Health Benefits

The Vertical Gardener’s List of Phobias

Posted by Max on Jan 9, 2013 in Health Benefits, Uncategorized | 1 comment

Just When You Though It Was Safe to Garden…

For most of us, spending a day in the garden is a mostly pleasant experience, excepting the few times when major energies need be expended, such as rototilling, digging post holes or removing entrenched, stubborn weeds.

Today, however, we give pause to remember those for whom gardening is fraught with discomfort, or even terror, namely those with a close, personal relationship with words ending in “phobia”. You may have heard mention of several of the items below, but I’d bet few have seen most of them, and several belong in anyone’s compendium of downright weird phobias.

I’ve arranged these various gardening related phobias into several categories. Some phobias can fit into two or more categories, though I’ve one placed each phobia term into only one category. If you know of any additional phobias that pertain to gardening, feel free to mention them in a comment or email me your submissions through the contact page. The more the merrier, unless, of course, the great detective Mr. Monk’s fears and obsessions know a place in your own heart and mind.

Indoor Vertical Gardens Add to Health and Productivity

Posted by admin on Mar 26, 2012 in Health Benefits, Indoor, Videos | 0 comments

Sansevieria trifasciata English: This plant is called "Snake plant" or "Mother-in-Law's tongue" in English.(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Dr. Kamal Meattle researched the effects of indoor plants on the office work environment, a task he embarked upon after suffering deleterious health effects beginning with his job at an office building in New Delhi, India, a populous city noted for the poor quality of its air.

Dr. Meattle’s study over the years proved that plants can increase the oxygen content of the air in the office environment, as well as decrease a series of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) such as benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethane and ammonia. Blood oxygen increased 1% in study participants, and productivity increased 20%, as Dr. Meattle discusses in the TED video below:

50 Air Purifying Plants

Dr. Wolverton, a former NASA scientist, studied various plants for their suitability in providing oxygen and purifying air for space stations and long space travel, and has written a book on his 50 best indoor plant selections. Learn More About:How to Grow Fresh Air

The three plants used in the Delhi offices, the areca palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens), the money plant (Epipremnum aureum) and the mother-in-law’s tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata) provided the following benefits:

1. Lowered eye irritation 52%
2. Lowered respiratory symptoms 34%
3. Lowered headaches 12%
4. Lowered lung impairment 24%
5. Decreased asthma 9%
6. Increased blood oxygen 1% in 42% of workers after 10 hours in the building
7. Decreased energy requirements 15% due to less need for air cycling
8. Increased productivity 20%

The money plant (Epipremnum aureum) grows as a vine. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

These are not the only plants that give similar results. A former NASA scientist, Dr. Wolverton, conducted research in the use of plants for maintaining livable environments for astronauts during space missions, and has put that knowledge to use for  improving the livability of home and office spaces. He has written a book with a list of 50 plants that can be used as substitutes for the 3 plants discussed in the video, including those that better fit into a vertical garden motif.

How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 House Plants that Purify Your Home or Office

Areca Palm Chrysalidocarpus lutescens (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sick Building Syndrome is the name given to the ailments commonly found in poorly ventilated houses and offices that result from various VOCs and irritants that come with our current lifestyle . A bevy of chemicals get released by the products of our modern construction and decor such as carpets, furniture and building materials, and are then trapped by well-insulated or closed ventilation systems. Add to this the use of various products that release VOCs in the home such as paint thinners, cleaners, degreasers, even clothes that have been dry cleaned. The ability to remove these gasses from the air and provide the aesthetic benefits of a lush green environment  makes adding plants,whether as part on a vertical garden or just placed on the floor in pots, to the indoor home or office practically an imperative.