Here at West Coast Gardens we have seen the transformative power of adding indoor plants with striking silhouettes, warm hues, and air-cleaning power to your home and office.

They create friendly and inviting environments for you and your family at home, or employees and clients at work. Brick, glass, steel and white walls are staple elements for trendy offices in Vancouver’s Yaletown and Gastown neighbourhoods, and house plants can create statement pieces that don't require a lot of upkeep.

Here are just 4 of the reasons why I think tropical indoor plants and succulents are the way to go!

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Leafy desk buddies keep stress levels down

Plants can improve your emotional well being and help trigger parts of our body that keep stress levels low. Because of this, adding tropical indoor plants and succulents can improve well being in a very cost effective way. A recent study saw evidence that staff who have plants in their offices saw a 30-50% reduction in stress levels. Not bad for a few leafy desk buddies or artfully placed succulent terrariums.

Healthy air for a healthier you

Increasing your office or home plant count can also have a positive effect on air quality. Volatile organic compounds and human-made toxins found in plastics, paint, furniture, carpets and cleaning products can be reduced by the introduction of plants. Read about our Top 7 Plants for Purifying the Air in your home or office in our in-depth blog post.

Not as intimidating to care for as you think

While care needs vary by variety, light and water are the two basic needs every plant has. One of the biggest factors to look at is amount of light your houseplant needs and where to position it in your space. (We've covered the best low-light plants in our blog post here.)

Houseplants more often die from over watering than under watering, so make sure that the top inch of the soil is dry before hydrating your plants. Watering thoroughly and then leaving the plant to dry down is a good strategy to maintain.

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Please also note that fertilizers should only be used when the plants are actively growing. For us here along the 49th parallel, growing season is typically between March-September for tropical plants, and after this they become dormant to cope with lower light levels.

Succulents can also be low maintenance wonders for the workplace. Many succulent varieties have leaves that act as little sponges, so maintain the same watering strategy with a good soak and dry-out period. However, don’t let them dry down too far as the leaves may fall off under stress. Keep your succulent plants happy with plenty of sunlight and a regulated watering schedule.

Play with shapes and colour to create ambience

There's simply no question - you just feel better around plants. Here at West Coast Gardens we have customers stop by just for the ambiance, but you can create a very similar ambiance in your home or office just by adding plants to the areas you spend the most time in.

Adding plants to your space can really soften a room or strike a mood. Hollow industrial spaces transform, and empty homes convert to become full of life. There are tropical indoor plants with a wide variety of colours from lime green to red and violet hues. Big bushy tropical plants create a natural style, while tall and angular tropicals build a stately and modern look.

Whether you’re looking for an air-quality booster, workplace pick-me-up, or beautiful design elements, tropicals and succulents are truly an excellent choice.

Create a zen mood in your home or office with a lush green planter. Our DIY video will have you planting in no time!