Not all commercial spaces lend themselves to large landscaped gardens or even outdoor spaces. This doesn’t mean that your office shouldn’t have some greenery or some form of a garden (a vertical garden is a good example), especially considering the benefits of a green environment for employees.
Having said that, if space is at a premium or if you and your team are too busy to care for a full-on garden, container gardening might be just the thing for you. Whether you want to enjoy fresh plants or flowers indoors, or spruce up an open plan office or boring terrace, container gardening is an easy, efficient way to green your office space. And you can get your staff involved too.
Top tips for starting your own container garden at work
1. Consider your pots
While the exact material of a pot isn’t necessarily a factor in creating a successful container garden, your choice of pots can affect the look and feel of your space. Choose a pot style that will fit with your current office décor. Also, a general rule – the larger the pot, the better for a more stable environment – large pots retain moisture and provide nutrients for longer.
2. No crowds, please
It might be tempting to plant a number of plants in one container, right on top of each other, for a full look but this will just stress the plants and cause growing and blooming problems. Rather, space and fertilise them properly (this is true of any size garden!) to give them a chance to flourish. Container plants do not have access to the space and nutrients they would receive in Nature so you will need to provide those to ensure your garden thrives.
3. Light things up
Plants need light to grow – it’s as simple as that. Natural daylight is best so try to position your container garden close to windows and natural light sources. Keep an eye on your plants and move them around to avoid burning or excessive sun exposure. And it’s a good idea to group sun-loving plants together and low light plants together for maximum growth.
4. Water, water often
While many different plants can do well in containers, container plants are more susceptible to temperature changes than ground plants and they tend to dry out quickly. Don’t forget to water them often and well (and allow for proper drainage) to ensure a happy, healthy garden.
5. Get expert advice
Container gardening for a corporate space can be a time-consuming and sometimes frustrating undertaking, especially at the start. Rather than spending your time trying to figure out the best form of container garden for your office, hire a professional landscaper to do the work for you and simply enjoy the results.
At Ecobalance, we use our expertise and experience to create and maintain a variety of indoor or outdoor green spaces. No matter how big or small, we’d love to help you with yours! From professional corporate garden maintenance to corporate and commercial landscaping on a grand scale, let us know what you need and we’ll get the job done.