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It appears that the comment feature is not working. Until I can get help to fix the problem, please e-mail me at bobhyland [at] insideplantslive.org. I will publish comments of general interest.

Your feedback is of value and I appreciate it very much. Thanks! Bob

ISS to be Acquired

News about ISS and Rentokil on Greenscaper.net today.

DIY Grows in the UK

The British do-it-yourself (DIY) retail market, dominated by the growth of companies such as B&Q and Ikea, has expanded by 33 per cent in the past five years. I wonder how much has been spent on houseplants.

2.5m: Number of hanging baskets B&Q expects to sell this Easter This Easter weekend, B&Q expected to sell 2.5 million hanging baskets and 40 million plants, as householders begin sprucing up the garden after the winter. They also expected to unload 28,000 wooden benches, 13,000 garden parasols, 44,000 garden chairs, 20,000 barbecues and 8,000 trampolines. Industry experts say about £100m will be spent nationwide on plants, shrubs, trees and flowers over the Easter period. Environmentally-conscious gardeners may pay particular attention to drought-tolerant plants - the Environment Agency has warned that tropical and exotic plants may be a greener choice as the threat of a summer drought looms. The warning follows the third-driest winter in the south of England since records began in 1883. Steve Myatt, chairman of the Garden Centre Association, says his members are expecting an upsurge in demand for less thirsty plants. The UK is estimated to have six million green-fingered citizens and of those, 3,500 private owners in England and Wales open their gardens to the public under the National Gardens Scheme. The proceeds go to nursing, medical and gardening charities: £1.8m was raised last year.

A Whole New World

After years of research the root cause of botanophobia, fear of plants, has finally been discovered (audio). It has been traced to mothers suffering from oniomania related to compulsive houseplant buying. Many of them hang out in this houseplant forum. They find companionship and a safe place to indulge their compulsive behavior.

These oniomaniacs have been the primary teachers of poke and pour houseplant care which requires poking one’s index finger into pots of grungy houseplant soil to test for moisture. Forcing young children to perform this bizarre ritual has imbedded botanophobia in the minds of an uncountable number of young children.

The first step in recovery, as is true for most compulsive behavior, is self recognition. This is not easy. Denial is deeply embedded in most who deal with oniomania. It is not easy to say, “Hi, I’m Marsha. I’m a poke and pour oniomaniac and I’m propagating botanophobia.”

Fortunately, public figures such as Christina Ricci are speaking out about their botanophobia.

The 23-year-old actress admitted to British Esquire this summer that she suffers from a form of botanophobia — and we're not exactly talking about Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.

Ricci swears she's afraid of houseplants. "They are dirty," she said. "If I have to touch one, after already being repulsed by the fact that there is a plant indoors, then it just freaks me out."

Like Christina, these mothers must first confront their rather fetishlike behavior. Then, a program for recovery is recommended. This need not be a lengthy 12-step program. A simple decision to change the direction of their thoughts from gravity feed to capillary action will soon have them on the road to recovery.

After awhile, a higher level of awareness will lead to the complete replacement of soil with expanded clay pellets and the practice of passive hydroculture. This Zen like state elevates the spirits of both plants and practitioners. Peace is finally at hand. Young children can now grow up to be normal adults with no fear of their botanical friends engendered by poke and pour practices.

When are you going to start my friend? Please help save the children (audio)...and their plants. Tell a friend.

Number One “Self-watering” Pot?

Click to enlarge Is this Misco planter the biggest selling “self-watering” plant pot? Only because it’s available at your nearest Wal-Mart, it may well be.

I’ve tried it and have significant reservations about the design. It’s hard for me to believe some of the indoor plant pot ideas that are awarded a U.S. utility patent. The Misco planter has one covering the removable base with a lip.

In typical subdued indoor light, it is difficult to see how much water is in the supply chamber. I also found it cumbersome to pour water into the lipped port. The design inhibits the practice of measured sub-irrigation. You can decide for yourself how the design suits your aesthetic eye.

For those valuing an implied endorsement from Wal-Mart, this may be a choice. For those who think for themselves, the polyester batting “aquapad” method is clearly a better choice.

