SALLY SPATHIPHYLLUM // THE BEST AIR PURIFYING INDOOR PLANT

Zen Your Desk ebook from Anita Byrne at Employment Insight. Grab a copy here.

Whether its been my desk at work, or now, at home, I'm all about pimping my work space. Lately, it's also been about creating a space of positivity, calm, creativity, zen - all those crazy things. I almost always have a tealight and essential oil burning; also present are your more kookster items like my lumps of rose quartz and amethyst crystals - but that's a story for another day.

Last Thursday morning I decided to do something I never do and walked around the corner to treat myself with a coffee to get in the mood for job applications. Well, I have been known to be sensitive to coffee but this cup made me high as a kite from 10 til 5. Not pleasant. I couldn't sit still so I went for a drive and literally chased a rainbow all the way to Bunnings, and bought myself a plant for the "office".

Possibly the most amazing rainbow I have ever seen - it was a full arc, and a double, against a stormy steel-grey sky. And, errr, the Maccas/Bunnings carpark.

Actually, the plant wasn't an impromptu purchase. I'd received the aforementioned  'Zen Your Desk' guide and it got me thinking about the benefits of having indoor plants, including clearing the air and filling it with freshness, removing indoor pollutants and chemical toxins, softening the surrounding space, and of course, having that connection to nature. At one of my past office jobs I went so far as to bring a plant to work from home. People may think you're cray, but who cares? I think it's cray to be stuck inside all day.

According to this handy chart from the NASA Clean Air Study (yeah, bitches: NASA) the Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum) ticks all the boxes when it comes to air purification. I cross-referenced with this pictorial guide to air purifying indoor plants and discovered that the Peace Lily is also extremely easy to care for, requiring very little light or water. Perfect for the office, and perfect for not having to ask your boyfriend to keep the greenery alive while you're out of town.

Sally Spathiphyllum now has pride of place in the corner of the office. Air quality aside, she really is a mood lifter! If you're in the market for some indoor plant therapy, I picked up Sally for $15 at Bunnings and she had plenty of luscious sisters. Peace out. x