The Best Corporate Gardening Gifts for Nature-Loving Teams

The concrete jungles of office buildings often leave employees disconnected from nature – but don't overlook the power of corporate gardening gifts. Research consistently shows that incorporating greenery into workplace environments doesn't just enhance aesthetics, it transforms how people work, feel, and interact.

Whether you're a small startup looking to nurture company culture or a multinational business seeking sustainable corporate gifting, plants can elevate your workplace environment while reinforcing your brand values. Here's how something as simple as a bag of seeds can become your most powerful tool for employee performance and wellbeing.

Why Gift Office Plants?

Research has shown that employees surrounded by plants perform better than their plant-deprived peers. The maths is simple: less stress plus happier employees equals more productivity. And these aren’t just minor improvements; we're talking game-changing performance boosts that directly hit your bottom line.

Even the most modern, sleek, and energy-efficient offices can quietly sap your team's energy. The problem? Sick Building Syndrome. Poor indoor air quality is caused by recycled air and hidden toxins from furniture, carpets, and paint. These invisible pollutants can lead to headaches, fatigue, and, in severe cases, even respiratory issues.

Plants are your secret weapon. They don't just sit around looking pretty; they're working overtime scrubbing the air of formaldehyde, benzene, and other nasties. Indoor plants like peace lilies, snake plants, and pothos act as natural air purifiers – they help create a fresher, healthier, and more inspiring place to work.

Top Sustainable Gardening Gift Options

Whether your goal is to boost desk appeal or encourage outdoor breaks, these eco-friendly gardening options are thoughtful, low-maintenance, and surprisingly fun. Better yet, each has been given a stamp of approval by the Ethical Gift Box team.

Plant Growing Kit: This all-in-one kit transforms plant-killers into confident growers overnight. Each kit comes with perfectly measured compost, seeds, and idiot-proof instructions. You can even add your branding to the pot.

Seedbom: Nobody can resist a little bit of Guerrilla gardening – these are great for encouraging employees to take home. Pull the pin and watch these boms explode into beautiful flowers. The packaging is totally biodegradable and will only leave the plant behind.

Desktop Cube Garden: This isn't just another plant pot. These eye-catching cubes deliver serious desk appeal. A great option for both offices or remote workers.

Seed Sticks: We think they’re genius. What are they? Tiny biodegradable sticks containing seeds that grow once pierced into the soil. They’re possibly the easiest way to cultivate a tiny office garden.

Seedpaper Coaster: We love these for events. Add your company branding, use throughout the day, and then remind your guests to take them home and plant them. You can choose between a variety of plant options, too.

Our Top Choice: Seedballs

If you’re not sure where to start, seedballs are one of our top sellers thanks to their easy-to-plant nature. They’re great if you have an outdoor space in your office or you want to gift them to employees.

These clay-encased poppy Matchbox Seedballs deliver dramatic red blooms with zero effort – just toss them into the soil and remember to water occasionally. The outer layer stops cheeky birds from nibbling and breaks down as the plant begins germinating.

Likewise, these Thank You Seedballs make a wonderful gift for both employees and clients. Each box contains a mix of Purple Loosestrife, Forget-me-not, Musk mallow, Red Campion, and Yarrow, plus a sprinkling of pollinator-friendly annuals, Chamomile, Cornflower, Corn marigold, and Night-flowering catchfly.

Or, for something extra special, opt for a branded Seedball Tin. Choose between Bees, Butterflies, Sky Meadow, Urban Meadow, Cloud Meadow, Poppy, Cornflower, or Oxeye Daisy.

Ready to give your office a makeover? Browse our full selection of sustainable plants and gardening gifts.

How to (Actually) Keep Office Plants Alive

Even the most beautiful offices don't compare to a tropical paradise. Between blasting AC, dry heat that could mummify a cactus, and those weekend hours when nobody's watering anything, it's no wonder office plants struggle to thrive. 

But there are a few easy ways to combat this:

• Use self-watering planters or water reservoirs (like a watering globe or pebble tray) to keep roots hydrated – even if someone forgets to water them for a few days.
• Place plants near windows (but avoid harsh direct sunlight unless they’re sun lovers like succulents). Rotate them weekly so all sides get even light exposure and don’t lean.
• Office dust builds up fast. Gently wipe down leaves every couple of weeks so plants can “breathe” and photosynthesise properly.
• Nominate someone (or rotate weekly) to check on plants, especially before weekends or holidays. It’s easy to forget about them in the Friday dash out the door.
• Create plant clusters to generate micro-humidity zones that fight back against that soul-sucking dry air. Five plants huddled together create double the humidity of five scattered pots, and it makes them easier to manage.

Top Tip: On Friday afternoons, pop moisture-loving plants into the office bathroom where humidity levels remain higher even when the building's climate control goes into weekend eco-mode.

Final Tips for Corporate Plant Gifting

Don't just create a standalone plant initiative – it’s unlikely to work, and by week three your plants will be chucked in the bin. Instead, integrate green elements into existing frameworks. For example, complement your onboarding process with a welcome plant for new hires' desks or improve yawn-worthy training sessions by hosting them in plant-enhanced spaces.

Remember that your approach also needs to be customisable:

• For hybrid workplaces, focus on resilient plant species that thrive with irregular attention patterns.
• For companies with remote workers, consider sending branded desk plants to create shared experiences across teams.

It might seem simple, but plants can actually be a strategic investment in employee wellbeing and company culture. You can transform ordinary office spaces into environments where both people and plants thrive.

Need more inspo? Search the full Ethical Gift Box collection to find your next sustainable gift.