Hydroculture Conversion 2

1. Soil removed
2. Installed in clay pellets This conversion is a step up in plant age and size. Ficus benjamina No. 290 was potted up May 1, 2004 almost 4 years ago. Like all of the plants in my lab, it has been growing in Supersoil and sub-irrigated semi-monthly using 1.6 ounces of water per day on average. It has been kept pruned to tabletop size at about 26-28 inches.

The removal of soil from the mature tangle of roots was a challenge but not unduly difficult. It just takes patience. I used a bamboo chopstick to carefully poke and leverage the soil from between the roots. Bamboo chopsticks are very handy for houseplant repotting chores such as for tamping soil into narrow spaces. I didn’t time it but I’m estimating it took about 10-20 minutes. After most of the soil was manually removed, I ran the root system under a stream of lukewarm water in the bathtub.

Hello Hydroculture

1. Soil washed off
2. Installed in "hydrorocks" The lure of hydroculture finally moved me to action. I now own 10-liter bags of Hydroton and Grow Rokz from Atami

This Ficus benjamina (a.k.a. No. 477) was potted up from cuttings May 1, 2004. It has been sub-irrigated semi-monthly with an average water usage of 1 ounce/day. It is roughly equivalent to a 6” pot size plant.

I will blog the progress of this and other hydroculture conversions in the future. As we used to say, it will be “online in real time” but without video. The first benchmark measurement will be the success rate of converting from soil to expanded clay media.

Plant quality and growth rate will be observed and subjectively measured. Using a scale, precise water consumption will also be measured and compared to soil based growing.

Stay tuned for further hydroculture (hopefully) heroics.

Worries at Flickr

With the money they made, the founders of Flickr have few worries after the sale to Yahoo. Many members, however, are apprehensive that the magic of Flickr will diminish. No matter the spin at this time, only time will tell.

I joined, have yet to post photos but definitely will. It’s a terrific concept.

.

Worries at GardenWeb

The sale of GardenWeb to iVillage took place last November but it was only recently announced. It has created some anxiety among members and a lot of rhetoric. This is from the member message from Spike, the founder of GardenWeb.

I realize many of you are not happy with the changes. You can feel free to voice your opinions on the matter in this forum, but try to limit the number of separate threads on the subject and keep your comments respectful of all involved. Likewise, limit your assertions to what you know to be true. I have never allowed any rudeness, directed at anyone, in these forums and I never will. So don't let your rhetoric get ahead of you. I have already banned one person for their remarks and I will not hesitate to do so as often as necessary.

There are a few people who have stated "facts" about the matter which are demonstrably false and I have to assume they are doing it merely to cause trouble. If you don't know what you are talking about, leave it unsaid. I am not going to be battling misleading rumors posted to this site.

The author is a member and obviously has strong feelings. She made this overt threat. “Somewhere else” is Davesgarden.com a competitive site.

I'm a GardenWeb user. Its appeal is that its readers own it. They start threads inviting others to post local plant sales they know of, or asking which varieties of roses (traditionally expensive and finicky) are thriving in actual gardens here. Imposing popups and contests, monetizing those who came to share freely with others who find deep pleasure and satisfaction in growing their own food or their own beauty, is not the way iVillage should do this one.

If nothing else, it's too easy for the entire swarm to pick up and go somewhere else where they won't be disturbed.

It should be noted that what is free with a GardenWeb membership requires a $15 annual fee at Davesgarden.com.

What, me worry?

Interior plantscaping company news on Greenscaper.net.

Hydroponics Harmful?

It's nice to see that the Brits have ditsy articles about plants too. See how many misspelled words you can find here.

What Did Bill Really Say Redux

Those who read this post may be interested to read what Bill had to say recently. Read the entire thread for context. It reads like one of our red state vs. blue state flame wars.

Comments Inadvertanly Deleted

Somehow the Movable Type comment spam fighter plug-in (MT-Blacklist) deleted all comments except those with my IP address. I believe I can reconstruct them, but not today. Ah, such are the joys of blogging in the age of spam. Tomorrow is another day!

Long Live Ben

Click to enlarge.This Ficus benjamina (Weeping Fig) with Ficus pumila (Creeping Fig) groundcover was purchased July 17, 1999, about 5.7 years ago. It is weighed and sub-irrigated approximately every 2 weeks. It uses 2.2 ounces of water per day on average. The watering interval could easily be stretched to every 3 or 4 weeks using sub-irrigation.

