Benefits of Plants

Top 10 Benefits of Urban Trees

Top 10 Benefits of Urban Trees

Many people enjoy looking at trees, using photos of them as desktop backgrounds, or even occasionally planting one on Arbor Day (or when Keep Indianapolis Beautiful hosts a community tree planting in your neighborhood). While the general opinion is in favor of trees, we are sometimes hesitant to have them in urban or suburban settings near our homes and streets because we're intimidated by the damage they can cause or the effort they can require to maintain. In reality, a properly chosen and placed tree requires little maintenance after establishment.

Top 6 Reasons to Grow Edible Plants

Top 6 Reasons to Grow Edible Plants

The original motivation for cultivating plants was to produce food for survival and social stability. Humans and their gardens have come a long way since then. Throughout history, edible plants have woven in and out of the ornamental garden in different times and cultures. For most of us in the US today, aesthetics are the driving force in design, and we don't even consider edible plants unless we put them in a designated vegetable garden in the corner of the back yard.

Green for People: Real-Life Impacts of Nature

Green for People: Real-Life Impacts of Nature

Today we look at the big picture effects of nature on our bodies, minds, and communities. Some of these ideas can be traced back to the active ingredients we talked about last week, and others are more difficult to explain, but all are backed by solid research. People who live in greener environments experience such an extensive list of health benefits, I could dedicate an entire post to it.

Green for People: Why Nature Is Good for Us

Green for People: Why Nature Is Good for Us

People need plants. We learn from an early age that we need them to create oxygen and food. As it turns out, we also need them for healthy bodies, minds, and communities. Earlier this year a few of our employees went to a lecture organized by Keep Indianapolis Beautiful called "Green for People: The Essential Nature of Greenspace for Urban Residents". The speaker was a pioneer in the field of human interactions with the environment and has produced an impressive body of work.

Native Plants: Not Just for Hippies

Native Plants: Not Just for Hippies

In honor of Earth Day earlier this week, today we'll talk about native plants and how they benefit us. You may have heard the term "biodiversity", but you may not know a lot about what it means other than a vague sense that it might have something to do with the rain forest. At the simplest level, biodiversity is having a wide range of species in an ecosystem. It is essential for all environments, not just places we consider wild or natural. Not to sound overly dramatic, but maintaining biodiversity is one of the keys to maintaining all life on the planet.

Top 10 Benefits of Urban Trees

Top 10 Benefits of Urban Trees

We love trees! Many people enjoy looking at trees, using photos of them as desktop backgrounds, or even occasionally planting one on arbor day. Urban trees are important because they provide tremendous benefits to our environment, communities, health, and even economy. Below are just 10 benefits of urban trees.

Right Plant, Right Place: The Cardinal Rule of Planting Design

Right Plant, Right Place: The Cardinal Rule of Planting Design

The importance of picking the right plant for the right place is vitally important for your Indianapolis-area landscape. In fact, I'd probably consider it the single most important rule for all landscaping. Following the "right plant, right place" rule ensures that you enjoy your garden for years to come with fewer problems and expenses that you would face if you just found a plant you liked and put it where you have room in your yard.

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