The lectures that I attended were very informative, motivating, and had my brain thinking of new ways to improve upon not only my job but the entire company I work for.  My favorite one was about using the iPad as a business tool, I am a firm believer that a company should utilize all of the new technology that It can, it’s proven to boost sales, engage interest, and it makes you look like even more a professional when you can present something to the client that they can visualize and create changes to immediately if needed.

I was also very motivated and inspired by the keynote speaker, Mark Hoog who encouraged all of the attendees to find the leader within you as a person.  What struck me about the presentation is that it wasn’t directed to just us as a plantscape community, it was directed to everyone, no matter what you wanted to do or were doing.  He inspired the audience to always be true to yourself and your passions no matter what they may be and use that as a catalyst to unlock and create a leadership role for yourself to motivate, encourage, and inspire others to obtain the most out of their jobs not only in work but in life as well.

The last thing that I learned at the expo was actually something I never even thought of this whole time that I have been working for a plant company and that is, that there are other businesses and people out there just like me.  It was so refreshing to hear stories from other people within the plant world, not just technicians, but vendors, business owners, next generation horticulturists, and plant lovers.  I was able to get a whole other view on my job and I learned that it’s not just about my company, it’s about everyone as a whole, we all make up this beautiful industry and each of us keep it beautiful by coming together to share ideas, stories, and lessons that we can reflect back on the world.

Written By: Michael Dykhoff ~ Interior Plant Technican for Personal Plant Service in Orange County

WHERE: South Coast Plaza’s SPRING GARDEN SHOW

This event will be held at South Coast Plaza Crate and Barrel / Macy’s Home Store Wing

3333 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa
Free Admission and Parking
800.782.8888

WHEN: April 30, 2011 from 7:00pm – 8:00pm

Please arrive early, to find parking and to give yourself time to find the location of the seminar.  If you’ve ever been to the Spring Garden Show before, you know that this is a huge event with a lot to see.   So, also give yourself time to look around at all the plants, installments and vendors; you won’t regret it!

For more information, visit South Coast Plaza’s Spring Garden Show website, here

WHERE: The Plant Stand 2972-A Century Place
Costa Mesa, California 92626-4324 (cross street Baker and Bear)

WHEN: Saturday, March 12, 2011

TIME: 10:00am – 11:00am

COST: FREE!

]]> http://www.personalplantservice.com/deb-ringler-presents-the-best-plants-to-breath-by/feed/ 0 http://www.personalplantservice.com/personal-plant-servie-newsletter/ http://www.personalplantservice.com/personal-plant-servie-newsletter/#comments Wed, 23 Feb 2011 06:21:53 +0000 mmorita http://www.personalplantservice.com/?p=1122

Well we hope you have caught your breath from the holidays, put away all your decorations and are ready to head into another year.  We wanted to get this newsletter to you sooner, but we have been busy helping you take your decorations down and replacing all your poinsettias with fresh color for the New Year.  In fact if we remain as busy as we have been the last 3 weeks, it is going to be a great year.  Despite the challenging economy, we have continued to get new customers and  instead of cutting corners we have remained  committed to providing our clients with quality service, creative designs and educating the public at large on the benefits of plants. Both Miko and Deb are certified within the industry for Interior Landscaping and this last month we had to gather all our hours to renew our certification which requires a minimum of 24 hours of continued education.  Our entire crew ended up having well over 150 hours combined in attending seminars, speaking and educating people of all ages and volunteering our time to benefit others, and having a lot of fun in the process! Some of my personal highlights were:

Presenting “Unlocking the Interior Plant Maze” at Rogers Gardens in the spring.

Going on a visit to Roger’s after the beach one day as a young teenager inspired me to explore the Horticulture field.  Having the opportunity to do a presentation 30 years later was a full circle moment for me!
In June the Special Olympics comes to Cal State Long Beach and Miko and I have loved volunteering at the Toyota Village  Pot-a-Plant booth these last several years together.  For more details check out an article Miko wrote, HERE or in our Therapy Section under Pot-A-Plant we have a bunch of great photos.

In July we had two opportunities to expose young minds to the wonders of plants. We set up a booth at the Grand Opening for Living Green Nursery (formally Laguna Hills Nursery). We taught children visiting the booth how to transplant houseplants which they got to take home.  We also educated the parents about the actual health benefits plants can offer the interior environment. Then a week later we got to teach a small group of children at the Pacific Club Kid’s Camp about photosynthesis; we painted pots and transplanted plants.  See the video HERE.  We had a blast!

Lastly in the fall we attended Calscape our yearly industry convention in San Diego.  Miko entered the color bowl competition and won second place! I was so proud of her and grateful she received recognition among our peers for her amazing creativity!

We look forward to serving you again this year, and making your world a greener place to be!

In this fast paced technical age, employees are still a company’s  most valuable asset but they are also the most expensive. In terms of the cost per square foot, the human asset is 10 times more expensive than building operating costs, and nearly 100 times more than energy cost.  When a business  takes the steps to keep its human asset happy, everyone wins!

Our love for nature or Biophilia is now being recognized as an important factor when creating interior environments.  It is my hope in this short article that you will see more than just a plant the next time you enjoy the interior greenery that enhances your office space.

Employee Benefits

As an employee you may not be aware of the individual impact the plants in your interior environment are providing you.

1.  The installation of plants in an interior setting makes our everyday workplace a more desirable place to be. Having a pleasing environment gives us greater job satisfaction, and creates an atmosphere which inspire us and help us to be more creative and productive.

2.  Interior plants are natural air purifiers. In a NASA study interior plants were found to reduce airborne molds responsible for sick building syndrome in sealed office environments. Plants reduce the levels of carbon dioxide, increase relative humidity, reduce airborne dust leaves and reduce gassing levels of common interior pollutants such a  formaldehyde, benzene, and nitrogen dioxide.

