Time Out

We're taking some time off. We'll return the day after Labor Day, Tuesday, September 7. See you then.

In the mean time, check out the Archives and the Topics categories if you haven't already.

More Rentokil Commentary

Here is business editorial commentary from the The Times, London. Ouch!

Excerpt: As for transparency, shareholders might have been happier to have been spared some of the gory details that were unveiled yesterday. In every division, apart from parcels delivery, operating profits were down. Tropical plants may be sensitive flowers, but it takes a real blackening of green fingers to have managed to increase turnover (sales) by more than 6 per cent and yet turn in operating profits down by 42.8 per cent — the achievement of the tropical plant business in the UK.

And more from This Is Money (scroll down).

Excerpts: Much of McGowan's plan is about changing the corporate culture by rewarding and motivating its 90,000 staff. They will probably need it.

He will need all his skills to effect a turnaround at Rentokil which is up against shrinking profit margins and tough competition in its core markets.

Rentokil Stays Intact For Now

Following are excerpts from several linked articles. We also watched a four minute video with Edward Brown, Sector Managing Director of Pest Control, Washroom Services and Tropical Plants. He spoke only of Pest Control with not one word about Tropical Plants. Interesting!

Bloomberg

Excerpts: Rentokil Initial Plc, the world's largest pest-control company, said it plans to reverse a slide in profit by cutting bureaucracy and making acquisitions rather than splitting the business. The shares lost as much as 7.2 percent.

``Group culture has been stifling and bureaucratic and we're going to streamline,'' McGowan said in a conference call. ``I'm looking forward in this business and that is why acquisitions are so important. Disposing of businesses would be a sideshow.''

Cultural Resolution

McGowan said he aims to transform Rentokil's performance by developing a culture of openness; rewarding and motivating employees; making acquisitions in hygiene and security; accelerating the development of information technology; better commercial exploitation of inventions and developments.

``I'm disappointed they don't have an aggressive attitude to coming up with an aggressive business plan,'' Fraser said in an interview. ``It's not a question of splitting the company but of sorting out the basic problems. The business is under attack from price competition. It's moved into lower-margin areas like security and that's not the way to go.''

Scotsman

Excerpts: The chairman highlighted five key areas "where focus and investment will transform performance". Initiatives include accelerating IT development, "making acquisitions happen" and motivating the group’s 90,000 employees.

Despite having such a huge global workforce, Rentokil has never had a central human resources function.

Jeanette Cowley, who previously worked for risk consultancy Marsh, has now joined the firm as its first HR director.

Mr McGowan said that she would be responsible for ensuring that sales teams have the "tools, support and incentives to win in an increasingly competitive market."

Reuters

Excerpts: "This is not a soft option. This is shaking the whole business to its roots," he told a news conference.

Shareholder Standard Life Investments said it could be a long time before the company got back on its feet.

"It could be a long drawn-out saga before we see any turnaround in Rentokil's operations," said Magdalene Miller, an investment director at the fund manager.

Rentokil, which also provides tropical plants for offices, said the hunt was still on for a new CEO to replace James Wilde, who stepped down in July in response to shareholder concerns about the company.

Investor's Business Daily

Excerpts: He said there were no current plans to discontinue underperforming businesses, like its tropical plants for offices division, but if benefits from extra investment into those areas did not come through by the second half of 2005, "you have to question your judgment."

As we used to say in my days at Big Blue…"it’s time for plans and programs". It sounds like there may be a rumble in the jungle.

TPIE 2004 - New Plants

Here are new plants displayed at this years Tropical Plant Industry Exposition (TPIE) in Florida.

Has anyone seen a Microsorium musifolium 'Crocodyllus' in the retail market? It was voted "best new foliage plant".

Twyford International introduced the fern, a native of Australia. It is named for its foliage, which resembles the skin of a crocodile. Foliage can be harvested for cut greens in floral arrangements.

Today's Rentokil Speculation

Bloomberg.com posted a detailed article with further speculation about the future of Rentokil. We hope there is solid information released tomorrow. We learned long ago that "pain develops, anxiety kills".

We continue to search for any news or publicity from Initial Tropical Plants and find none. They have been curiously quiet.

Excerpt: McGowan announced a three-month review when he took over as chairman in May. The market for pest-control and hygiene services, and for tropical plants, has become ``increasingly difficult,'' Wilde said in May at the company's annual general meeting.

