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THE HOME<br />
plants and offer advice on upkeep are the<br />
new startup trend and are filling a demand<br />
created by trendsetters and hipsters who<br />
have moved on from easy-to-manage<br />
terrariums to full-fledged plants in pots.<br />
Favoured for their ability to grow well<br />
indoors and their interestingly shaped<br />
leaves, among the more sought-after indoor<br />
plants are the Fiddle Leaf Fig (Fidel ficus<br />
lyrata) from Western Africa, and the Swiss<br />
Cheese Plant (Monstera deliciosa), which<br />
has large, glossy heart-shaped leaves with<br />
distinct perforations.<br />
Just like fashion, there are colour trends<br />
for plants too. They don’t just come as a<br />
single shade of green. Just as you would<br />
mix up textures and colour palettes in<br />
your home, plants come in numerous<br />
colours and can have patterns or variegated<br />
stripes that add interest, particularly when<br />
grouped together.<br />
Other plants have far more distinctive<br />
colouring, like the Rubber Plant (Ficus<br />
elastica) which has attractive round<br />
leathery leaves with a distinct hint<br />
of burgundy. Its combination of rich<br />
colouring and potential for growth makes<br />
it a popular focal piece. Others, like the<br />
flamboyant Calathea with its splashes of<br />
yellow, red, green and white, are best placed<br />
alone, where it can truly shine and show off<br />
its plumage.<br />
THE BENEFITS OF PLANTS<br />
Apart from its obvious aesthetic appeal,<br />
cultivating houseplants has been shown to<br />
have considerable health benefits. Hospital<br />
patients with plants in their room have<br />
been found to recover more quickly than<br />
those who don’t.<br />
As part of its lifecycle, plants absorb<br />
carbon dioxide which we expel, and release<br />
oxygen into the atmosphere, which we<br />
breathe. They also release moisture and<br />
cool down the temperatures of their<br />
environment. In fact, ten percent of the<br />
moisture that we breathe comes from<br />
plants.<br />
In an office environment, plants have<br />
been shown to improve concentration<br />
and productivity. They can dampen noise,<br />
thus minimising sound pollution and<br />
engendering a sense of calm amidst what<br />
may sometimes be a chaotic workplace.<br />
This can in turn reduce work stress.<br />
Homes and offices can also harbour<br />
unhealthy invisible toxins that can<br />
contribute to what is known as sick building<br />
syndrome. This is when occupants of a<br />
building frequently feel unwell. It can<br />
manifest itself as headaches, respiratory<br />
problems, skin irritations and even fatigue,<br />
dizziness and nausea. Even though no<br />
specific cause can be identified, its onset<br />
and duration are linked with the time spent<br />
in the building.<br />
Much of this is attributed to poor indoor<br />
air quality caused by inadequate ventilation<br />
and a lack of fresh air. Air-conditioning<br />
works optimally in a closed space, while in<br />
a high-rise building such as an office tower<br />
opening a window is simply not possible.<br />
Less innocuous are the presence of<br />
contaminants from certain building<br />
materials such as floor laminate, raw<br />
concrete and deteriorating fibre glass. There<br />
are also volatile organic compounds (VOCs)<br />
that are emitted from everyday items such<br />
as furnitur and carpeting, and then theres<br />
mold.<br />
In a study conducted by NASA in<br />
association with the Associated Landscape<br />
Contractors of America called the ‘NASA<br />
Clean Air Study’, it was found that some<br />
indoor plants have the natural ability to<br />
filter harmful chemical agents such as<br />
benzene, formaldehyde and ammonia from<br />
the air that we breathe. The research was<br />
conducted to determine ways of cleaning<br />
air on board space stations. But as with<br />
much space-led research, it had significant<br />
ramifications back on Earth. Science had<br />
proven that plants should be our housemates.<br />
That is not to forget that plants can<br />
also be medicinal and provide sustenance;<br />
aloe vera is used to treat burns; keffir<br />
lime with its fragrant leaves provides a<br />
natural, chemical-free way of deodorising<br />
your home; and a small herb garden in the<br />
kitchen or on the apartment balcony can<br />
supply everyday use ingredients like chilli,<br />
lime, basil, rosemary, dill and local ulam<br />
such as kesom and pegaga.<br />
CARING FOR YOUR PLANTS<br />
Like all living things, plants require<br />
care. It is a responsibility and it can be<br />
disappointing when a plant dies despite<br />
TM | JULY/AUGUST <strong>2018</strong><br />
36
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