LET THE PLANT WORK FOR YOU !!

Just about everyone experiences lulls in productivity while at work, but a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Exeter, working with four other universities, has discovered that adding green plants to work spaces can change that. The findings show that adding such greenery to office environments can not only increase productivity but also lead to better concentration levels, improve overall satisfaction and create happier employees.⁽¹⁾

"Although previous laboratory research pointed in this direction, our research is, to our knowledge, the first to examine this in real offices, showing benefits over the long term," said lead researcher Marlon Nieuwenhuis. "It directly challenges the widely accepted business philosophy that a lean office with clean desks is more productive." Nieuwenhuis went on to explain that the productivity levels of two offices in the Netherlands and the UK -- a large call center and a city auditor -- were monitored for 18 months, and ultimately, it was found that productivity shot up 15 percent when otherwise sparsely decorated office spaces were enhanced with the addition of Plant.

Significant improvements on employee memory retention and similar tests were noted, as was overall satisfaction in the workplace. Additionally, their ability to concentrate improved and some even reported an improvement in perceived air quality.⁽²⁾

Forget lean, go green: plants better than sparse work environments

Many of the environments, prior to the addition of plants were shockingly "lean," a term that's become synonymous with productivity, which isn't backed by scientific evidence. The idea is that anything other than the necessary items to complete tasks such as computers, staplers and pens, is distracting and, therefore, is not conducive to an efficient workplace. However, as studies are showing, the addition of green plants creates an environment in which people feel more comfortable, less stressed and are more inclined to feel better and excel at tasks at work.

Dr. Chris Knight from Exeter University said, "What was important was that everybody could see a plant from their desk. If you are working in an environment where there's something to get you psychologically engaged you are happier and you work better."

Of the lean concept, study co-author professor Alex Haslam of the University of Queensland's School of Psychology said that their "research questions this widespread conviction that less is more. Sometimes less is just less."⁽²⁾

Best plants for office environments

Cholorophytum(Spider)

Phelendendron

Plants that are said to be ideal for office environments are plentiful but vary based on each office's lighting situation. For spaces with low light, spider plants and philodendrons are ideal. Areas were light is moderate or primarily artificial, such as in an open-floor office, is good for ginseng ficus, peace lilies,snake plants, while African violets and aloe plants thrive near windows or in areas where they can get indirect light.

As for aloe plants in particular, consider that have benefits beyond improving productivity and workplace happiness: They can help health, too. Their gel, which resides inside the leaves of the plant and can easily be extracted, possesses antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties which studies have found helps heal wounds, destroys cancer cells, fights inflammation and even keeps blood sugar levels stable in diabetics.⁽⁴⁾

Depending on the particular health need and personal preferences, the gel can be applied topically and even consumed by eating it fresh or adding it to smoothies

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Blog Credit :-http://www.naturalnews.com/

How To Plant Seed ?

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Here Is How To Sow Seeds

1) Determine when to plant seeds. Depending on your climate and the plant variety, planting times may vary. Check the seed packet for details.



2) Fill the tray with soil. Hold your sieve (sifter) above the tray and put soil, usually seed starting medium or potting soil, into it, breaking it up as you do. Don't worry if some of the soil gets on your work area and not in the tray; you can brush it up and use it for the next tray. Fill the tray until it overflows, and then lift the tray a little and tap it against your work surface to settle the soil.


3) Use your hand or a striking board to level the soil. Drag the stick or striking board across the top of the tray to make sure the soil is flush with the top and evenly dispersed. Your hand can perform the same function. Take about 1 centimeter (0.4 in) of soil off the top of the tray. If you have a striking board, you can easily insert the indented side of it into the tray and sweep away a thin layer of soil. Otherwise, use your hand or some tool that will fit into the tray to scrape the soil off the top.


