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November 2010 - Vol 1, Issue 11
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| Greetings! | 
The practice of installing live plants indoors on a professional basis does not even have a name that everyone agrees upon, yet it is estimated to be an industry generating revenues in excess of a billion dollars annually.
Read on below......
David Liu, Corporate President
info@foliagedesign.com
www.foliagedesign.com
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| NOT JUST PLANTS | "Indoor landscaping" is a term often used but somehow the term "indoor" and "land" doesn't seem to add up. The term "interiorscape", coined by the late Dick Morey, is a term that most professionals agree upon; however, it is a term that is not always recognized by the consumer. When asked what I do for a living, I usually must deliver at least a paragraph or two before one gets it, and then they usually cite their own life experience with the subject such as: "Is that where all those beautiful plants at the Mall come from?" While the plumber or the lawyer need only answer the question with a single word, I still think we as an industry are more interesting but I must hasten to add my affirmation that we need lawyers, only not as much.
The interiorscape industry sure has evolved over the years, and the owners of these businesses are savvy and some of the most talented people I know. Which is why you see so few (but some) interiorscapers seeking political offices. If they did, our country would be better off today.
 | | Interiorscape Entrepreneurs |
Most successful interiorscapers are true entrepreneurs having built their businesses from the first watering can to fleets of vehicles and a richly diverse employee base. The interiorscaper must fulfill the needs of our clients, who they themselves are chiefly successful and therefore discriminating consumers. Ours is a perishable product unique in that the plants are expected to live, unlike the head of lettuce that is expected to be eaten now, or thrown out a week from now. The interiorscaper combines science and business and must create only the most thriving employee cultures as the professional plant technician is a rare individual indeed. The interiorscaper's work must in turn contribute to a healthy work environment and must please our clients, their clients, customers, and employees in a manner that nothing else can equal. OK, good coffee in the coffee room is important, but the feeling of plants lingers on with no afternoon crash. If nothing else, most interiorscapers love their lifelong work, and truly appreciate our clients. Truth be told: my favorite client type? The law firm!
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| PLANT BENEFIT: PLANTS FULFILL AN ANCIENT, PROFOUND NEED ..... BIOPHILIA | |
In 1984, Harvard biologist Dr. Ed Wilson named our natural human affinity for nature, biophilia. Stephen R. Kellert, an advisor on prominent green building projects and professor of social ecology at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental studies has spent much of his career thinking and writing about biophilia.
In a recent interview discussing his latest book, Biophilic Design: The Theory, Science, and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life, Dr. Wilson discussed a study underway at the eastern headquarters for Bank of America at Bryant Park (in mid-town Manhattan). "My colleague is currently working on the study along with a furniture manufacturer, Herman Miller, to review the degree to which direct exposure to natural elements might impact employees in the office and factory. They were able to find significant productivity gains, less absenteeism, less health problems, a better sense of well-being as reported by the individuals that participated. And ultimately all of this translates to the bottom line." Put quite simply, plants can improve your outlook at work!
(Source: www.greenplantsforgreenbuildings.org )
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Keep it Green and Healthy!
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