Rentokil Analyized Again

It represents just one analyst's opinion but we found this an interesting read.

Excerpt: Nightmare Scenario

The nightmare scenario would be a fire sale of most of the company's divisions, leaving bond investors as lenders to an office flower arranger, or, as Rentokil's Web site describes its Tropical Plants unit, ``the world's largest supplier of rental and maintenance interior landscaping services.'' Even the sale of a bunch of peripheral units such as plants, parcels and conferences might produce a junk-rated company while not triggering the takeover clauses to bail out bondholders.

Excerpt: Rentokil is scheduled to update investors on its plans when it reports earnings on Thursday. Maybe it could kick off with that other dodge beloved of tired companies -- a rebranding exercise to purge its archaic name. Whatever options the company chooses, bondholders seem unlikely to benefit.

Rentokil - Informed Sources Say...

Times Newspapers, U.K. reports Rentokil chief wins key backing.

Excerpt: BRIAN McGOWAN, executive chairman of Rentokil Initial, has won the backing of key investors who have told him he does not need to break up the FTSE 100 business-services combine or look for quick disposals.

Not Quite So Green

This story Housing project will be 'green' caught our attention with the not-so-green element sitting in the corner. Note the fake ficus.

The interior plantscaping community has a challenge on its hands to educate the other green community about the real meaning of greenscaping. There are likely many in it who think replica plants are “green”.

Excerpt: Specifically, "green" buildings use recycled materials, solar energy, geothermal heat pumps, sod roofs, renewable woods and many more technologies to cut energy costs and damage to the planet while creating healthier indoor environments.

High Risk, Dubious Rewards

Outdoor garden writers continue to advise people to move their houseplants outdoors in the summer. Professional interior plant maintainers know better. It is highly questionable advice.

This is from a gardening column. The caption under the photo is “Move it: houseplants such as Spathiphyllum should be put outside”. We disagree.

As her reader discovered, it is easy to scorch and damage the leaves of inside plants. There is also the increased exposure to plant pests. This includes those that enter the soil system. They are both difficult to detect and eradicate.

In spite of all the experience we have, we goofed recently and scorched two valuable Aglaonema Jewel of India plants. We foolishly parked them outside on the deck after purchase. The soil was very moist and we wanted to dry them out before locating them inside. Even though they were in what we thought was sufficient shade they suffered scorch damage.

This damage is not easily correctable. It will take a long time for new leaves to replace the leaves with scorched tips.

The risk of monetary loss is small if we’re talking about cheap, soft plants like Creeping Charlie and Wandering Jew.

Quality interior plants, however, represent a significant investment in time and money. Plants adaptable to low interior light conditions are slow growing, thus more expensive.

We believe the risk of damage far outweighs the perceived benefit of summering outdoors. Professional plant caretakers understand the meaningful difference between inside plant maintainance and so-called "indoor gardening". Patience is once again a virtue.

A Green Revolution In Florida

Eco-friendly homes blossom in landscape is about the green revolution in Florida.

No, it has nothing to do with Florida’s foliage plant industry, the largest in the world. It's about green home building. There isn’t one word about inside plants, houseplants or cleaner air.

Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association (FNGLA) meet the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC).

A Trade Association Is Blogging

The Washington Times featured an article about blogging citing the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) weblog called "ACCA Buzz". It’s interesting to see a contractor’s trade association using a blog to communicate. The application of weblogs for a wide range of businesses is growing daily.

ACCA is using Six Apart's TypePad service, a good choice in our opinion. We use their Movable Type software but it's a bit above our pay grade.

We would use TypePad if we were starting today. Check it out. They offer a 30-day free trial. All you need do is invest a little time to test whether blogging is right for you.

We would like to see more bloggers in the inside plants community, particularly blogs written by interiorscapers and other horticultural professionals. As far as we know, this is still the only one.

Green Home - Greenscaping

The Ravalli Republic (Ravalli County, Montana) reported that Sustainable Living Systems, formerly the Western Cultural Heritage Institute sponsored a Green Homes Tour recently. It included homes from Florence, on the Oregon coast, to Victor, Montana.

This got our attention.

