It’s May, and in DC that means summer is officially here. Hordes of interns running around, all tarted up on the Metro, thinking they can be the next Jessica Cutler. If you’re lucky enough to have a job right now, you might look out the window (if you have one) and long for those bygone days of having some sort of “summer break.”

While not quite as good a pick-me-up as quitting your job and retiring to Europe, you can add some greenery to your workspace. OK, I’ll admit this isn’t even as good a pick-me-up as stashing a bottle of Bourbon in your desk. Well, you can hide some airplane bottles in the plant.

Adding plants to your workspace (at the office, or at home) is about more than just aesthetics. Plants give off oxygen, and some have the ability to filter out pollutants. Even moderately-sized plants can make a difference in air quality. A Peace Lily, for example, removes Benzene, Formaldeyhde and Trichlorethylene from the air. Also, unlike air purifiers, plants are silent. You can also then make claims of being green, which is popular these days.

I know, I know. You’ll say, “things die on my watch. I can’t be trusted. The plants will die.” Well, here’s a few suggestions for heartier plants that can survive your neglect. 

Jade Plant (”Money Plant”)- Crassula ovata

Popular for Bonzai, the Jade Plant is one hearty mother. This thing can live for a very long time, with little upkeep. You should spend a little bit of time pruning it, but you don’t need to be any sort of master. It requires little water (10-20 day cycle, allow soil to dry in between watering) and thrives in soil that is rocky. Try mixing some topsoil with perlite, gravel, or bark chips. You can even put stones in there as well. 

Spider Plant- Chlorophytum comosum

Very popular houseplant. This doesn’t look nearly as cool as the Jade Plant, and you won’t need to develop a Bonzai obsession. This plant can make it by on weekly watering, and can survive a while even if you forget. This plant is also a good performer at removing pollutants from indoor air. It can remove 96% of carbon monoxide from the air. It also can remove Xylene and Formaldehyde.

Chinese Evergreen- Aglaonema modestum

Don’t overwater this one (”not a problem!”). The Chinese evergreen is another popular houseplant, because it thrives in moderate/warm temperatures and low-light. This plant is also excellent for reducing indoor air pollution.

A few good places to purchase plants and accesories (planters, etc):

• Garden District: 1801 14th St NW (outdoor shop, indoor shop at 14th & Church NW)
• Glover Park Hardware: 2251 Wisconsin Ave NW
• Frager’s Hardware: 115 Pennsylvania Ave SE

A few places to find interesting/funky planters are Rite Aid and Target. Anthropologie also has some planters, which may be a bit more expensive. Also, all of the “few cool hardware stores” locations (Logan, Glover, Tenleytown and CityVista) have a good selection of planters.

You might want to also check out the AquaGlobe if you feel you might kill your plant by not watering it.