Most of us toil in the garden. We place and select plants with a purpose in mind. We plant mostly for ornamental reasons. Plants simply look great in our urban landscapes. However, we do plant plants with other purposes in mind too. We often plant for privacy, and most of us like to plant for culinary satisfaction, whether it be herbs, or vegetables.

Plants give us so much. They make us feel better about ourselves, stimulate our taste buds and create beautiful indoor and outdoor spaces. Oh yes and how silly of me forgetting that all plants give us life giving oxygen! Recent studies have proved that some plants work harder for us even still.

NASA, those guys that are usually preoccupied with blasting stuff and people into outer space, built what they called a "Bio Home" back in the late 1980's. It was a 45 foot simulation of a home. They crammed it full of furniture and some chosen plants. What they found is some plants not only make life giving oxygen, some, not all, actually removed toxins from the air.

Now I don't want to sound like an alarmist but our homes and offices are packed full with truly harmful toxins. Just about every synthetic carpet, office chair, sofa, anything made with particle board and paper products containing UF resins. Wax paper, grocery bags, and even facial tissue all contain formaldehyde, not to mention house hold paints, glue, plastics rubber, inks and oils.

OK! I'll stop, you get the picture; we have surrounded ourselves in everyday life with toxic harmful stuff, so much so we now as a society have a name for it.' Sick Building Syndrome'.

However I do sleep a little easier in my now coined sick bedroom knowing a select few, strong and beautiful house plants are laying down their life for us, capturing such ugly toxins as the mentioned Formaldehyde, Benzene and Trichloroethylene. The ugly toxic trio.

The following is a list of the 'good guys' that will attack what that trio of 'bad guys' spill and seep into our homes and offices everyday.

Philodendron, common ivy (hedra) Dracena, Janet Craig, Warneckii and red leaf dracena. Spathiphyllum peace lily, Gerbera Daisy, Chamaedorea bamboo palm and Aglaonema or Chinese evergreen.

These good guys are ready to be deployed and do battle for you at local garden shops. Specify 6" pots or larger. I prefer 10" containers for this kind of unseen enemy. 10 plants strategically placed in 2,000 square area will do nicely.

Oh, you maybe asking yourself what are the documented symptoms of Sick Building Syndrome mmm...Itchy throat and eyes, headaches, dizziness, weakness, swelling of joints and asthma. Sound familiar?

Now you too can breathe easier and safer in your own home or office with some absolutely stunningly beautiful quiet and strong hero's from the plant kingdom!