3.  Interior plants reduce symptoms related to Sick Building Symptoms.  In a 2 year study in Norway in 1996 the following ailments:

Fatique  20% reduction
Headache  45% reduction
Sore/dry throats  30% reduction
Coughs  40% reduction
Dry facial skin  25% reduction

4.  It is widely known through the respected research that plants significantly lower work place stress.  Visual exposure to plant settings has produced significant recovery from stress within five minutes.

If you currently have an Interior Plant Service for your office, tell you Boss Thank You for providing for your well-being!!!

~The information shared above was gathered from two major sources.

The Green Plants for Green Buildings which is an international education and marketing operation dedicated to raising the awareness of the benefits of plants.
Their website http://www.greenplantsforgreenbuildings.org is full of articles and research.

The National Foliage Foundation is administered by the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape foundation and provides financial support for the foliage industry.
Their website is http://www.nationalfoliagefoundation.org

Kenita Palm - Good Luck, Success & Prosperity

In today’s economy, we can use any help we can get!  Feng Shui is the Chinese technique of arranging one’s possessions so that positive “chi” (energy) is in your home, office, or business. Some believe that by practicing Feng Shui, you will improve your health, increase your wealth and prosperity, develop better personal relations, and achieve your goals. Feng Shui is about balancing the elements of water, wood, fire, earth (soil), and metal. Plants are considered a wood element and that is what I am going to concentrate on in this article–using certain plants in certain areas to increase the positive energy around you.

Step 1:

Live plants encourage health, wealth, prosperity and contentment. Silk or artificial plants and flowers may be used if necessary. Never use dried flowers: These represent misfortune. Flowering plants are best, but dead

Peace Lily - cleans toxins in air

blooms must be immediately removed. Keep plants clean and trimmed. Never allow plants to get overgrown, as this encourages negative energy. Fresh cut flowers provide luck and good fortune. Never use a bonsai inside a home or office, as its stunted growth is a negative force.

Step 2:

Where plants are placed is very important. Only one plant in a bathroom.  Plants can backfire into bad luck in this location.  Lemon or orange trees near the entrance to a house bring prosperity.  Place plants in the east or southeast corner of room to bring good luck. A large plant in the passage between the front and back door can result in better health and a greater ability to save money by slowing down air currents.  If you wish to become pregnant, avoid flowers in the bedroom and have a bowl of fruit instead, especially pomegranates.  Use flowering plants (especially red) in groups of three on a walkway to your front door.  Plants in groups of three promote prosperity. Tall plants should never be placed in the middle of a room.

Step 3:

Philodendron - Money!

Plants used in Feng Shui must have a certain type of leaf.  Use plants with round leaves that look like coins. Avoid plants with spikey, pointed, or rigid leaves inside your house or office.  Use plants with round floppy leaves to encourage a calm atmosphere.  Bushy plants keep the positive energy in the room. Thorny plants like cactus can be used outside as security, but not near the front door.  Hanging baskets provide softness.

Step 4:

Here is a list of some of the best Feng Shui plants for indoor use.  Many of them not only generate good luck by creating good chi (natural energy), but also have been shown by NASA to clean the air of harmful pollutants.

• Bamboo Palm (and all other palms): Good luck, success, prosperity.
• Rubber Trees: Calm, good fortune.
• Dracaena Janet Craig: Cleans the air of toxins.
• Peace Lily: Cleans the air of toxins.
• Ficus: Rounded leaf varieties.
• Philodendron: Money.
• Aspidistra: Strength.
• Orchid: Patience and endurance.
• Ivy: Softens, cleans air of toxins.
• Ferns: Softens.
• Fresh flowers and herbs: Positive energy and calm.
• Spider plant: Cleans the air of toxins.
• Lavender: Calm
• Mum: Happiness, cleans air of toxins.
• Jasmine: Friendship.

Many succulent plants come from the Tropics and Subtropics such as semi-deserts and high deserts, so they have a tolerance for surviving longer in dry conditions and little soil. This makes them low-maintenance, tolerant and easy to care for, perfect for the stress a home or office can take on a plant!  Succulents like bright indirect light indoors, if exposed to direct light they can sometimes sunburn.   Water these gems thoroughly, but let the soil completely dry before watering again.  Avoid soils with high organic content and stick with a fast-draining cactus mix.

There are so many uses for such a large family of plants from the Cactaceae Plant Family.  But as always, I have to give my two cents and let you know my personal favorite use of Succulents Indoors is in orchid arrangements.  They make the perfect pair not only visually, but also their light and water requirements are surprisingly similar.  A delicate Phalaenopsis (Moth) Orchid planted with trailing and rosette-formed succulents at the base of it’s graceful stem keep your eyes in a constant state of attention.  You can match the rainbow of colors that an orchid comes in with the equally colorful foliage of the succulents or create a sophisticated arrangement with a simple white orchid and succulents in various shades of green.   Mixing and matching is part of the fun and the possibilities are endless.

Other great ideas for Succulents Indoors:

• Dish gardens – create a miniature landscape of texture and form.
• Low table arrangements – Pick 1 variety of succulent and repeat it in small individual containers or a long thin container to give a modern appearance.
• The Vintage Look – Use soup cans or mason jars as containers for succulents and it will give your plants a rustic look.
• Modern Succulents – Plant succulents in a clear glass vase, it can be short or tall, but be sure to fill the vase with some charcoal at the bottom and sand or small pebbles at the top with soil in between.
• The Finishing Touch – don’t forget to top-dressed your creation with large or small stones, river pebbles, designer glass pieces (upscale nurseries carry this in various colors), black, white or colored sand, lava rocks or sea-shells for a beach feel (it’s amazing how much succulents looks like coral and sea anemones).