It has grown from a typical 6” pot size tissue culture plant in this time period. Imagine what it will look like in another 6, 12 or 18 years. Children could easily learn to care for it. There’s no green thumb required. Although not botanically correct, you could call it Banyan Ben if you like.

Think about this plant as a remembrance plant of a special occasion such as a birth, graduation, wedding, or the passing of a loved one. A Ficus benjamina maintained like this can be handed down to the next generation.

Peace lily (Spathiphyllum) is often marketed for this purpose. Unless you continually propagate the original plant, they do not have a long life span. Those in my lab are looking rather tired after 5-6 years.

Ben is not meant to be a bonsai with all the mystical baggage associated with the term. It is merely a Ficus houseplant maintained as a “tabletop” size “tree” by periodic (not frequent) pruning. This plant is 26” tall from the base of the planter to the top of the foliage.

It has been a low maintenance plant, including watering (by sub-irrigation) and pruning. It has always been indoors, never outside.

It is growing in Supersoil, which is readily available at retail in the Western states. The soil has never been changed or amended. It is straight out of the bag.

Average light level has been in the range of 100 to 400 foot-candles of light in a southeast facing window in my office.

Because it is growing in adequate light (measured with a foot-candle meter), it is fertilized with Dyna-gro liquid Pro-Series 9-3-6 on a constant feed basis (1/2 tsp/gallon of water).

Go to Europe for Houseplant Care Advice

This is good information about Spider plants from the UK. This paragraph got my attention because of what it omits. There is no mention of soluble salts, the fetish unique to the US horticultural community.

The only problems are extremes of maltreatment. Brown tips result from under-feeding or hot air, brown streaks in winter indicate overwatering in cool conditions.

The quality of this article prompted a site search for other houseplant care articles. There were many hits including “Do not overwater the houseplants”.

Experience generally teaches indoor gardeners the tricks of watering. African violets and cyclamen must be watered from beneath and bulbs such as hyacinths and narcissus suffer if the compost is allowed to dry out. Cyclamen is the only winter-flowering pot plant which needs feeding while in bloom.

If you are still learning, a sound way of preventing under-and over-watering is to use capillary matting, a thin blanket which is kept either fully or partly soaked in water, according to the plants' needs, on which the pots are stood.

As long as the compost in the pots is in contact with the damp matting, via the drainage holes, the compost will absorb as much or as little as the plants use. All you need to do is ensure the matting has enough water to soak up.

Based on my exhaustive web research, good advice like this is unavailable in the US. Taxpayer funded Agricultural Extension programs recite the same tired drench and drain advice repeatedly, ad nauseam.

What is particularly frustrating is that they don’t even offer an option. There is no scholarly discourse. This is not college level information. Anyone with an Internet connection and a browser can learn how arcane this information really is.

This is from the venerable Royal Horticultural Society, a mere 200 years old last year. Now what could they possible know about maintaining plants in buildings? They likely have forgotten more then we know here in the US.

Water

Indoor plants more commonly die of over-watering, than from drought. Overwatering eventually leads to root death and collapse of the plant. Keep plants just moist. Avoid letting the compost dry out completely. As the compost dries it becomes lighter in weight and often paler in colour.

Water from below allowing the plant to take up water as it is needed, but allow excess to drain away. Brown tips and margins of the leaves often indicate that the compost or atmosphere is too dry. Always use tepid water to prevent temperature shocks to the roots.

News About the European Big Kids

This post on Greenscaper.net might be of interest for those in the interior plantscaping business.

Mealy Bugs in Depth

There's well written information here about a common houseplant enemy. Nancy O'Donell knows her mealy bugs.

A Straw Built School

There are opportunities like this all over the country for businesses in the “plants in buildings” industry (interior plantscapers, garden centers, and florists) to make a significant contribution to youth education and gain recognition for doing so. Where is the leadership to make this happen?

It would not be a big investment to donate some plants installed in sub-irrigation and teach these kids about interior greenscaping. I know of no one doing this.

