GMG's Friday Find: Ditch the Soil and Pot and Get Creative with the Root Orb

Photo Credit: Kreative Gardens

The Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition (TPIE) is a trade event that showcases the latest trends in foliage, floral and tropicals in sunny Florida, and one of the standouts spotlighted this year was the Root Orb Plant System from Kreative Gardens. This patent pending product is designed to take the place of a traditional plant pot by weaving the plant's roots in organic material.

GMG's Friday Find: Celebrate National Indoor Plant Week With These Super Heroes

Plants are more than just pretty faces.  Did you know that indoor plants can remove toxins from your indoor space and help you concentrate better? There are lots of benefits of indoor plants, and here's how a few super heroes can change your life.


O2 for You Anthurium from Costa Farms

Reduce Stress - Stay calm, carry on, buy a plant.  People who keep flowering houseplants in their home feel happier, more relaxed and less stressed. According to an article in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, flowering plants add positive energy which reduces stress-related depression.

Improve Indoor Air - The EPA found that the air in your home may be more polluted than outdoor air. Strategic placement of plants in your living and working space improves your indoor air quality, scrubbing out toxins. Having at least one plant for every 100 square feet provides maximum air-cleaning benefits, from allergy symptom relief to enhanced mood and concentration.

Heal Faster - A flowering plant is often the gift of choice for someone ill or in the hospital, and there's science behind the reason why.  Just the presence of a flowering plant in a hospital recovery room speeds the healing process.  If you want to help in someone's recovery, bag the cut flowers that don't last long and choose a Peace Lily for long-lasting benefits.

Become More Empathetic - An article from the University of Texas indicates that people who buy and care for plants are more likely to care for their fellow human beings.  A ZZ plant is easy to fall in love with and pass the love along.

Neon Pathos-Costa Farms

Enhance Learning - Looking for a way to help your kids get better grades?  There are cognitive benefits from being around plants, helping focus and concentration which in turn improves learning capabilities.  Easy care pothos is a plant that gets an "A" and enlisting plant care with your children helps them learn how fun and easy it can be. For the workplace, a red aglaonema on your own desk will help increase concentration up to 20% for the tasks at hand.

Orchid-Costa Farms

Create a Spa-like Experience -  It's no accident that spas use plants to create a restful and calming experience. Add plants to your shower or bath to amp up the restful ambiance, along with a few candles and low lighting, and you've created an environment that helps you relax, unwind, and smile. Orchids are a perfect fit as they love humidity and will provide you with that 'ahhhhh' factor of beauty and restfulness.

Dracaena-Costa Farms

Group Therapy - If you think just one plant is good for you, imagine the benefits of several plants that will help clean your air and provide a sense of well-being, whether at home or your workplace.  A combination of dracaena, peace lily and snake plant can transform your inner space into a beneficial, toxin free environment for optimal healthy living.

Costa Farms®, the largest grower of indoor houseplants in North America, suggests we create healthier, cleaner and happier indoor spaces by surrounding ourselves with these green heroes.  It's an inexpensive way to improve our health and well being, and National Indoor Plant Week, September 15th - 21st, is the perfect time to get started.  Watch this video to learn more about O24U and the benefits of indoor houseplants.

~Peggy
Garden Media Group

Houseplants 101 from Costa Farms

It isn't necessary to turn your house into a tropical jungle to get the most from houseplants. In fact, just a few well-placed, well-grown houseplants can contribute to a lived-in coziness to any room, whether it's filled with Victorian clutter or spare streamlined furnishings. The trick is to give the plants what they want in terms of light, water, humidity, fertilizer, and a good soil mix, and they'll perform like they were back in their native environment.

Check out this video from Costa Farms to learn the ins and outs of houseplants!

-Stacey
Garden Media Group

Mark Your Calendars for National Indoor Plant Week

We're excited to help spread the word about National Indoor Plant Week (September 16-22), a grassroots initiative that was created to raise awareness of the value and benefits of live indoor plants.

Did you know that research indicates that certain varieties help purify interior spaces and improve productivity in offices where we spend most of our day? Studies from the US Environmental Protection Agency have found that levels of indoor air pollution can be 2-5 times higher - and in some cases 10 times more polluted than outdoor air.

This is where the indoor plants come in! These green heroes, as we like to call them, provide truly amazing benefits. Working 24/7, certain plants absorb almost all volatile organic compounds (VOC's) in indoor air. These VOC's are common chemicals like ammonia, formaldehyde and benzene found in many products around your home and office, like carpets, printer ink, tobacco smoke and cleaning products.