Not only is the Bassler house super energy efficient, it also utilizes rain water for the garden and gray water for the indoor house plants. "The water filters down into a cistern and is taken up by the plants from below," he said. "The soil in the garden is bone dry but the plants are all green and lush."

We would like to see this example of "greenscaping" using sub-irrigation. We forecast that environmentally unsound "drench and drain" watering practices will become more and more of an issue for interior plantscapers and homeowners.

Rentokil Rumors

The Rentokil story continues to fuel the U.K. financial press.

It Could Have Been A Lot Worse

The Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association (FNGLA) estimates a $100 million loss from Hurricane Charley.

Fortunately, the hurricane's path is not concentrated with foliage plant nurseries as was Andrew's when it devastated Homestead in 1992. Andrew had a significant impact on foliage plant supply. Thankfully, it appears that Charley will not have the same negative impact on the market.

The Plot Thickens

Here's more speculation about Rentokil. Evidently Sir Clive is waiting in the wings. Will he get his revenge? Stay tuned.

Interior Landscaping Class In Florida

We found this announcement about an interior landscaping class posted on the SebastianSun.com website (scroll down). It is very unusual to find a public course on the subject of interiorscaping. We will attempt to get more information.

Announcement: What kinds of plants will work best in an office building?

"ZZ plants and new aglaonemas," says Dennis McConnell, a professor who will teach a new course, Interior Landscape Practices, for the University of Florida at the Indian River Research and Education Center in Fort Pierce. "The ZZ plants, or zamioculcas plants, can survive without water for months and they are abundant in nurseries all over Florida. Aglaonemas are excellent plants for shopping malls because of their beauty-big deep green, herbaceous leaves accented with silver markings —and they tolerate low light levels."

The course will be from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. starting Aug. 26, and will continue each week on Thursday until mid-December. Course material will include the principles and practices of using plants indoors in large interior settings such as office complexes, banks, shopping malls and civic centers.
McConnell, who is based at the University of Florida in Gainesville, will teach the course using a state-of-the-art interactive Polycom videoconference platform so that students will have opportunities to interact with others in different markets.

The course will be transmitted to the Fort Pierce location, in addition to UF sites in Fort Lauderdale, Homestead, Apopka, Plant City and Milton.

To enroll in the class or for more information about University of Florida course offerings at the Indian River Research and Education Center, contact Kim Wilson at (772) 468-3922, Ext. 126.

IIDA Award To Plantscapers, Inc.

Irvine, California based Plantscapers, Inc. issued a press release about an award received from the International Interior Design Association, IIDA,

PAW To Participate in Greenbuild 2004

Interior Business reports that Plants At Work (PAW) representatives will participate in Greenbuild 2004. Greenbuild,organized by the U.S. Greenbuilding Council, is the annual meeting place for the green building industry. It takes place in Portland, Oregon, November 10-12, 2004.

No Window In Your SOHO?

Click to enlarge.

Perhaps your home office doesn’t have a window and you would like to have some decorative plants.

No, you do not need to call a contractor. Just create a "window" with a fluorescent light. Look at the photo and think “replica window” rather than shelf.

This is not a staged photo. These plants live and grow here. This is their permanent home.

There are two phases of “replica window” light. This is the “moonlight” phase. Please overlook our amateur photography. We shot during the day with both natural and artificial light so that you can see the details. The "moonlight" is supplied by one low cost incandescent up-light.

The “daylight” phase is horticultural light supplied by one 4-foot fluorescent light. This one has a diamond pattern plastic diffuser. It could also be an ordinary shop light with no diffuser.

Both lamps are connected to timers so there’s no hassle involved in switching from “moonlight” to “daylight”. The light switches automatically.

Water is supplied by sub-irrigation. There is no need for special "plant lights". This is not indoor gardening but rather interior plant display for decorative purposes and to bring a bit of the outdoors inside.

Offer: Send us digital photos of your office and we will be pleased to help you design a "replica window".

Rentokil Update

Here's a quick update on Rentokil. Stock is up 2.5% And furthermore...

Rentokil Upgraded To Hold

Analysts at Deutsche Bank upgraded Rentokil from "sell" to "hold." We note that we rarely read mention of the interior plantscaping part of the business.

