A recent study has found that bosses looking to quickly increase productivity should ditch those brainstorming meetings and instead invest in office plants. Let’s fall off our chairs in surprise! This study, led by Cardiff University’s School of Psychology found that adding plants to an otherwise spartan desk boosted a worker’s productivity by 15 per cent, and challenges the ‘lean philosophy’ which holds that stark, uncluttered spaces are best for concentration – hello? Who came up with that brilliant concept? Well, the friendly and innovative team at Give Plants will gladly claim it for themselves!

I know which atmosphere would boost my productivity and ‘spartan’ ain’t it. Give me any day a beautiful flowering plant or delicious cool green fulsomeness beside me on my desk, and my productivity will tear off the radar, and this is where the beautiful living plants from Give Plants come in. How about a gorgeous living citrus plant? Think fresh lemon or a lime tree, known for their refreshing and cleansing properties. A living gift of citrus comes with the added bonus of the fabulous scent of citrus flowers – who wouldn’t work harder when surrounded by the scent of lemons and limes?

Our everyday environment has changed dramatically over the last few hundred years but our genetic make-up has not and the addition of just a few plants to interiors just makes us feel good - quite apart from their aesthetic appeal. Over the last few years there has been a wealth of scientific research into the benefits of interior plants, some of which you may find surprising. The process by which plants grow, known as photosynthesis, has been well known for many years. One result of this process is that plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen which naturally refreshes the air we breathe and that just sounds like a fabulous idea for our office desk right off!

Previous studies have shown that the presence of plants can lower physiological stress, increase attention span and improve well-being. It directly challenges the widely accepted business philosophy that a lean office with clean desks is more productive. Please have a look at the beautiful plants on the website where Give Plants have designed their own corrugated cardboard boxes made from 68% recycled paper, and the rest is from sustainable trees grown in New Zealand. The boxes are fully recyclable and are designed to protect the plant during delivery by locking it in place. Each plant is placed inside a plastic bag that is secured to prevent soil loss and to retain the moisture that the plant needs.

Once your boss sees how happy you are in your workplace it will be easy to convince him invest in his business by investing in plants from Give Plants.