As you and your students approach the idea of greening your classroom to lift your winter spirits, take a moment to think about and discuss what life was like during the cool seasons before the advent of modern conveniences – like glass-paned windows, indoor plumbing, and electricity! In ancient days, people relied on candles and fireplaces for light during short winter days. Since water had to be hauled from outdoors and heated over a fire or stove, baths were few and far between. Deodorants and perfumes were in limited use. Ask students to imagine being there, stuck inside small houses and buildings for long periods of time. How do you think they reminded themselves of the beauty of spring and summer to bring joy to the winter days? They turned to evergreen plants for relief.

Ancient Greeks and Romans decorated their houses with boughs and wreaths of evergreens such as holly to symbolize nature and a promise of the spring to come. The practice became part of a winter festival called Saturnalia, which honored Saturn, the god of agriculture. The tradition continued through the centuries, and over time became associated with the Christmas holiday. Starting in Germany during the 1500′s, whole evergreen trees were placed indoors as a symbol of protection and immortality.

Regardless of the symbolism attached to the trees’ placement, there was a more practical side to greening. The evergreen swags brought life into dull winter households. Decorative items like paintings and mirrors were rare and expensive, but greens were provided by nature for free for everyone’s delight. Greens also added a fresh fragrance to stuffy indoor air. A precursor to scented candles and air fresheners, herbs such as rosemary were strewn on the floor so that a room would be filled with a pleasant aroma with every step.

Although technological advances have greatly reduced the unpleasantness associated with winter months, there’s nothing to replace the feelings evoked by plants, so we continue greening the indoors to enhance our quality of life.

Decorating with Plants

Decorating with indoor plants also gives you a way to continue the gardening experience in your classroom and at home through winter months. Two main categories of greens are cut greens and potted plants.

Cut plants, such as evergreen branches, have been detached from their roots. Some deciduous branches like forsythia and pussy willows are also fun to bring in, as the move to the indoor climate will force spring buds to open early. Although branches can be placed in water to extend their freshness, as soon as you cut them from a tree, the clock begins to tick on their lifespan. As they dry, the cuttings begin to loose their leaves and needles along with their pleasant aroma.

Potted plants, on the other hand, continue to draw nutrients and water from the soil in their pots and provide more lasting benefits. A challenge with potted plants is finding varieties that thrive in the lower light indoors. During much of history, potted plants were reserved for the very rich, who could afford to build glasshouses or conservatories. But the discovery and propagation of tropical plants that thrive in the shady understory of rainforests, the invention of electricity and artificial lighting, and the addition of more windows to buildings have made potted plants an affordable option for all.

Benefits of Indoor Plants

While our ancestors knew it was nice to have greenery indoors, these days we can do scientific research that actually quantifies what having plants around does for us.

Plants brighten the decor and create a nurturing environment. Whether we recognize it or not, we respond positively to green. Being surrounded by the green of nature helps to relax us, inspires peaceful thoughts, and decreases feelings of stress. Studies also show that plants can help in the healing process, with faster recovery rates for patients who have views of nature. Check out these research findings:

• People are more relaxed when viewing green landscapes vs. an urban scene. (Ulrich, R.S., and R.F. Simons. 1986. Recovery from stress during exposure to everyday outdoor environments. p. 115-122. In: J. Wineman, R. Barnes, and C.Zimring (eds.). The Costs of Not Knowing. Proceedings of 17th Annual Conference of the Environmental Research and Design Association, Washington, D.C.)
• The presence of plants in a room increases attention and reduces stress. (Lohr, V.I., C.H. Peason-Mims, and G.K. Goodwin. 1996. Interior plants may improve worker productivity and reduce stress in a windowless environment. Journal of Environmental Horticulture. 14:97-100.)
• Students perform better when the view from their room is dominated by plants vs. buildings and pavement. (Tennessen, C.M., and B. Cimprich. 1995. Views to nature: Effects on attention. Journal of Environmental Psychology. 15:77-85.)
• Patients in hospitals recover more quickly and experience less pain if their rooms look out onto trees rather than on a building. (Ulrich, R.S. 1984. View through a window may influence recovery from surgery. Science 224:420-421.)

Plants clean the air. It’s not just that plants absorb the carbon dioxide we exhale and give us fresh air to breathe in return; they’re also extremely effective at removing environmental toxins, like formaldehyde and benzene, from the atmosphere.

The ability of houseplants to clean the air has been recognized for decades. How do they do it? As part of their normal life processes, plants draw air in through their leaves. The plants themselves break down some pollutants during their normal physiological processes, but soil-dwelling microbes around plant roots do much of the work, too.

What plants absorb makes them great companions, but what they give off is helpful, too. Plants transpire water vapor, making them natural room humidifiers, and even though they grow in soil, they can reduce the amount of interior dust by up to 20 percent, according to research from Virginia Tech. Dr. B.C. Wolverton discovered that they emit substances that suppress airborne bacteria and mold spores, reducing these hazards by 50 to 60 percent.
In the 1970s and ‘80s, NASA research aimed at designing a livable moon base using plants to clean the air yielded results that are applicable right here at home. Some of the best living air purifiers are areca palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens), English ivy (Hedera helix), rubber plant (Ficus robusta), Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata), schefflera (Brassaia actinophylla), and bamboo palm (Chamaedorea sefritzii).

Caring for hardy houseplants is easy — we explain how in our article Basic Indoor Plant Care. For our top plant picks for schools, see Easy Classroom Houseplants.