Excerpt: In a research note published this morning, the analysts mention that the company may opt for a complete breakup, given its recent sluggish trading performance. This would lead to significant share repurchases by Rentokil in the near future, the analysts point out. Although less likely, the company may opt for a partial breakup, keeping its Hygiene, Pest Control and Security divisions, according to Deutsche Bank.

Having had several companies dissolve under our feet, including our IBM division and Weyerhaeuser's preserved plants start-up, we are empathic to the anxiety that is likely affecting Rentokil employees. Perhaps it has become routine in the often-tumultuous business climate of today.

It wasn’t that way so much for we who started our careers at an earlier time when as Bob Newhart satirized we were sometimes rewarded with a “crummy gold watch” at retirement after a lifetime career. The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart and The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back LPs were comedic treats. They’re comedy classics in a style not often heard these days. Your young kids can listen too.

Are You A SOHO Resident?

Perhaps you are working the same way these folks are in an office at home. Wouldn't it be nice to have a few office plants just as the employees of a large corporation? You can. It’s easy! Just copy our simple how-to. Read on!

When we look up, the leaves of a large Aglaonema Amelia gracefully break the hard lines of our computer monitor. It receives minimal light in the range of 30 to 50 foot-candles.

Amelia has been sitting there facing northwest for six years drinking an average of two ounces of water per day. We add water twice a month the year round. Incidentally, those Pothos on the shelf up near the ceiling get even less light.

No, we do not stick our finger into the soil then ponder whether to drench and drain. Amelia is installed in a sub-irrigation planter with no drainage.

There are absolutely no signs of the dreaded soluble salts problems that the misguided drone on about. There are no “tipped” leaves. None! It has never been trimmed, showered or had it’s leaves wiped. It has never had pests of any kind and requires less care and attention than a pet cat.

If we swivel our chair around to the left we see a Ficus benjamina basking in from 150 to 200 foot-candles on a shelf above the T.V. We don't worry about water dripping on the T.V. since the planter is a water tight closed system

It has been there, in this southeast facing window, for five years hardly dropping a leaf. We add water twice a month the year round on the same day that we add water to all the plants in our lab. It has consumed an average of 1.7 ounces of water per day. Note the Creeping Fig (Ficus pumila) groundcover.

Yes, they are all watered the same day, the same way every 15 or so days the year round. No, we do not need to stick our finger in the soil every day, or few days to see if it needs water. “Banyan Ben” is an independent cuss just as we are and doesn’t need a doting housemaid. Ben thrives beautifully in a sub-irrigation planter.

By the way, Ben just like us is no taller today than five years ago because he is pruned to fit on his shelf. No, we do not call it bonsai. That just conjures up a host of issues. Ben is merely a Ficus benjamina who has been groomed to size and loves it that way.

Amelia and Ben do not have the foggiest notion of what a fungus gnat is. They’ve never seen one because the soil surface is always dry.

Nor have they ever seen a mealy bug, scale or mite. They are healthy enough to hold no attraction for predatory insects and mites.

Okay, we realize we have anthropomorphized a “pet” Ficus tree and an Aglaonema and promise not to do it again. Well, at least for the rest of the week.

So when are you going to “interiorscape” your home office? Send us an e-mail if you need some personal guidance. We would be pleased to help. No charge, de nada!

A Green Buzz Opportunity

Using a variety of sources, we search online public media daily for interior plantscaping business buzz. We find little. There is, however, daily buzz about green buildings and the green industry.

This article about a center for retreats in the hills above Los Gatos, CA is a good example. A forward-looking sub-irrigation supplier and interior plantscaper team should consider some green plants installed in "greenscaper" sub-irrigation for this project.

Closed system, dry soil surface sub-irrigation eliminates exposure to fungus gnat propagation and mold generation while maintaining healthier plants. It conserves water and also allows longer periods between maintenance visits resulting in fossil fuel and human resources savings.

Here is an opportunity to display sustainable greenscaping and likely get some green buzz while doing it. It would probably also lead, down the road, to some green income for both the parties involved and the business at large.

Daniel Smith & Associates (DSA), Berkeley, CA, designed the project.

Excerpt: The new green facility will act as a "teaching building," said Mulpeters, "where people can learn about our environment here and how to appreciate the larger environment around us."

When finished, it will look like a conventional building, but its structure will be anything but.

