That’s right.  Here it is almost Fourth of July in Ohio and I’m thinking about Holiday…and so should you. 

It goes without saying that Prelit trees and wreaths are the way to go.  That large ornaments take less time than the itsy bitsy ones and that, while we all love hot new colors, your customers will still fall back on red and gold, burgundy and gold and gold and gold.  You get the idea.

There is one new twist you should be aware of however, and that is the evolution of LED lights.  LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights have become ubiquitous.  They are on keyrings, in flashlights, hanging in closets and on the front end of cars.  Everywhere.  And why?  "Cause they are longlasting (anywhere from 100,000-400,000 hours), bright, and low energy users.

For interiorscapers, trees prelit with these babies will last 10-15 years.  Once installed to outline a building it would take decades before they have to be removed and reinstalled.  They are an opportunity to make your Holiday life infinitely easier. 

Check them out for the coming Season.  You’ll be so glad you did.

There’s a new word in the lexicon.  It is "Greenwashing".  Nope, it doesn’t mean washing your veggies and friuts to rid them of pesticides, nope, it refers to the practice of some manufacturers, builders, and others to make "Green" claims that are false.  The problem is that you the consumer, have practically no way to verfiy claims.

The real problem is that because Greenwashing exists, some people use this as an excuse to negate everything "Green".  This is equvilent to throwing out the baby with the bath water.   A big mistake.  Going Green is a journey and everyone is traveling this road.  No one is 100%, perfectly Green.  But we are all at different points along the trail and learning as we go.

In a few years there will be agencies that will document and verify every product and service as to its "Greenness".  Yep, at some point every product will be certified as to how much of its composition comes from recycled origins, is recyclable, is from sustainable materials and so on.  It will read much like the Nuitrition Code on Packaged food products.   Remember, this is all new and kinda new and it takes…time.

Until then, just keep learning and keeping up with all the changes. 

In tihe most recent Green Lodging News (www.greenlodgingnews.com), it was reported that "Florida Governor Charlie Crist-a potential running mate for Sen John McCain-issued an Executive Order requiring all state agencies and departments to do business only with Florida Green Lodging Program participants.  The executive order went into effect Jan. 1 of this year and eventually will become a law.  Faster than you can say "Go Gators", hundreds of hotels got moving."

The article goes on to quote Karen Moore, Program director for the Florida Green Lodging Program . The guesstimate is that  500 properties  will be part of the Program. by 2009.  This means that 10% of all lodging properties and 12% of all rooms will be "green". 

An opportunity for the smart interiorscaper?  I think so and, up the road, will this be the template for other states?  Probably.  To learn more about the criteria, check out the green lodging news web site to get a sneek peek at the future.

Just spent a few days at the Hospitality and Design Show in Las Vegas.  Huge show  completely geared toward the specifier, designer, architect, and owners and operators of Hotels and resort properties from all over the world.  I met architects from Dubuque and I met them from Dubaii.  From Paris, Kentucky and from Paris, France.  It was a Plantscapers dream but, in reality, we are so small we would have gotten lost in the shuffle plus this is global and we are local.  Anyway, it was a heck of an experience.

The first day was Green Day with seminars all focusing on GREEN.  The seminars were packed.  In fact, I was told that the attendance for the GREEN Day was double that for last year.  Another indication how Green is the new Red, White and Blue. Everypne there agreed that Green construction and operation is here and now. 

So, I give you a repeat warning that you must look at your plantscaping business and decide how you will meet this challenge as well as how you are going to incorporate this into your Sales presentation.  My suggestion is that you join whichever chapter of LEED or the USGBC that is in your area.  And, after joining, attend and meet specifiers and so on.  Folks, the train is at the station.  Its time to climb aboard. 

One ’scaper I know is speaking before his BOMA group on Green Roofs.  Another company just did a Lunch and Learn for a large archtectural firm in their city.  Another participated in a local "Green" mini trade show.  However and wherever you do it, the goal should be to set your company up as the Green experts of interiorscaping in your city.  And one head of Marketing and Sales for one of our premier suppliers just had a phone call from an architect doing a huge project.  He has been trying to see her for months but to no avail.  Then he let her know how GREEN his product line is and she called him to set up an appointment.  Imagine his surprise!  Now go out there and get ‘em. Tiger.

A Hospital that is your client wants to know what you can use as a topdressing, either inside or out, that has flame retardant properties.  An airport demands the same.  What do you do?  What product works in this way? 

Protoast.  This product is both recyled and is impregnated with fire retardant.  Made of wood chips that come from toasted old beer barrels, Protoast is available in large bags from Primescape Products.  It is not cheap but it fills the bill and when the client and the Fire Department says they must have, budgets go out the window.  Meanwhile, it is a toasty medium brown in color and relatively lighter weight than you might imagine.

The other product I suggest, also made from recycled materials (old plastic bottles) is Poly Pebbles.  These artificial "rocks" of Polypropolene, simulate Mexican Beach Pebbles.  They come in Black, White, Grey, or Tan.  Each bag of Poly Pebbles will cover approximately 4 square feet and costs $18.80.  Guesstimate shipping at about 20-25%.  They are only 25% as heavy as the real thing and come in 5 different shapes per bag.  They have UVA inhibitors in them so they are good to go either inside or out and I love them.  When a match or flame is touched to them they just seem to melt a bit, not flare up.  Available from TOPsiders (800)533-7661. 

