Poinsettia season is over!!
On January 12th, the Plantz team celebrated a busy and successful poinsettia season with a delicious lunch and an inspiring Dale Carnegie presentation at the Sheraton Riverwalk....
...and then some fun and games at GameTime in Ybor City...
...and it was a great team-building outing, so we're planning more quarterly casual meetings in the future!
Almost any indoor environment can benefit from the addition of living plants. In homes, apartments, and condominiums, plants add year round warmth and beauty. Hotels, resorts and shopping centers and malls add living plants to provide a relaxing and pleasant environment. Commercial spaces including offices utilize plants to enhance the environment and increase productivity in the workforce.
Additionally, indoor plants can be used to divide spaces, direct traffic, enhance lighting conditions, create privacy and create more desirable views.
To succeed with your indoor plants, you must take care to select the right plant for the right situation. Selecting the right environment for the plant is critical and includes selecting the right plant for the right light, temperature and humidity. In addition to selecting the right plant for the environment, proper maintenance including watering and fertilization are key to successful integration of plants with your indoor space.
Optimium light levels are critical to healthy plants. Plants can generally be categorized into 3 light levels: 1. Low light 2. Medium Light and 3. High Light. Matching plants with locations that match the plant's light requirements is critical to the health and longevity of your indoor plants. Plants vary considerably in their light requirements. For example, plants such as the croton need direct sunlight, while philodendrons will grow under lower light intensities. If plants are not receiving enough light, their leaves may turn yellow and die.
Your interior plants should be protected from sudden temperature changes such as drafts or breezes from being near a window or exterior door. Most indoor plants will grow between 60 and 75 degrees F. Matching plants with humidity requirements similar to your space is another factor critical to your plants success. Keep in mind that most plants require a higher humidity than that of the average home. Keeping plants together is an excellent way to increase the humidity in your indoor environment.
Planning ahead can prevent many landscape problems whether you are beginning a new landscape project or renovating your existing landscape. The majority of landscape problems are the result of either selecting the wrong kind of plant for a location or from planting an unhealthy plant.
You must consider the characteristics of the site as well as the intended plant function. The first step in successful plant selection is careful evaluation and analysis of the site where your plants will be located. Evaluate the soil conditions, lighting conditions and any seasonal considerations.
The most important consideration and one most often overlooked is the evaluation of available space for your plants. Successful plant selection is dependent on the size and shape of your above-ground available space. To assist in the site evaluation, a scale drawing can be useful in the measurement of walls and eaves. You should be very careful to select plants for your landscape that will not outgrow the space on your site.
In addition to the above ground space analysis, be carefull to evaulate the space requirements in the ground. A common mistake to avoid is to put a large plant with a broad root zone in a narrow or confined planting bed.
Once you've decided on the type of plant, the actual plant selection warrants careful consideration. Selecting well grown plants includes and evaluation of the plants proportion. You should always select a plant that is average size relative to the container or the root system. Avoid the common mistake of selecting the largest plant, that may be root bound in the container or the smallest plant that may not have been in the container long enough.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity".
Given the WHO definition of health, what is the role of plants in the enhancement of human health?
Plants have been shown to reduce stress across a broad spectrum of individuals. In several studies, visual views of plants have been shown to reduce students stress while taking exams including increasing positive feelings and reducing fear and anger. In the workplace, it has been demonstrated that plants reduce stress levels, reduce systolic blood pressure, and increase worker productivity.
Indoor plants have proven to also increase task performance and mood. Intuitively, most people perceive plants as enhancements to indoor home and office environments. Many studies support the conclusion that attractive settings positively increase a person's well-being. And the presence of indoor plants increases comfort and attractiveness of indoor environments.
Interior plants are common in many homes, workplaces and commercial settings. In the hospitality industry, the presence of plants has been shown to boost occupancy rates and generate profit. Most people have the sense that plants and nature is both calming and restorative to the human spirit. This belief is evidenced by the extensive landscaping in residential communities, the use of plants in the tourism industry and theme parks, and interior plantscaping of office and retail spaces. Likewise, use of plants for indoor and outdoor events has proven beneficial.
Plantz is committed to helping our clients realize the benefits of integrating plants into your residential spaces, workspaces and special events.
Are you looking for that perfect gift for someone special or for a special event? Plants can offer a great solution to this common dilemma.
A healthy plant will provide enjoyment to any home, office workspace or landscape. Plants are available in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, colors, and prices. There is a plant to fit your needs and your budget, whether you want to buy a small houseplant or a large tree for the landscape. Before you rush out to buy that perfect gift, make certain you choose that perfect plant and the best quality plant for your money. A plant specialist can help you to identify and select quality, healthy plants for your space and special occasions . A plants specialist can help you determine which plants have the best chance for a long life and select healthier, pest-free plants.
Be aware of the bargain plants, discount plants or 50% off plants offers. Discount plants are typically offered at a discount for a reason, whether it be the end of their growing season or that they are sick plants. If you have the time and resources to care for these plants until they recover, then they may be a good deal. But if you don't, leave them for someone who does. You can always rely on a plant specialist or plants service company to help you select plants that have a compact growth habit and an abundance of foliage. Spindly and leggy plants with few leaves are most likely victims of disease and insect problems which may cause the leaves to fall off. Be certain to look for healthy plants that are uniform in color, without brown or yellow discoloration on the plant's tips and without scars or cracks.
Pest problems can be a nuisance to you and your plants, so carefully inspect the plants for signs of insects or diseases. Speckling on the leaves may indicate spider mite damage, curling of leaves are caused by aphids, and small bumps on the stems or underside of the leaves are signs of scale. Yellow or brown leaves, rotting stems, and brown, soft roots may indicate plant disease problems. Be sure that the soil in the container has a good color and is not heavily compacted. Roots of the plant should not be growing out the bottom of the pot.
A Plantz specialist can help you select a healthy plant as well as provide plants services for your interior plants needs, landscape foliage requirements for that special gift , event or occasion.
We made some changes around here and we hope you like them too!