Indoor plants have been proven to provide a host of physical and psycological benefits for office workers, but can be tricky to keep alive indoors. Ambius, the experts in interior plants, offer some tips on keeping your office greenery in tip top condition all year round.

Harvard biologist EO Wilson coined the term "biophilia" to explain man's inborn response to nature and "his urge to affiliate with other forms of life". People naturally gravitate towards places that include elements found in the natural environment, so it makes sense to incorporate these elements into the office, says Wilson. When people have a closer connection with the natural world, they feel and perform better.

Research backs Wilson up; the right kind of office plants in the right space can do wonders for your colleagues' motivation and productivity, as well as improve the perceptions your clients and guests have of your business premises.

At Ambius, a division of Rentokil Initial and worldwide leader in the design, supply, installation and maintenance of indoor plants, we belive that this equates to a worthwhile investment in colleagues and your business. But keeping interior plants can be tricky. Ambius, the experts in interior landscaping, offers the following tips to ensure that your office plants look beautiful all year round:

Top 10 office plant greening tips from Ambius:

1. Avoid annoying little flies! Do not tip left-over tea and coffee in your plant containers. The sugars left in the compost make it an ideal breeding ground for sciarid flies.

2. Use trough planters or Ambius GreenWalls as natural screens. They reduce noise and are useful as barriers to seperate walkways, define areas and create privacy.

3. One of the common causes of death is over-watering. If in doubt, leave it to Ambius, the experts!

4. Your office plants need water, light and warmth to survive. When you're off on holiday, don't forget about your green friends. Make sure that someone else knows to keep the blinds open and to give them a regular watering.

5. Peat-free compost is suitable for all your indoor plants. Contact your local nursery for an excellent peat-free alternative.

6. Variegated plants (featuring leaves with white edges or white flecks) often need more light than their green cousins. Keep them nearer to a window so that they can get all the light that they need.

7. Plants acclimatise slowly to different surroundings by charging their leaf orientation and structure. If you can, try not to move your office plants around too often, as they might not adapt as easily as you think.

8. Plants reduce stress, improving relaxation levels.

9. You can still have plants even if space is at a premium. Some of the latest designs use tall plant containers to show off the plants, whilst taking up as little floor space as possible. Ambius also offers beautiful desk bowls, penjings and silk flowers for areas where floor space is really not available.

10. Regualrly prune your indoor plants to stop them becoming too 'leggy'. Once they've lost the foilage on their lower branches, it is very difficulty to het it to return.

For areas which are too dark to sustain plant life, Ambius has a range of replica office plant solutions available. Ambius also offers a stunning range of botonical Art on Canvas prints available on rental basis and guaranteed to brighten up the gloomiest of corners.

For more information on how to green up your interior environment, for interior design ideas for your office, or for a free survey by one of our plant design consultants, contact Ambius on 0800 77 77 88or visit www.ambius.co.za

About Rentokil Initial:

The Rentokil Initial group specialise in pest control, hygiene services, and interior landscaping for businesses across the globe. Using leading-edge, environmentally-friendly technology, their experts deliver a wide range of tailored services to businesses of all kind. As the leader in the interior plantscaping industry, Ambius posesses over 30 years of experience in providing office plant solutions around the world. All of their products are designed to add to the aesthetic appeal of the workplace whilst improving the well-being of employees.