When I first
moved into where I now live in Lagos it used to be a thing of joy strolling
around the immediate vicinity in the cool of the evenings. My street was lined
with pine trees that had weaver birds nestling all over it; the street was a natural, quiet and winding country lane where you enjoyed chirping bird songs, and
the swaying pines amidst the evening breeze. Thus the shades the trees provided
complimented the scenic beauty. But this was not to last for long because a ‘wealthy’
new neighbour soon moved into the environment and decided to cut down and uproot all the trees just because he needed to construct a perimeter fence around
the piece of land and property he had acquired. But, he could easily have left the trees out, or included them in his plans!
Just because
the new neighbour simply did not appreciate the trees and the shade they
provided, as well as the serenity and joy brought on by the full package of nature,
all of these were lost in a twinkling of an eye. If only this person understood
the fact that trees provide us humans with the oxygen we need for survival; if
only he understood the spiritual peace and positive energies that human beings
derive by the presence and conscious enjoyment of these natural elements,
perhaps things would have been different.
And so the
habit of cutting down every ‘living thing’ on the path of construction should
stop because it only goes to show a lack of aesthetic sense, as well as plain
ignorance regarding the value of plants to mankind. Apart from the numerous
benefits (outdoor) plants give to us, the same is also able to benefit us greatly
when we utilise them indoors. The kind of fulfillment you are able to derive
from having living plants around you cannot be measured; it is nothing like
placing plastic plants and flowers in your room. Living plants are alive and
they breathe life into the environment.
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Potted indoor plants |
Expert studies
have shown over time that the addition of living plants has the innate ability
to increase the oxygen presence in the air we breathe. Living plants around us
and in our homes help to sustain the balance of energy in the space within
which we all operate; they produce life-enhancing negative ions, and are
therefore incredibly beneficial to the health of human beings.
The fact remains
that by the time you fill your house with living plants and flowers, you will immediately
begin to feel the difference. Researches show that when we have plants around
us, people tend to be more relaxed wherein stress and anxiety are kept at bay.
Also, people who work in offices where they have indoor plants have shown
evidences of high productivity, similarly for students who study and stay in same
kind of environments. Experts say that the presence of plants around us tends
to improve the environments as well as the quality of the air around.
Naturally, the
plants are able to perform such functions due to their ability to reduce the
carbon dioxide levels as well as pollutants present in the atmosphere - like benzene and nitrogen
dioxide. Conversely, the plants will inject fresh oxygen into
the environment by the simple action of photosynthesis thereby enabling concentration and creativity. Plants are also able to
increase or reduce (stabilise) the humidity while keeping down the air
temperatures, and level of dust in the environment.
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(Indoor) plants give you oxygen |
According to
building biologist, Nicole Bijlsma, “Plants are like the
lungs or kidneys of a building.” “They balance humidity levels. Many plants,
especially broad-leaved varieties, release moisture into the air through
evaporation of the moisture in their leaves," she says. Studies carried
out equally suggest therefore that broad-leaved plants and colourful flowers
elicit high spiritedness and good mood in individuals – giving rise to
increased productivity.
It is worth noting also that indoor air
is often more polluted than outdoor air according to Professor Margaret
Burchett, a researcher in the use of indoor plants at the University of
Technology Sydney. This, of course is contrary to popular beliefs, but research
provides evidence proving that very often, indoor air is stale and therefore
injurious to health, experts say. "We use a whole lot of materials derived
from fossil fuels that contribute to pollution, like furniture, paint and
computers; there's also more carbon dioxide as we all breathe together" Burchett
says.
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