Spring and the Office
The days are getting longer, the temperature continues to rise, which signals the arrival of spring. As you drive around your neighborhood and to and from work you will see green leaves on trees, perennials staring to make their return, and blooming flowers everywhere. We are all spending more time outside and getting more sun. There is only one problem, we still must go to work. However, there are ways to bring the excitement of this new season to work with us.
Bring the Outdoors Inside
The easy way to bring the spring vives to your desk is to get a plant for the office. This gives you a feeling of nature and comfort while you work. However, this could also be a death sentence to the plant. Different plants need different levels of light, different temperatures, different soil, and different humidity. A flowering potted plant in your office might look nice at first but will it withstand the test of time? Some plants will and others will not, and this can be predicted based on the species of plant you buy. Do not make a rash decision. Take a few days to assess where you would put your plant and what type of conditions that space has. Next take that information and either do some research or consult an expert. Once that is done, make a quality decision and make sure to follow up with proper maintenance and care routines.
Taking it to the Next Level
Another way to embrace the spring feeling is to come up with and plan a collaborative project. Is there an area outside your office that can be decorated? If there is no soil, is there a place where some planting pots would make sense? If so, ask your boss if they would allow sprucing up the office with some planting décor. This can be a big project, but you might not be the only one interested in acting. Ask your coworkers if anyone else would be interested in working with you to plant and care for the proposed garden. You can even start a garden group at work if you think the situation calls for it. We spend a lot of time at work so there is no reason why we should not take pride in its organic decorations like we do with our homes.
Do Not Forget About Yourself
Working to improve the atmosphere of the workplace is important, but not as important as maintaining your own home. The entrances to our homes, our patios, and any other spaces we care for matter. They reflect upon us and our personal work ethic. It does not matter if you pay to have your lawn done or if you do the work yourself, what matters is you take pride and responsibility for the results. Everyone wants to have the nicest lawn, garden, patio, or curb appeal but those who put in the work get the best results. Maintaining a landscape or a garden does not have to be a lot of work, but it does require some. Routine maintenance like weeding, trimming, treating, feeding, and watering can be done with minimal effort assuming it is done on a schedule. Procrastinating only makes the job harder in the long run so it is best to stay on top of your landscaping with diligence and effort.
The most important rule when working with plants and gardens is to make sure you are having fun. When it becomes a chore, and you lose the motivation to stay on top of it you must spend a few minutes assessing your situation. Can you lighten the load by planting less or can you enlist some aid? Did you overdo it initially and do you need to reduce what you have? The answers to these questions are situational, but do not forget to consider them. We want to enjoy the outdoors and springtime without losing the joy that it brings.