My Climate Change Garden

Bringing green spaces to London’s offices

Lunch at the desk has never been healthier as more and more offices in the capital embrace the grow your own revolution.Creating work spaces that are healthy, relaxing and green, yet also conducive to increasing productivity are becoming paramount to many employers.

Research has shown that plants reduce carbon dioxide levels in offices, improve the air quality, increase staff energy levels and productivity. Plants also release moisture into the air, absorb heat and noise and help to absorb harmful substances from computers, printers and other machinery that is often present in offices. Over a longer period, many companies notice a decrease in staff sickness and stress levels

There are a number of new ideas supporting this interest in growing edible plants in or near offices – here are just two that caught my attention:

Rocket Gardens

Planting a Rocket Garden in your office or outside area is an easy and quick way to get growing even with no experience and little space.Creating a relaxing plant-filled space where staff can sit during their lunch breaks or even hold informal meetings is excellent for morale. http://www.rocketgardens.co.uk/

Living Office

The Living Office features a resplendent living wall with a system that grows a salad for lunch, including strawberries, tomatoes, mint and chives. A fish tank acts as a grey water filtration system to feed the plants and a compost bin recycles waste whilst providing ambient heating to the work space.

http://www.efig.eu.com/press-release-the-living-office-at-chelsea