Spoke to an Inner Circle Member today and she was asking about a Roof Garden potential job.  We discussed container choices and she mentioned that while she depends heavily on Subirrigated planters from Planter Technology for her interior jobs, she was not going to use them for this project because "they will flood when the rain comes down."  My suggestion was to call Planter Tech and get more information.  They market a whole line of containers especially mean’t to be used outside so this may not be a concern. 

Our conversation brings to mind a whole raft of questions about the where and how different containers can be used.  Bottom line?  Do your homework.  Call the manufacturer and ask if your application will work.  They have years of experience and should know the hows and whys. Exploring whether your idea might work, or not, will let your creative juices flow.  Go for it.

Another thought came up as a resultof our conversation.  Do you know the difference between a Green Roof and a Roof Garden?  Just to review, a Green Roof is mean’t to meet certain energy reduction criteria and is not mean’t to be a "people place" per se.  The vegetation used usually consists of sedges and alpines, small 6" tall material mean’t to provide humidity, transpiration, lower the energy and rainwater spillage.  Eighty percent of the Green Roofs in the US are made up of this type planting and it is called an "extensive" green roof.  Think of it as a burr haircut.  The other Green Roof type is the "intensive" variety and it features larger plant material.  Both  extensive and intensive require feet of soil and drainage material and the weight is often prohibitive for existing buildings.  Think of the Intensive green roof as a"Marie Antoinette coiffure" as opposed to the burr haircut of the extensive variety.  Knowing which is which and the terminology will put you in good stead with designers and architects and the like.  To learn more, look up Green Roofs on the web, but get ready, there is a ton of info out there as this is a hot topic in the Green Design World.

 On the other hand, the Roof Garden is a totally different animal.  It may consist of beds with walkways, surround a swinning pool or cabana area, or be a restaurant or meeting area.  Here plants may be containerized with blooming interspersed.  Think visually pleasing and people welcoming.  Think Kodak moments.  Roof Gardens truly take the inside…..out.  Here I would definitely look at containers and plants that fit with a style of architecture or theme and I would definitely check out the Subiirigation lines.

So now you know the basic differences between Green Roofs and Roof Gardens.

  Go get ‘em Tiger.

Sometimes positive results are the offspring of negative situations.  You know what I mean.  We go along blithely clueless, doing the same old, same old and then, one day, something happens that forces us to look at the world just a little differently.  A crisis or problematic situation jumps up and requires a "new look".

It’s exactly these times that propel us to the next stage of our lives or business.  It is this that makes us get out of our comfortable(or not so comfortable) rut and move….forward.

I believe that we are on the threshold of just such a time.  There is more than the usual upheaval going on in the world and in our economy.  Now is the time to take a step back and come up with those creative solutions, some of which just might be those Ah-Ha moments that make a huge difference. 

I encourage you to avoid the negative in thought and deed, think positively and move ahead with your business plans.  Take one challenge at a time and figure out at least three coping strategies.  Write them down and then, revisit the list a few days later for any further insights and then put one of them in place. 

Need help doing this?  If you are an Inner Circle member, call the office and set up a time we can talk.  Two heads are better than one.  Let’s make these times the best.

Spring
Spring!  The season of rebirth, green grass and – pots of blooming color outside restaurants, office buildings, and on patios.  The time when a young man’s fancy turns to……exterior containerized plantings.

How Do You Sell Exterior Blooming?
First of all, you are selling sizzle and instant gratification.  Forget the 4” starter plants, go right for the gusto.  Use 6”, 8” even 10” blooming.  I like to think of the container with exterior blooming as a New York deli sandwich – absolutely overstuffed.  Just like how the corned beef hangs over the bread and you can’t quite get your mouth around it – so should the blooming pot look on Day 1 – overstuffed!

Keep Scale in Mind
Secondly, use the proper scale.  Buildings are large, doorways usually double.  Small containers are lost.  Third, a maintenance plan is critical if you want to be profitable.  Figure out a way to maintain on your schedule, not the plants.  To do this you’ll need sub-irrigation.  Check out Planter Techs exterior line.  Fourth, look for new sales opportunities.  For instance, most states now forbid smoking inside restaurants.  This means that wherever possible restaurants have added patios or, even, just a few tables sidewalk style.  These spots simply cry out for potted foliage.  In some climate zones this is year round,in others – seasonal.  Wherever, you might consider leasing the containers, charging for the plant material and charging for the maintenance.  In off-seasons, you then remove the planters or fill with evergreens until the Spring.  Lots of opportunities – you just have to do your homework.

Symmetry vs Asymmetry
Both the Plants and the Containers should be the same on either side of the doorway, or placed equidistant along a fence or rail, or against a series of columns.   Within a linear or sequenced placement the planters could be the same while the plant material could alternate Short, Tall, Short, Tall etc.  Even the colors of the blooming could alternate for visual impact and variety.  Still, whichever way you so it, there has to be a harmony, a coherence and the containers need to be the same for consistency. 

Themes  
There are lots of opportunities to enhance an exterior with foliage and decorative Containers that enhance a particular period, architype, or theme.  For inspiration thumb thru some of the Shelter magazines and refer to Architectural Design Books.  Notice the difference in the Containers and Plants outside the Southern Mansion and the Italian Restaurant. 

Practice
We spend a great deal of time in our cars.  Just for the fun of it, visualize different plants and planters in front of different buildings as you wait for the light to change or drive along a road.  This kind of practice costs you nothing and gives you the opportunity to say, Great!", or "Eccghh".  It’s all a learning exercise.