During National Indoor Plant Week and through the month of September, look for varieties such as peace lilies, palms, ferns and spider plants, with 'O2 for You' plant tags at your local retailer. These are the hardest working plants when it comes to cleaning your air!

Please help us spread the word about the about the many benefits of indoor plants! For more information on National Plant Week visit www.nationalindoorplantweek.com). To learn more about 'O2 for You: Houseplants with a Purpose' visit www.o2foryou.org.

-Stacey

Garden Media Group

Find Your Houseplant Style

Who's ready to design with houseplants? We’re excited to introduce Costa Farms latest innovation – the Find Your Style App! This awesome new web tool gives you the inspiration to start designing rooms within your home with houseplants. How cool is that!

Once in the Find Your Style app, you have the option to either upload your own picture or choose one of  six (6) room styles. Then you can add plants to see how your room would look before you buy. All of the plants were specifically selected for each room's style. The great thing about this app is that it also provides detailed care information about each plant, so you know which plant is best suited for your room.

At the end of the design process, you can print your shopping list and go to your favorite garden center to complete the project. You can also share with your Facebook friends or pin it to your Pinterest boards.

Check it out today and let us know what you think @ http://style.costafarms.com/.

-Stacey

Garden Media Group

This Earth Day, Use Houseplants To Sweep the Air Clean with O2 For You

Thank a plant on Earth Day. Silently and always “working”, these green heroes toil tirelessly to purify the environment, naturally cleansing the air and providing truly amazing health benefits! They filter indoor air 24/7 to sweep it clean from dangerous chemicals and toxins while continuously releasing fresh oxygen in homes and offices.

When selecting indoor plants, consider the plants “job”. Does it work the day shift or night shift? Is it for the home or office? Does it work in bright light or low light? This Plant Guide from O2 For You allows users to find houseplants that suit their conditions and fit their lifestyle.

According to a landmark NASA study, it is recommended that at least one or more medium sized houseplant for every 100 square feet in the home or office will help maximize the health benefits and freshen the air.

Why Are House Plants Green Heroes? People's lives depend on technology, but ordinary household products such as paints, tobacco smoke, printer ink and carpets hold hidden dangers that plants can help reduce.

Former NASA research scientist Dr. Bill Wolverton found plants improve air quality through their natural “filtering” ability. He discovered houseplants can absorb up to 87% of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), like formaldehyde and benzene, found in many homes and offices.

Houseplants work round the clock to “clean” the air! How? They absorb these VOCs into the root zone where they’re broken down by microbes. Some of the hardest working plants are the peace lilies, ferns and palms.

Bring a Houseplant to Work Put a plant on your desk to feel happier, enjoy better health and be more productive. The NASA study recommends office workers should have at least one medium size plant in their “personal breathing space” at work to effectively remove indoor pollutants.

Research conducted in the Netherlands supports this, finding office workers who had plants in their workspace out performed co-workers without plants. Workers reported they felt better and their concentration improved with plants on their desks, especially working at computers!

Another test conducted in Norway reports that 25% fewer health problems occur, in particular respiratory ailments, headache, and fatigue, when plants were introduced to their workspace.

Snake plants, broad sword ferns and rubber plants are among the top ten air purifiers recommended by experts. They’re easy to grow, are natural humidifiers and remove airborne chemicals. Other green heroes are philodendrons, dieffenbachias and ZZ plants.

Take a Heavy Night Breather to Bed Some plants actually work at night while we sleep! These green heroes “breathe out” oxygen (O2) and absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) at night, rather than in the daytime, when the majority of plants do their “breathing.”

Kate Santos, director of research for Costa Farms, the largest indoor houseplant producer in North America, recommends snake plants and orchids, particularly in the bedroom. These natural botanical air purifiers make perfect bedroom buddies to refresh and beautify these spaces for a healthy, restful night’s sleep!

“Which plant you choose, and where you place your plants is important to reap optimum benefits,” says Santos.

Santos says to consider the light, humidity, and temperature to determine the best spot for a plant. “Put a Majesty Palm in your living room, fern in the family room and a Peace lily in the kitchen. Add golden pothos or heart leaf philodendron for beauty and maximum air cleansing benefits.”

Look for the ‘O2 for You’ displays at Lowe’s Home Depot, and Walmart nationwide this April.

-Stacey
Garden Media Group
 

Let's Get Vertical

Thinking about taking your houseplants to a whole new level in your home. How about going vertical with a living wall? 


Indoor vertical gardens are becoming increasingly popular as more and more people learn about the benefits of indoor houseplants. Plus, who doesn't want a little green in your home during the winter months!


