A few days ago, we shared some links to interesting ways in which designers are bringing the outdoors inside with herbal architecture and indoor greenery in general. Since the benefits of interior foliage are plentiful, we’re delving a little deeper and sharing some more points of inspiration from places that are applying forward-thinking methods to the practice.

In that post, we shared a photo of Artaqua’s self-watering “green wall,” and today’s first image is of a “moving hedge” by a company called Greenworks, whose products (as shown above) require a bit more maintenance than Artaqua’s wall, but not by much; the hedge column only requires watering once every five weeks.

The benefits of abundant indoor greenery are multiple: chief among them are consistent air purification, a visually calming effect, and muted acoustic resonance. Within the nursing home industry, for instance, there’s even a movement called Pioneer Practices which involves infusing long-term care homes with pets and plants based on the fact that the constant presence of plant and animal life boosts residents’ overall mood, health and quality of care.

And the principle doesn’t just apply to commercial spaces and group homes, either; it’s applicable in any given suburban home or city loft. For the craftiest among us, Instructables.com offers tutorials on creating gorgeous green displays for an interior space, going beyond mere potted plants and vases of flowers but stopping short of full-on plantscaping, keeping it chic yet accessible for those of us under a time or budget crunch:

No southern exposure? No problem. Studio Shulab has developed an inventive lamp prototype incorporating plants and LED technology to aid in raising a miniature herb garden even in the darkest and most enclosed of spaces.

Even a few well-placed perennial plants can add life and color to a home, and the proliferation of design ideas from designers and do-it-yourself enthusiasts alike is staggering. “Going green” can start with one small step and easily turn into a giant leap after a few much-needed breaths of fresh air.

Photo credits: Greenworks, Linnea Beck, Instructables and Studio Shulab.

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