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

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

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).

Our conclusion is that we are living up to our name:  The Personal Plant Service is providing quality work with a personal touch.

Below is a detailed summary of the results of our survey, please feel free to leave us any comments you have.  We are always striving to serve our clients the best way we can, so any feedback is always welcome at the Personal Plant Service.

~ Highlighted in BLUE are our top scores!  (the ratings are based out of 5 total)

OUR PEOPLE

Poor ~ Fair ~ Good ~ Superior ~ Exceptional ~ Rating

Professionalism                     0%       0%      2.2%       20%              77.8%           4.76

Plant Skills & Knowledge      0%        0%      2.2%      23.9%            73.9%           4.72

Tech’s communication          0%        0%      4.3%      23.9%             71.7%           4.67

Account left in good order    0%        0%      6.7%      26.7%             66.7%           4.60

Courteous & Friendly           0%         0%     0%        13%                  87%              4.87

OUR PRODUCTS

Poor ~ Fair ~ Good ~ Superior ~ Exceptional ~ Rating

Cleanliness & Health of          0%    0%      8.7%      34.8%              56.5%        4.48                your plants

Quality of plants &                  0%    0%      6.5%      28.3%               65.2%        4.59             containers  offered

Current design achieves         0%    0%      8.7%      30.4%              60.9%         4.52             desired results

Timely color rotations            0%    2.4%    9.8%      24.4%              63.4%         4.49

OUR PERFORMANCE

Poor ~ Fair ~ Good ~ Superior ~ Exceptional ~ Rating

Service is personalized        0%     0%       0%         28.3%              71.7%         4.72            and meets your needs

Quality of service                  0%     0%       0%         37%                  63%           4.63           meets expections

Timely response to              2.2%   0%      0%        21.7%                 76.1%        4.70            requests

Overall performance            0%     0%       0%         26.7%              73.3%         4.73

PUBLIC RELATIONS

1.  How likely are you to refer Personal Plant Service to a friend or relative?  Would you say the chances are:

Excellent        76.2%

Very Good      21.4%

Good              2.4%

Fair                  0%

Poor                0%

2.  May we use you as a reference?

Yes                   95.2%

No                    4.8%

As you can see from these results, we were thrilled to know that our customers feel that we are doing our job as Interior Plantscapers in Orange County exceptionally and living up to our name.

The highest compliment our customers give is to recommend us to family and friends, and 95% who responded said they would refer our service to others.  We are always interested in any referrals and would love to enhance your family or friends home or office.  Please let us know how we can help make more environments clean and beautiful places you’ll love to be!