Have fun with it—It’s Spring Now, Go out there and get ‘em, Tiger

A Rose by any other Name

 At an OFA Short Course in Columbus, Ohio several years ago,  Karin and Mike Senneff  of Plant Interscapes in Texas gave a humdinger of a presentation covering various facets of Holiday Decor.  One of the points they made was that they name each of their Holiday Themes to differentiate them and to give them more ear appeal.  It made me start thinking about where to get some wonderful names instead of just “Red and Gold” or “Silver and White”.  Then this morning in my mail came the answer.  A seasonal card company sent me a catalog.  There in the pages were about a hundred fabulous names.  Here are a bunch, see if you don’t agree: Of course, it is not even April as I write this post but actually, it is the perfect time to start creating the Looks and Names for your ‘08 Holiday Decor.

Natural Elegance, Holiday Star, Hollies and Berries, Cardinals in the Snow, Crystals and Snowflakes, and so on.

 There are a lot more but you get the idea.  It just goes to show you, you just never know where you’ll get your next great idea.  Beautiful Holiday Décor deserves a name that captivates, that entices the client.  Look for ideas in catalogs, in advertising.  Phrases that sell are everywhere if you keep your eyes open.  So, before you pitch that “junk” mail, give it a once over.  Maybe even go so far as to keep a file of stuff you can refer to at the appropriate time.  And don’t forget popular music as a source as well.  “White Christmas” conjures up a wealth of personal memories and positive thoughts.  And Childrens toys and themes work equally well.  Who doesn’t go "ahhhh" when they see a teddy bear?

 Now go out there and get ‘em Tiger

Unless you live under a rock, you’ve been watching the Bear Stearns debacle.  To add to all the other Stock Market woes, the dollar continues to drop and the Feds keep dropping the fed rate to little avail. 

What does this mean  for small business?  It probably means that the Business Community, our clients will start to tighten their belts yet again.  What to do?  I suggest you start to put a Plan in place now and take several actions steps.  The Inner Circle Newsletter currently being written will address these steps and since it is requiring a lot of research and input from plantscape companies arouns the country, it will not be available til next week.  Trust me it is worth waiting for.

Meanwhile, for all of you, here is one ploy that you can set in motion right now. 

Do you owe money to your Bank?  Do you carry a Line of Credit currently maxed out?  If so, I’d like to tell you a tale from another ’scaper.  He owed his Bank $200,000 and the Bank held a lien on his home.  The home had a mortgage of 130K but was worth 250K.  He had tried to sell the home to get the difference for the Bank but in these times he could not sell it.  Imagine his surprise when the Banker came to see him and suggested that he refinance the Home, give the Bank the money from the refi and if he did so the Banker would forgive, that’s right I said forgive, 100,000 of the outstanding debt to the bank!!!!!

I’ve checked around and found that unlike in past times, Banks are much more interested in cutting deals.  Anything to get back loans paid down.

My advice?  If you can cut a similar deal with your Bank, consider doing so.  To wipe out a huge chunk of debt is a dream.  Look to all your assets to do this.  At the very least, ask to have interest rates on your loans lowered, go interest only for a time, whatever works. 

Most important is just ASKING.  What have you got to lose???????

"I’ve got to sit down and write a Policy Manual"
"Maybe it’s time to find a new Facility"
"I’ve got to get rid of all these old containers"

Sound familiar?  Month after month as you drive into the office or just before you fall asleep, a small nagging voice pops into your head with all these"to do" chores.  Month after month and they never seem to get addressed.  Is it just you or is this a very human condition? 

Its Just Human
Truth is that by the time you get to the office and the workday begins there are 17 different fires of varying size waiting to be put out.  A tech calls in sick, a client needs some plants for a Meeting, one by one the hours get filled up and these wish list tasks go on the back burner.

How do you get over this dilemma?  By setting aside one day that you are "out of office".  Put a message on your cell phone and lock your office door and tackle that nagging "gotta do it". 

Prepare 
If the task involves something like developing a Company Manual, start by begging, borrowing, or stealing another interiorscapers Manual to use as a template that is Industry specific.  Then search the web for other more generic templates.  Develop an outline and start by filling in the blanks.  Keep in mind that this is going to be a work in progress and will be rolled out in various stages of development.  Do not hesitate to start using until it is finished, ’cause it never will be.  There will always be additions.

Searching for a new Facility?  Again do your homework.  Start by putting little checks on a map to locate your client base.  Do you see a pattern here? Pinpoint the center of the cluster and draw circles around the widening client locations until the last circle is sparsely populated with checkmarks.  Look at the roads and highways that most strategically address your core groupings.  This is the first place to look for space.  Get average prices for office/warehouse structures and adjust according to budget.  Call a commercial real estate company to help you.  This will save a bunch of time and the rep gets his fee from the landlord so use him.  He’ll call you with property suggestions and yhou and the rep can visit the most likely candidates.

Got to get the Garage, the Warehouse cleaned out?  Think Flea Markets, think Dog Day Sales, think Pitching.  All of these are options to get the space cleared out.  Declare a Company Cleanup Day and go at it.  By Preplanning, you can make a huge hurdle no bigger than an ant hill.  It al about Priorities and, trust me, once the task is off your mind you will feel positively Great. 

Now go out there and get ‘em, Tiger