Last month, Garden Center magazine compiled a great list of indoor plant recommendations from Costa Farms specifically for vertical gardening indoors.


To get started, just choose any of the following popular plants that are available at your local garden retailer:


*Bird's Nest Fern
*Pothos
*Spider Plant
*Peace Lily
*Boston Fern


Once you have your plants, then it's time choose one of  the many planter options that are available just for vertical gardens. My favorites are the colorful pockets from Woolly Pockets or the designer living wall planters from Bright Green.  Now it's time to pick your space, create your design and get vertical! It's that easy!


-Stacey
GMG

Plants of Steel

Looking for an ideal indoor houseplant that is durable enough to withstand low light and irregular watering? Well, look no further than a new branded line of houseplants called Plants of Steel from Costa Farms. They'll be launching this new collection of houseplants at retailers nationwide next month.


These plants are for people who are really starved for time; busy at work or are always on the road traveling for work. Sounds like my kind of plant!
  
Check out these top four houseplant recommendations from Costa Farms that can withstand very little sunlight and maintenance:



Aglaonemas (pictured above) are durable, versatile tropical foliage plants that are very popular for use indoors and for interiorscape settings. The old standby varieties and newer hybrids come in shades of green with faint silver bands, dark green with cream colored bands or predominately silver with some green banding.


The Ponytail Palm (pictured right) is basically a ‘plant it and forget it’ kind of plant, providing it has enough light to thrive and somewhat steady water throughout the growing season. Because this is an arid plant by nature, periods of dryness are not deadly for an established plant. As with all palms, ponytail palms should never be top-trimmed, and they will respond wonderfully to a consistent feeding program in the growing season. Keep in mind, though, that the ponytail palm is an extremely slow-growing plant, so don't expect your desktop plant to transform into a corner unit in one or two growing seasons.


A tropical plant, Sansevierias could be elected easiest of all houseplants. They like warmth and dry air; will accept a little sun or a lot; and are not even fussy about the amount of moisture in the soil. Called many nicknames by gardeners, including snake plant and mother-in-law’s tongue, Sansevierias are favored for its ability to grow in low-light situations. The durable snake plant will tolerate benign neglect in a wide range of temperatures.

The Zamioculcas zamiifolia (pictured left), otherwise known as the ‘ZZ plant’, is a durable houseplant that requires next to nothing in care, thrives in almost all conditions and isn't bothered by pests and diseases. The ZZ plant, with its shiny foliage and stems, grows up to three feet tall. It needs shade, so it's perfect for dimly lit areas in the house. This easy-going plant doesn't require a special soil mix, and it can go for weeks--perhaps even months — without water, thanks to its big underground tuber where water is stored. It does best with occasional watering — about every other week or so.


Be sure to look for the green Plants of Steel label at a local retailer near you!


-Stacey
GMG
  

Houseplants on a mission

The other day I was strolling through my garden center packed with perennials, fall decorations, pumpkins and  foodie fav's like apple cider donuts and pumpkin butter. It was a spectacular crisp fall day with a stunning azure sky.

Meandering my way through the crush of the crowd, donut firmly in hand, my eyes rested upon the displays of gorgeous houseplants. I was hooked.

Realizing my home is in need of sprucing up, I reckoned that houseplants are an easy way to add instant beauty to any room. And with my rather "eclectic" mix of furniture, they unify my rooms with a serene nod to Mother Nature. 

Beside adding natural beauty to our indoor spaces, did you know that these 'green heroes' provide oxygen and help remove carbon dioxide and volatile organic compounds found in items like common household cleaning products, paint and ink cartridges, and even carpets?

And there are ongoing studies on the power of plants to lower blood pressure, speed healing, and help us better focus at work and in school!

With so many varieties to choose, it's easy to find houseplants that match your style, mood and taste.

Still stumped? Try orchids.They're easy to grow and a great houseplant that you'll enjoy for months to come.

Even though it's October, 'pink-up' and pick up a beautiful pink Phalaenopsis orchid at Lowe's to help raise funds for the breast cancer movement.

Through the Plant for a Cure (R) program, Lowe's is donating 10 % of the purchase price of orchids bearing the Plant for the Cure tag to Susan G. Komen for the Cure(R).

For more fascinating facts on houseplants check out Costa Farms along with their O2 For You campaign and their cool new Growing Style digital magazine - and add some "green" to your life! And let us know your favorite houseplant!

~Lynne

GMG

The Growing Success of Costa Farms

Did you know that Costa Farms started out as a tomato grower? Now the homegrown family business is the country's largest producer of indoor plants.