I’m looking forward to donating my plant lab to a worthy organization. This will free up time to volunteer to teach young people about the value of interior greenscaping in an urban environment.

Plants in a Box

Remember to close the door on the plant box. I seem to remember a mother’s admonition about the refrigerator sounding something like this.

Jeff Spence has a clever idea here. Only time will tell if his Living Pantry has economic feasibility.

There is a picture in my mind of something similar to this for houseplants in city apartments. I can hear the giggles, but you might be surprised at the result when I find the time to fabricate a houseplant armoire. Now you might have the picture.

Eco-Palms for Some this Sunday

Some palm fronds will be green by any definition this Palm Sunday. My first thoughts when I read this were memories of my years spent in the preserved palm tree business. Some preserved palms are created from recycled palm fronds provided by tree trimmers. They certainly qualify as “Eco-Palms”.

Eco-Palms for Palm Sunday are another story however. No, they’re not preserved in the same sense but these are apparently helping to preserve the rainforest.

Earth-friendly Wedding Ideas

Here are ideas for an earth-friendly wedding or other celebration.

Use organically grown flowers and candles made from beeswax. Plantable table arrangements such as rosebushes or green plants are an alternative to flowers that die quickly.

We would add…install the plant in an inexpensive cachepot with an Aquapad. Include a notecard explaining that this is an environmentally friendly plant that is greenscaped.

Include the web address for InsidePlantsLive.org of course. By the way, are you telling all your friends about eco-friendly greenscaping and IPL.org blog?

Tsk, tsk… if you’re not.

Could be Fungus Gnats

He got everything right...except the solution. It will be good when a university entomologist knows about something as basic as sub-irrigation of houseplants.

There is no moist surface soil, no habitat, no fungus gnats (Sciarid flies). It's that simple.

Note from the Editor

There will be posts to this blog later today. Other personal priorities have delayed my research today. Please check back later today or tomorrow. Thanks for your patience.

What's a Blog?

An answer.

Oil Prices at Record Highs

Anyone providing or acquiring plants in buildings maintenance service should read this post on Greenscaper.net.

Blogging News About Spam

Spam is one of the ugly sides of the blogosphere. It is very frustrating to spend time every day (including today) deleting comment and trackback spam. It is even more frustrating to think that the bad guys may be winning the war over the good guys.

There has been much naïve thinking by blog software writers in the past. That time is long gone. These spammers are technically savvy and have no conscience.

New Green Business Blog

The launch of a new blog by Greenview Fertilizer gets a bravo and a big round of applause from this blogger.

It’s great to see a company involved in the green plants business recognize the value of a blog. I like what they’re doing and wish there were people and companies in the “plants in buildings" community (houseplants or interior plants) with the courage to publish a blog.

This press release was the first news of the blog. This link captioned What is a blog? from their website explains more about their rationale for the blog. I often wonder how many people in the green plants business yet know what a blog is.

Big Orange Boxes in the Big Apple

Opening of the Manhattan Home Depot was covered here before. Here are more details about doing big box business in the Big Apple. I'm looking forward to seeing this in person.

The lack of sunlight shrunk the garden center to indoor plants. But demand overwhelmed supply, so more basement floor space was added for more live plants. "We had no idea there were so many rooftop gardens in New York," said Feldman.

I would differ with his comment about rooftop gardens. There is likely no bigger market for plants inside buildings than New York, the city of buildings. What a greenscaping potential! Yikes!

California Grown Promotion

Somehow the California Grown marketing campaign got under my radar. Is that from not watching enough TV or spending enough time in supermarkets? Click on the TV spot (top left) for a message from some Californians including Governer Arnold.

In any case, the program is evidently at risk according to this article. It also points out that there is only one houseplant grower in the program. Mainland Nursery, Inc in Lodi, CA grows a variety of common houseplants some kitschy, some not.

Design IKEA

Icon, a British design magazine published a "21 Most Influential List" topped by IKEA. As this article suggests it will likely trigger some water cooler conversation in the design community.

I find little or no merchandising of plants for building interiors other than IKEA. They consistently feature plants in their catalog room setting photos. Their in store plant departments feature a visually stimulating array of forms and textures. The coordinated display of plants and plant containers is unequaled by any other mass merchandiser.