In about four weeks, tightly compacted straw bales, which are noncombustible, will be delivered to the mountain retreat and will become walls for the building. When the roof goes up, native succulents will be planted on it to keep in heat during the winter and cool air in the summer. Nontoxic paints will be used throughout, as well as recycled glass, tile and plastics in showers and bathrooms. Furniture will be made of recycled materials.

Here's a good opportunity to grow some sub-irrigated tomatoes and peppers along with the decorative plants. We've done it. It works beautifully.

Excerpt: An organic garden and compost system is planned that will be run by the UC Agricultural Center's master gardeners program to grow food for the center and its guests, and to convert food waste to soil.

Inside Propagation

It’s a long way from a glass on your kitchen windowsill to a test tube in a micropropagation lab…or is it? Micropropagation is a technique for plant propagation in which offspring are cloned from tissue taken from a single plant.

Between your windowsill and a commercial lab are a number of other propagation methods worth knowing about. This University of Georgia website provides a good overview.

Although they don’t sell directly to the public, you might also find it interesting to visit commercial tissue culture labs to see what’s new. Here is where plants are often introduced to the houseplant and interior plantscaping markets. Twyford International, Oglesby Plants International and Agri-Starts, Inc. are a few worth exploring.

Instant Jungle Moves

Instant Jungle International is moving from Costa Mesa to Santa Ana. Ah...memories!

Shared Light Meter

A digital foot-candle or lux light meter now costs less than a quality chef’s knife. We firmly believe it is a wise expenditure for anyone serious about maintaining quality inside plants. It could pay for itself by saving the replacement cost of a single floor plant such as a Kentia or Rhapis palm.

For those looking to economize there are solutions that are far better than guessing at light levels and putting their plants at risk.

Consider sharing the cost. A light meter is typically not in constant use. The primary need is in locating a plant upon acquisition. Here are some ideas about group use of a meter.

Share the cost and use within a family, garden club, condo or co-op association. If you live in a multi-unit apartment, recommend that the manager buy one for tenant use. It would be a valuable renter amenity at very low cost.

Campus organizations such as resident student associations, sororities and fraternities could own one for the benefit of members. College students new to indoor plant care would benefit greatly from spotting plants with a light meter and learning how to sub-irrigate.

Individual use of these group meters should probably involve retention of a deposit to protect against loss or damage.

Your ideas about sharing the cost would benefit everyone. Please post them by clicking on "Comments" below.

CIPA To Become A National Organization

Interior Business Online reports the California Interior Plantscape Association (CIPA) has decided to become a national organization starting January 1, 2005. The new name will be Plantscape Industry Alliance (PIA). This seems like a good move to us.

Melbourne's New Convention Centre To Go Green?

The Property Council of Australia urges the Victorian Government to "go green" with the design of Melbourne's new convention centre or risk being uncompetitive against international centres.

Article excerpt: The PCA is calling for a 50 per cent reduction in energy use, storm-water recycling, and for the project to plant native gardens to improve indoor air quality, recycle all demolition material and use "approved green building materials".

A yet-to-be-published Property Council paper claims Pittsburgh's David L. Lawrence Convention Centre in the US attracted 35 per cent more conventions in its first year by using "green" as a marketing feature.

Perhaps interior plantscaping companies will catch on to the potential benefits of using "green" as a marketing benefit. Going "green" means more than just installng plants, it also means "green" maintenance. We find little evidence of that when exploring interior plantscaper websites.

6th Avenue Going Green - Big Time!

Ground was broken today for Bank of America's new building at One Bryant Park on 6th avenue between 42nd and 43rd streets in New York City.

Upon completion, Bank of America Tower will be the world's most environmentally responsible high-rise office building and the first to strive for the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum designation. The project incorporates innovative, high-performance technologies to use dramatically less energy, consume less potable water and provide a healthy and productive indoor environment that prioritizes natural light and fresh air.

This is how the site looks now.

This is how the new building will look. Animated website. Click on top menu "Projects", "Featured projects", "One Bryant Park" for five pages of project presentation.

Here are renderings and a quicktime animation on the Durst Organization website.

This is yet another exciting opportunity to showcase greenscaper technology.

Caesar And Son Go Green

Cesar Pelli and his son Rafael are designing a green building with green roofs for the University of Illinois. We wonder if the interior will feature some greenscaping.

Rentokil Buzz

More from the house of intrigue.