Read how the company evolved in the article below from Poder magazine.

Poder 360° - Growing Success

-Stacey

GMG

Study Says Plants Improve Air Quality

Research from the National Foliage Foundation says plants do clean the air that we breathe!

Plants: Special Agent "Air Cleaners" Reporting for Duty

The Green Industry holds in their hands the keys to reducing carbon footprints and ultimately cleaning the air we breathe. Good health is now as important to some consumers as having the biggest, newest or shiniest status symbols, and "healthy lifestyles" is now one of today's top consumer trends.

Project Carbon, a recent research project at the University of Georgia, proves that plants do remove carbon from the air we breathe. This study is the first of its kind to provide quantitative data of carbon removal by plants in an interiorscape setting. Plants in homes and offices are not only aesthetically pleasing, they can improve the quality of air we breathe!

Project Carbon, funded by the National Foliage Foundation (NFF) and supported by Green Plants for Green Buildings and the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association, allowed researchers, Dr. Bodie Pennisi and Dr. Marc van Iersel, to identify the amounts of carbon removed from the air by plants, both under simulated conditions and in actual interiorscape environments. A little over a year later, research proves there is an advantage to having plants in homes and offices.

Research Highlights:

• In addition to absorbing carbon, plants improve indoor air quality by removing pollutants.

• While all plants take carbon out of the air, larger, woody plants absorb and keep in their bodies more carbon than small herbaceous plants over time.

• Plants must be in healthy condition to continue removing carbon from the air we breathe.

For more detailed information on this study, visit http://www.fngla.org/news/NFF/060911.htm.

-Stacey, GMG

Costa Farms Social Summit Blooms

Costa Farms Social Summit held in Miami earlier this month was a huge hit. Everyone was blown away by seeing hundreds of thousands of orchids, ferns, succulents, cacti and other tropical plants in one location.

Here are what a few of our friends had to say about their visit:

Justin Hancock, BHG.com editor, pictured here in orchid heaven, had this to say: "Last week I had the pleasure of traveling to Costa Farms, one of the coolest companies in the horticultural industry."

Justin says the the Costa Farms trial gardens, which are open to the public, are "definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area. "

Martha Stewart Living senior associate garden editor Stacey Hirvela (pictured here with me) wrote two blog posts. In her first post "Meet Maria Costa Smith, Stacey told us about Costa Farms' sustainable initiatives. "Maria told us about some of the things that they are doing to be a smarter, better source for plants. While they are working on addressing all of the sustainability issues I mentioned, it is the packaging that gardeners will notice most." Click here to read more and take Stacey's packaging survey.

In the second post, entitled "Sublime Reputation", Stacey talks more about the plants. "When I was down in Miami visiting Costa Farms, one of the most stunning sights was the sheer quantity and precision of their growing ranges. It's pretty unbelievable to be standing in a room with nearly three quarters of a million orchids, or 60 acres of nothing but Boston ferns." Stacey posted lots of great pictures to give you an idea of the scope of the Florida nursery.

Christopher Tidrick actually won a social media contest to attend, and we're glad he did. What a delight he is. He did a great post Plants with a Purpose, A Plantsman with Passion , calling the trip to the Costa Farms greenhouses "a visual experience so surreal, there aren't really words that can do it justice." But he found the words and really recapped everything -- from Costa Farms O2 for You educational program, to the Wall Street Journal's recent article to a wonderful profile of Mike Rimland.

Here we all are in our guayaberas, or Cuban wedding shirts for our closing dinner. What fun to be Cuban for a night!

Stacey, Garden Media Group

The Mighty Houseplant From Today's WSJ

We are so excited to share the following article from the Wall Street Journal on the Mighty Houseplant, which featured our client, Costa Farms. Wendy Bounds did a fabulous job exploring the many benefits of the indoor houseplant as well as gathering research from around the world.

Check out this great video of Wendy talking about this new air purifier!

And click here to read her entire article. You many learn something new!

At the Garden Media Group we ring bells when our hard work pays off - so I hope you can hear the bells ringing where you are!

-Stacey

GMG

Costa Social Summit Debuts March 10

The Buzz has begun. Costa Farms is launching its first-ever Social Media Summit March 9th- 11th, and we have a great group of buzz makers attending, including:

• Justin Hancock, BH&G
• Steve Bender, Grumpy Gardener/Southern Living
• Stacey Hirvela, Martha Stewart Living
• Judy Lowe, Christian Science Monitor
• Aaron Able, Apartment Therapy/Re-nest
• Nikki Novo, Daily Candy
• Helen Yoest, Gardening with Confidence
• Brenda Haas, BG Garden
• Chris Tidrick, From the Soil

These socializers will meet with Costa plant experts, get a sneak peek at new plant introductions growing in the beautiful new Costa trial gardens, tour the world-class growing facilities, and learn about the benefits of indoor plants.

