We pride ourselves on our motto: ‘We use plants creatively to enrich people, places and spaces’

With a new quarter and Blue Monday around the corner we decided we’d really like to focus on people, their wellness and the role nature plays in it in 2020.

Wellness in the workplace has been hitting headlines, with almost half a million people in the UK suffering from work-related stress at a level that makes them feel ill. According to Bupa, stress in the workplace is caused when demands at work exceed how much you feel you can cope with. Over 11 million working days are lost each year because of work-related stress, and stress can contribute to conditions including anxiety and depression.

We continue to be passionate about the role of nature in mental health and wellbeing. Spending time in nature, or even viewing scenes of nature reduces anger, fear, and stress and increases pleasant feelings. And whilst we can’t all sneak off for a walk on the beach or a hit the hills for a leisurely ramble on a Monday morning, exposure to nature, in this case, through our peace lily plant giveaway, not only makes people feel better emotionally but it also contributes to physical wellbeing. This is achieved by reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones. Isn’t it incredible?

So we seized the opportunity to flip the controversial Blue Monday on it’s head. By offering a quality potted plant, a smile and a little conversation we aimed to made it a day to celebrate instead!

In preparation to Turn Blue Monday Green, the Benholm team sprung into action, and the greenhouse was a hive of activity to get the peace lilies packaged, packed and loaded on time. At 7am the vans were ready to go, headed for the city centres and we got ready to hit the streets!

As swathes of commuters left Haymarket and Central station heading for the office they were more than happy to stop, have a quick chat and pick up one of our lovely peace lilies. We even had a queue!

Commuters were delighted to be surprised, with one tweeting:

Was genuinely feeling a bit down this morning because it is my last day working at @HistEnvScot @welovehistory. This peace lily cheered me up. What a great idea @BenholmGroup #plantsforwellness #turnbluemondaygreen
@Miami_Delights

And in a flash they were all gone. We even received messages throughout the day asking if we’d be back at home time!

Edinburgh Live praised the initiative in their daily newspaper edition: https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/blue-monday-free-plants-being-17595959

With studies proving that plants improve concentration and productivity (by up to 15%), reduce stress levels, and boost mood, whether your plants enhance home or work space (hopefully both) we hope you enjoy the benefits.

And keep your eyes peeled, we’re on a journey and we’ll aim to keep surprising you

The Benholm Team