4) Use a firming board or your hands to compact the soil. Press the firming board (a thin board that fits perfectly inside the tray) down on the soil until the top of the board is level with the top of the tray. You can also use your hands if you don't have a firming board.



5) Moisten the soil. Use a Facebook with a rose (the apparatus with many holes) on the end of the spout. Turn the rose upside down and hold the can to one side of the tray. Tilt the can until water begins to shower out, and then pass the can over the tray four times.




6) Sow your seeds. Pour some seeds into the palm of your hand and pinch some out with your other hand. Sprinkle the seeds on top of the soil, leaving a little space between each one and its neighbors. The amount of space you need to leave depends on the plant, so check your seed packet for further instructions.



7) Cover the seeds with soil. Most seeds need to be covered with soil. Check your seed packet to be sure. Sieve a light layer of soil over the tray. In general, seeds should be covered with soil to a depth equal to twice the height of the seeds, but check the packet for exact information.



8) Compact the soil. Use your hands or the firming board to gently, but firmly press the soil down over the seeds. Seeds need good soil contact to germinate properly


That't how you can grow seed in your own herb planter, also use marker and label it and then wait to for the beauty grow.... !!
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CHOLOROPHYTUM HOUSE PLANT

The spider plant is wonderful house plant, they are tough making them great houseplants for beginners.

The Chlorophytum comosum (the botanical name) is one of the most common yet popular houseplants. It is also one of the “Top Clean Air Plants.”

Spiders not only are tough indoor plants but they make wonderful “test plants” for those looking to learn about house plant care.

“Spider care” is easy and most of the time only flat out neglect can kill them.

Overall, the Chlorophytum is a quick grower putting out “babies” on long stalks, variegated strap like leaves coming from its center of the plant.

Their spider-like long stems leaves come from the plants’ center with usually green edges and a white stripe running down the middle.

Some varieties have white edges and a green central stripe. When buying “spiders” look for clean, untorn leaves with no brown tips.

Most of the time the Chlorophytum plants seem to find its home indoors in a hanging basket where it makes an attractive display.

As the "airplane plant" throws out long stalks or stems it will produce small flowers followed by the decorative hanging "babies"

The young plants when rooted can be replanted and transplanted outdoors and used summer bedding, but when planted this way they will need protection from direct sun.

The Chlorophytum originates from South Africa and grows easily in hydroculture (growing in rocks). Keep it well fed and pot-bound. When its stems fill the pot, and when the white, wormlike rhizomes bulge over the surface, it can divided easily.

Spider Growing Basics – Light

It will grow in most locations though its variegation is most pronounced when the plant is near a window. Keep away from midday sun.

Temperature

Very tolerant of a variety of temperature ranges.

Soil

A good soil mix like one used for African violet care or one used in hydroculture.

Repotting

Likes to be pot bound. It’s all right to remove some of the fat white tubers or rhizomes if they fill surface of the pot.

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CALATHEA PLANT AND CARE INSTRUCTIONS

When Calathea is grown as a house plant it sometimes goes by the name Peacock Plant,Zebra Plant or Rattlesnake Plant because of its leaf markings, but it's much more common to stick to its latin name of Calathea.Occasionally you may find it labeled as "Prayer Plant" but this is probably a mislabel as the "Prayer Plant" is strictly a Maranta and therefore belongs in the Marantaceae family. Although (and we promise it won't get any more complicated than this) the Marantaceae family also includes the Calathea genus, so basically the plants are both closely related, they look very similar and essentially have the same care requirements.

There are several house plants which are grown exclusively for their foliage, and the Calathea is one of these. The leaves and plants themselves come in many shapes and sizes, each one will normally have gorgeous looking ornately patterned leaves, on occasion the markings can look almost artificial or painted on by a talented artist. The leaves tend to stand stiffly away from the main plant and if you are attentive you will notice that they change position slightly during the day in response to changes in temperature and humidity or moisture requirements. We could ramble on about how beautiful they look, instead however look around this page at the photos which hopefully capture just a little of the available variety.