Both of these products avoid the Spanish Moss, excelseior, other topdressing problems.  Last but not least, underplanting with live 6" foliage will also hide the "mechanics" of nursery pots to give a great look and still be greenery and not a flammable topdressing.  Now, go out there and get ‘em, Tigers.

Because of the emphasis on "Green", related and extended issues have come up and it is in these related issues that I believe the future for Interiorscaping lies.  In a soon to be published white paper, a group of Danish, French, and Canadian researchers argue that environmental focus in workplace design is too limiting.  They say to support effectiveness and efficiency in the office workspace, "we must understand that financial, social, and environmental issues are interdependent..  It’s not sufficient to consider the physical building and its entire interior; we have to understand the activity and behaviors of people," and that requires a holistic view of the organization.

Toward that viewpoint, a triple bottom line approach, or "people, planet, profit," has been adopted by many organizations.  And, I believe, given time, will become the prevailing approach and not just "Green".

What does that mean for interiorscapers?  A lot.  If you are only using energy and water savings and carbon footprint criteria to  evaluate a product or service, interiorscaping loses out.  It is hard to make a case for a service that eats up gas for transport and so on.  BUT, if you are looking at the benefits of live greenery in the workplace, then we can point to increases in productivity, reduced absenteeism, cleaner air, and an increased feeling of wellbeing. 

So, while being "Green " is important for today business, I predict that in the future much more emphasis will be placed on the "triple bottom line: people, planet, and profit.  In the meantime, go out there and get ‘em, Tiger.

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.

The Grandaddy of all Horticulture Shows is the TPIE Show in Ft. Lauderdale, FL starting Thurs, January 17-Sat January 19, 2008.  Presented by FNGLA (Florida Nurseryman and Growers Association), the show and its accompanying Seminar is the place to be if you are a tropical plant person.  With a huge, sold out trade show and seminars of interest to ’scapers, this is the show to attend.  Plus, if you come in a day early you can take a tour of Nurseries on a specially scheduled bus.  They do the driving and you do the Learning.

This Year it is All About Green  
I know we’ve been Green since the Beginning of Time, but in today’s world, Green has a whole other meaning.  To that point, the Seminars all have speakers and topics that will increase your understanding of the new position open for including interiorplants in offices, hotels, and residences.  One of the most popular speakers is Patricia Fripp.  An acknowledged expert in Sales and Marketing, Patricia has received accolades from audiences all over the country.   She will be kicking off Friday’s Program as well as presenting a course especially for interiorscapers, Superstar Sales Presentations: The Inside Secrets.  It is an hour and 15 minutes of inspiration. 

Plus All the Other Stuff  
Along with being able to visit the booths of the Top Growers, Container Manufacturers, and Suppliers, TPIE is a great time.  Spend and share experiences with industry friends, attend the Opening Night Party at Gulfstream Park, and just relax in the Sun.

For Info  
Get all the details by logging on to www.tpie.org or call 800-375-3642.

Come see me in Booth 814.  I have a new revoutionary product (not a container) that will make your life 50% easier and save you money as well. 

As the green movement continues to sweep the nation, the impact crosses over to plantscaping in some strange new ways….

Plantscaping Innovations From Outside The Industry

Finally someone figured out how to take a Huge Negative (Street Graffiti) and make it into Green Art and, more importantly, why weren’t we the ones to think of this?

Here’s the scoop from Inhabitat - a website for future forward design…

"In Brooklyn we’ve discovered ‘living graffiti’ — an idea which takes the idea of clean graffiti to the next level by creating street art out of living, breathing plants.

Eco-minded street artist Edina Tokodi is putting a new spin on green guerilla tactics in the trendy art enclave of Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Tokodi’s site-specific moss installations of prancing animal figures and camouflage outgrowths are the talk of a local urban neighborhood typically accustomed to gallery hype and commercial real estate take-overs.

Unlike the market-driven art featured in sterile, white box galleries, the work of Tokodi is meant to be touched, felt, and in turn touch you in the playful ways that her animated installations call to mind a more familiar, environmentally friendly state in the barren patches of urban existence."

Inside or Outside, Think of Ways to Use This 

This harkens back to Girl or Boy Scout days.  A little milk, a few spores, and, voila, living microcosms. 

Or, just take the green sheet moss we get from the suppliers, shape it yourself, add some dried fungi and some aticks and pebbles, maybe even a feather or two. 

How Can You Apply This To Build Your Interiorscape Business?

For those of you who periodically present talks to elementary students, here is a Project. 

For those wanting to create a living piece of art in an interior planter bed, here is another idea.  Fabricate this green moss art on a plank of wood on a stake and you could even spell out the building name. 

Innovate & Create

Let your mind run wild with possibilities/opportunities.  Have fun with it and set yourself off as "the creative company".  And, please, do let us know what you do with the idea.  Drop us a comment.

And don’t forget as the corporate pressure to work with environmentally responsible companies - your company will be impacted.  As the go green trend picks up steam you should prepare yourself to Start Selling Green.