks about the natural way of purifying air by plants.
Indoor plants have surprising benefits:-
The Ultimate Air fresheners :-
Plants identified for purifying the air are Chlorophytum comosum (Spider Plant ), Epipremnum pinnatum (Golden Pothos) or its any other variety, Spathyphylum ( peace lily,sanseveria laurentii (snake plant), Hedera helix (Ivy), Dypsis lutescens (Arica palm),Aloe barbadensis mill (Aloe Vera) Rhapis excels (Rhapis palm) Chinese evergreen, cut flowers of Gerbera and Chrysanthemum and its plants can also be used, Ficus benjamina and its other varieties, etc.
Mood enhancer In addition to Air purifying qualities, indoor plants have a purifying effect on our general well-being too. They simply add freshness and tranquility to our inner space. In fact studies have shown that patients that have indoor plants in their rooms recover much earlier than facing walls. Studies reveal that 15 percent more ideas were generated by people who worked in offices with plants.
Plants in work place reduce absenteeism from 15% to 5%,speed in completing computer work 12% faster with plants, lowers blood pressure as it reduces the stress levels. Studies from. The Royal college of Agriculture in Cirencester England have shown that students who study in a room with plants have a higher attention span and overall improves mood than those without plants.
Green corners : Almost all the interior designers will tell you that plants can drastically change the overall feeling of the room. They have also amazing effect awakard corners and base walls. Studies show that occupancy in hotels increases by 15%to 20% if they have good green covers and have indoor plants in their lobby and rooms.
Health boosters: Indoor plants have shown to reduce cold related illness by more than 30 percent,This is due to the effect of increasing humidity levels and decreasing dust. According to recent studies, indoor plants may even stop your headaches, improve your mental health, decrease your blood pressure and prevent allergies in children. Instead of buying a air purifier/ humidifier to soften the air,simply bring two Air purifying plants for one room.
Sleep aides: Having an indoor plant like Jasmine, snake plant, Lavender, spider plant, Gardenia, in your bed room is a treat to eyes. The jasmine was specifically studied by Dr Bryan Raudenbush, at Wheeling Jesuit university where he and his colleagues studied the result of 20 people’s sleeping pattern.
When exposed to jasmine and concluded that who are exposed to jasmine slept more deeply and effectively. Filling a vase of Xerbras, Daisy’s, Chrysanthemum, in your bed room improve your night rest capacity. In this particular article I have given references of studies by this University or that University but my personal study of plants and flowers thirty five years in Floriculture Department and some tenure in the SMVD SHRINE board confirms that persons/ individuals who live in the surrounding of the plants whether indoors or out doors enjoy good healthy, cheerful and positive energy life style. Having plants indoors and it’s effects listed above we can contribute more to the society with positive energy and with internal happiness and can satisfy our internal soul also.
(The author is former Joint Director Floriculture Jammu)
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