Plus soak up some much needed Florida sunshine, eat some great Cuban food and maybe even dance a salsa or two!

From acres and acres of orchids and indoor plants to color, color, color, Costa's facilities are more than just a nursery. Stay tuned to see why!

Stacey and I have our bags packed and are heading south!

Suzi, Garden Media Group

Air So Soft!

Many of us battle dry skin and sinus problems particularly during these long winter months and in dry climates. We often resort to expensive skin moisturizers and humidifiers, sprays and sinus medicines, often with poor results.

Well, why not consider a natural and non-invasive solution…houseplants!

Did you know that plants are actually natural humidifiers? They recycle 97% of the water we give them back into the air, so watering your plants helps to raise humidity levels. Some water loving plants to check out are Schefflera, which are gorgeous airy houseplants, and lucky bamboos (photo courtesy of Costa Farms), which are tough and resilient.

For more indoor plant tips or to find the perfect plant for the perfect spot visit: www.o2foryou.org.

-Stacey

GMG

Costa Farms Opens Doors to Southern Living

As most gardeners know, Southern Living is the gardening bible of the south.

We were so thrilled that our friends at Southern Living had the opportunity to tour Costa Farms' facility last year and learn about their plants and expert growers. As a result, Costa's team is featured in the January issue, which is out on newsstands now.

In the article, Costa's growers reveal their secrets for beautiful indoor houseplants. From orchids to succulents, Costa prides itself on growing plants that are easy to care for and maintain.

Check out the article and let us know which is your favorite houseplant to grow!

-Stacey

GMG

Finding the Best Indoor Plants

I just took this great little quiz online at Better Homes & Gardens to see which indoor plants are best suited for my home.

After answering a few simple questions, I was told that easy-care, drought-resistance types such as snake plant, ZZ plant and ponytail palm are best for me. These plants tolerate low light well and are great picks for growing in your home or office. Just my thing, since I really need low-maintenance plants in my busy life!

If you want to see which plants work best for your environment, take the quiz here. And to learn more houseplants, check out Costa Farms and O24U.

-Stacey

GMG

Norfolk Island Pine To The Rescue

Well, Christmas is just around the corner and we haven't even picked out our tree yet. Yikes, where has the time gone!

Luckily my daughter understands that we're in the midst of remodeling our kitchen, so the tree has been put on hold. Since our house is in total disarray, I'm thinking of just picking up a decorated Norfolk Island Pine this week at a local home store. I'll just add some mini lights and some of our own ornaments to make it special.

What's great about the Norfolk Island Pine is that it's long lasting and we can keep it as an indoor plant throughout the year. After the holidays, I can untrim our mini tree and place it in a pretty pot and use as a house plant.

If you're in the market for one as well, check out these great tips from Costa Farms here.

-Stacey

GMG

Extreme Makeover To Showcase Costa Plants

Don't forget to watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's holiday episode this Sunday, December 12th on ABC.

The episode will showcase a number of Costa Farms amazing plants including poinsettias in the landscape and beautiful foliage plants inside the home. Also, Mariah Carey will be on hand to surprise the homeowner Finis Gaston, who's a huge fan.

Check out this great behind the scenes look at EMHE from Costa Farms, a very proud participate of the show! It might even bring a tear to your eye!

Happy Holidays!

Stacey
GMG

From Luxury to Steampunk: Indoor Plants Are Trending Again in '11

From “steampunk” Victorian hipster decor rocking among young urbanites to upscale suburban homes, decorating with houseplants like orchids, ferns and palms is another hot trend for 2011.

Steampunk blends Victorian textures and accessories with high-tech architectural features. To bring it home, we like mixing Victorian plant preferences like ferns and orchids with neutrals or shiny metallics containers from Campania International.

Chic and easy to grow, orchids add a lavish touch to any room. Plus these hard-working beauties clean indoor air from volatile organic compounds and provide oxygen. For tips on growing orchids, visit Orchids Are Easy.

Phalaenopsis (moth) orchids as well as other varieties are perfect choices for affordable, colorful plants that look as comfortable in 21st century homes as they did in Victorian days. To learn more about the health benefits of indoor houseplants check out O2forYou.org.

For more 2011 Garden Trends, visit Garden Media Group

Enjoy your indoor plants!
Suzi