IKEA presents plants and accessories as interior design elements rather than gardening products. They make a clear statement that plants are home furnishings. Other merchandisers mistakenly present them in an environment that is merely an adjunct to the garden center. The word design in this context is an oxymoron.

IKEA update: This ad is a link from an IKEA email just received. Are they reading this blog? No thanks, I do not need any more plants no matter how good the offer.

IKEA update #2: IKEA announced plans for a 2.5 million sq. foot. mall in Russia. It will be the largest mall in Russia topping the 2.3 million sq. foot IKEA anchored mall opened in December last year.

These are big shopping malls measured by any standard. The largest mall in the U.S. is Mall of America at 2.5 million sq. feet topped by Canada's West Edmonton Mall at 3.8 million sq. feet. It is reputed to be the largest mall in the world. These figures are for leaseable square feet of store space. MOA is 4.2 million sq. feet and WEM 5.2 million sq. feet including amusment and other areas.

AquaPads, Another RSSi Method

Click to enlarge.This the best of all the RSSi (really simple sub-irrigation) methods I’ve tried. The wick is a pad of polyester batting (aka backing) I call an AquaPad. This material is ideal for the purpose as it is durable, wicks well and is washable. I'd forget about all the other methods like shoestrings, yarn, cord, strips of pantyhose, etc.

The material I bought in a local fabric store is 45” wide. I cut 4” wide strips creating two wicks (22.5”). I roll folded the strip (4” fold). The result is a 4” x 4” pad of five layers. I cut the corners to facilitate placement in a round cachepot.

A search on the Internet revealed a better solution. It is crib bat and has a loft of approximately 5/8”. At this thickness, a single thickness would probably be enough for one capillary pad. I will buy a roll and try it out.

Click to enlarge.Just drop the pad into the bottom of a watertight cachepot. Install the plant in its standard grow pot on top and you’re good to go.

Update: April, 2006 - I found two types of this material in Wal-Mart called PolyFelt and Plush Felt. I will test them both and report the results in the future.

An alternate use of this material is to cut it into narrow strips and poke it into the grow pot drain holes. A bamboo chopstick works well. This is the same as the shoestring method and I don't think it's necessary in most cases.

Once again, the key to success is to measure the water. Never add so much water that it rises all the way to the surface. The soil surface should always be dry.

Naughty IKEA

After reading half way through this article, I was sure I’d made a mistake and was reading The Onion. Real life is often more comedic than satire.

Speaking of Bill

Bill is in the news again today. It's no secret that we think this is a stretch.

New Light on Meters

Seemingly unnoticed by interior horticulturists is that we’re in the digital age. It was somewhat of a shock to read yet another recommendation for the GE foot-candle light meter. This is as up to date as the 8-track player in your grandmother's Oldsmobile is. Do not buy a GE analog meter or this analog meter.

This is a previous post about buying a digital/lux meter on eBay. You won't find any better selection or prices than these for digital light meters suitable for measuring light for plants in buildings.

The options range from a Lux meter at only $20 to a combination Lux/Foot-candle meter for just $50. It's a good idea to buy a meter with a carrying case.

International Women's Day Today

I almost forgot to post this today on International Women's Day. What's that got to do with plants? Read on...

The women working on board the ships will not be presented with flowers either. "The last time the ships called at ports early in February and it's just impossible to preserve flowers for such a long time", Mr. Lukin said. "Perhaps, someone grows indoor plants onboard the ships", he surmised.

Wal-Mart Side-by-Side

So where is the houseplant department going to be? Read on...

What Did Bill Really Say?

Can you name the top three houseplant books on Amazon.com? Bet you didn’t guess them. Number 1 is a miscatagorized greenhouse book and number 2 is Indoor Marijuana Horticulture - The Indoor Bible by Jorge Cervantes. Three of the top 10 are about marijuana growing.

Potheads aren’t the only ones savvy to the use of hydroponics rather than drench and drain top watering. Dr. Bill Wolverton, retired NASA scientist and author of the number 3 book also advocates the use of technology for houseplants but we’ve never seen him quoted on this.