This plant is not grown for it's flowers (which tend to be rare indoors anyway). That is true for all Calathea's except for C. crocata otherwise known as the "Flowering Calathea" which within the last few years has become incredibly popular and desired. It can be costly but the unique large number orange flowers and inherited good looking shaped (although plain) leaves often makes it worth the expense. If you plan to stick with the foliage as the focus then look out for C. makoyana, C. insignis / C. lancifolia, C. leopardina and C. zebrina.

All that beauty comes with a trade off however and that is in the care requirements. This is not an easy house plant to keep if you are inexperienced or prefer low maintenance house guests. The care instructions are detailed in full below, and while not overly special or difficult, the plant is not forgiving if you mistreat it for long periods of time.

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Calathea Care Instructions

Light

No direct sunlight for Calathea's otherwise you will lose the markings. On the other hand very dark spots need to be given a miss as well. A North facing windowsill would be the first choice here, but any other situation will be acceptable providing you can provide shielding from the direct sunlight these places would receive at some point during the day.

People often come unstuck with the Calathea when it comes to its watering requirements. This plant demands to be moist at all times, but not "wet" or sitting in water. This means regular small amounts of water during the growing seasons as soon as the surface starts to dry up. Although the plant will let you off a little and accept less water when things turn cooler and darker as Winter approaches and takes hold.Watering

Humidity

Like your watering approach, humidity is really important to for a healthy and attractive looking Calathea. They all require high humidity and failure to provide this is one of the main causes of failure. Young or naturally small varieties would be excellent choices for a Bottle Garden. If this isn't an option you need to find other ways to increase humidity, regular misting of the leaves, while helpful is unlikely to be effective long term in a very arid place. If you are serious about keeping this plant indoors have a read of our humidity article.

Feeding

Feed every fortnight during the growing season with a half strength proprietary houseplant fertilizer. None in Winter and avoid leaf shine products especially those with fertilizer included.

Temperature

Healthy and vigorous plants will result from warm to high temperatures with reasonable ventilation but without strong droughts. As a minimum aim for 15°C - 21°C / 60°F - 70 °F. Never lower than 10°C / 50°F.

Re-potting

If growing well, look to re-pot every year or every other year during Spring or Summer into fresh potting soil. If you want to propagate your Calathea (see below) you can do this at repotting time, although the overall "bushy" look will be drastically changed.

Propagation

Propagating large Calatheas is quite easy by division. Divide the plant by half (or into smaller pieces if you have a very large plant to start with) and pot each new section into it's own pot. Then keep the divisions shady, warm and moist by covering the pots with plastic. Once you can see new growth starting remove the plastic and grow as normal.

Speed of Growth

Moderately fast growth.

Height / Spread

Indoor Calathea's can reach a good age and size with correct care. The Flowering Calatheawill reach a smaller size of 30cm / 12in or so where as the others could be double that at 60cm / 2ft.

Flowers

The majority of Calathea's do not flower, or rather they do not flower indoors and this is because the conditions aren't suitable for them to do so. The exception to this is C. crocata which is sold not because of its leaf markings or shape, but because it does indeed produce wonderful orange flowers that wave above the plant's basic foliage.C. crocata will repeat flower again if you maintain good conditions as instructed above.

WHY PLANTS ARE IMPORTANT !!

Nothing can be said about the existence of plants in human life, even before homo sapiens have appeared on planet plants have always been their.
So now the question arises what plants give us, Here are some points which will make you feel proud about plants which comes in many shapes,sizes and are surely bundle of joy.

1) Provide us with vegetables, fruits, nuts, leaves for eating :- Plants has always provided us with adequate food which are in the form of fruits,roots,leaves etc etc they have given us and we had gained lots and lots of energy proteins through it.
 
2) Give us flowers for decoration :- It has given us flower which are now a days used as expressing one's feeling and which is also used for decorative and other purposes

3) Provide green cover to the Earth :- One of the most important aspect of plants is that they provide us cover and protect us from harmful UV radiations.

4) Give us shade :- It has always protect us from sun rays by providing us shade.

5) Help in bringing rain :- Planting more trees bring rain because plants transpire. Transpiration is a process by which aerial parts of the plants lose water as water vapor during photosynthesis.this water is added to the normal moisture of the air thus making the air saturated faster and brings rain. 

6) Provide plenty of oxygen : - http://goo.gl/hgLbUj

7) Give medicinal herbs :- From ancient times plant has give us those medicines which science has not found yet, so you can understand how much plants are important to human life

8) Give timber, fibre, etc 

9) Provide bio fuel :- http://goo.gl/DLPMf0

10) Provide shelters and food to birds, animals, insects and worms. 

In short, thanks to plants, you can have natural food, build shelters, prepare cloth and breath oxygen which are essential for our life on this earth!
So lets pledge to make Mother Earth a more Greener and Healthier,
(Plant Trees) 


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Bye-Bye Coffins, These Organic Burial Pods Turn Your Loved Ones Into Trees

Death puzzles, touches and disturbs us all, while presenting a realm of unanswered questions. One thing we do know for sure is that not one of us will escape death, and so you might as well know how you want to be buried.
No matter what your faith, or if you believe in an afterlife, these organic burial pods that turn loved ones into trees make the idea of death a little more comforting. In fact, these awesome burial pods make for the perfect burial ritual in so many ways.
Based in Italy, the Capsula Mundi Project was formed by designers Anna Citelli and Raoul Bretzel. Fueled by their love of trees, the pair created an organic, biodegradable burial pod that literally turns a person’s remains into nutrients for a beautiful tree growing directly up above.

Sounds ideal, right? Unfortunately, these burial pods are only a concept idea for now, as it is against Italian Law to bury someone in this manner. If, or when, the project is allowed to proceed, the overall goal is to create cemeteries full of trees instead of tombstones. Instead of a cemetery, these parks will be referred to as “memory forests.”
The body is first encapsulated into a fetal position in order to fit inside of the burial pod. The pod looks like an earthy piece of art, but really it’s a biodegradable “casket.” Once the burial pod is buried deep underground a tree seed or a young tree is placed directly above, and from one source of life sparks another.
Instead of visiting a spooky, sad cemetery visitors will enter a beautiful memory forest full of hope and the promise of new life. Loved ones would care for the tree, seeking comfort beneath its shade, which is far more than you can expect from a tombstone.
After being presented with this burial option it seems rather silly to purchase a fancy, overpriced coffin. After all, a cemetery full of headstones is far more depressing than a beautiful memory forest full of lush trees.
This idea is also far better for the environment. Instead of cutting down trees to make wood coffins, we would be producing more trees. The pod is made from all renewable and biodegradable materials, including starch plastic and seasonal plants such as potatoes and corn.The company writes on their website that it takes 10 to 40 years for a tree to grow. It is then cut down and made into a coffin that only serves a purpose for 2 or 3 days. It was this line of thinking that sparked the perfect solution: a way to save one tree and plant another.

There will be an assortment of different trees clients can pick from. The idea is that someone will pick their favorite tree while they are still alive. “The tree is chosen when the person is alive, relatives and friends look after it when death occurs. A cemetery will no longer be full of tombstones and will become a sacred forest,” it says on their website.

Just imagine… a late husband and wife, sprouting new life side by side as two gorgeous trees. It truly adds beauty to the sadness of burying a loved one. I plan on telling my family later tonight this is how I want to be buried–I’m only 26, and so I’m expecting these burial pods to be in the US by the time of my (hopefully) very distant demise!

The eco-friendly forces behind Capsula Mundi are currently working to change legislation, turning their amazing burial ritual into a reality. Media attention matters, help us spread the word!

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