In his book How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 Houseplants That Purify Your Home or Office he recommends hydroculture and sub-irrigation over drench and drain top watering.¹

Thanks to money supplied by interior plantscapers, Bill’s research is some of the most misquoted science there is about plants in buildings. His findings from controlled lab experiments have been translated into statements implying that NASA (the agency) officially endorses houseplants cleaning contaminated air in buildings. People read this stuff and think they can clean the air in their house with plants as if they bought an air purifier at Sharper Image.

Most of us intuitively believe that plants in buildings are a good idea both psychologically and physiologically. Most consumers, however, do not understand that there is a negative exposure when they drench and drain which may allow overly moist soil to exist. There can be unintended consequences.

This is not an exposé to debunk the beneficial attributes of plants in buildings. The purpose is to explain that it is faulty to separate the product from its maintenance. People with asthma and other allergy problems have a medical need to understand the facts rather than hype. Simply put...plants are good...drench and drain watering is bad!

Furthermore, taxpayer dollars are funding the bad drench and drain houseplant advice published on just about every US agricultural extension and master gardener program website. This unscientific information is in dire need of updating.

The American Lung Association, The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and The American Medical Association (AMA) all understand. They are sponsors of “Indoor Air Pollution: An Introduction for Health Professionals". This is from their Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

Can plants control indoor air pollution?

Recent reports in the media and promotions by the decorative houseplant industry characterize plants as "nature's clean air machine", claiming that National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) research shows plants remove indoor air pollutants.

While it is true that plants remove carbon dioxide from the air, and the ability of plants to remove certain other pollutants from water is the basis for some pollution control methods, the ability of plants to control indoor air pollution is less well established.

Most research to date used small chambers without any air exchange which makes extrapolation to real world environments extremely uncertain. The only available study of the use of plants to control indoor air pollutants in an actual building could not determine any benefit from the use of plants⁶⁹.

As a practical means of pollution control, the plant removal mechanisms appear to be inconsequential compared to common ventilation and air exchange rates. In other words, the ability of plants to actually improve indoor air quality is limited in comparison with provision of adequate ventilation.

While decorative foliage plants may be aesthetically pleasing, it should be noted that overdamp planter soil conditions may actually promote growth of unhealthy microorganisms.

Quotes from Bill’s book: pp 34-37¹

In Europe, most houseplants are grown commercially using hydroculture techniques. However, few US commercial growers use these methods. They are perceived by many as complicated or too scientific. p.35

As more people purchase houseplants for the primary purpose of improving indoor air quality, the use of hydroculture will surely increase. There are significant benefits associated with hydroculture. Hydroculture is much less messy since there is no soil involved. It takes the guesswork out of watering. Simply maintain the water between minimum and maximum on the water level indicator. Oxygen and other atmospheric gases are more easily drawn down to the root area; therefore, houseplants grown in hydroculture are more effective air purifiers. Because plants are watered from the bottom and the surface remains dry, fungal or mold problems are virtually nonexistent. Pest infestations can also be greatly reduced. p.35

Sub-irrigation is the technique of growing plants in soil-filled, watertight containers in which water is introduced below the soil surface. This system is similar to hydroculture except that soil is used instead of substrate. Sub-irrigation is rapidly gaining favor, especially in the commercial interior plantscape industry. However, it is less frequently used by individuals for growing houseplants in the home. pp 35,36

A Greener Future

Even though changing the minds of techno-averse U.S. horticulturists is an uphill climb, there are high hopes that young people are on the right track.

Read about high school students who get it.

Excerpt: The students picked Manila largely because it is located in a highly volcanic region, allowing them to harness geothermal power, according to Mr. Malloy. Steam generated by this process would turn turbines that generate electricity for the whole city.

Biodome farms would grow high-yield, low-pest crops with hydroponics, Mr. Malloy said. Vegetables and fruit would play a large part of futuristic Manila's economy, as would gemstones manufactured with geothermal power. The gems, students reasoned, could be used for high-tech optics.

When not working in the farms or gemstone facility, residents could relax in high-rise housing or more spacious surroundings near the coast.

Oldest Living Plant in a Building

 
 

 
What is the oldest living plant in a building? I don't know. Just kidding, but if you want to read (and see) some amazing botanical information check out this website. Avi Solomon in Isreal sent the link. Thanks Avi.

Rentokil Rumoring

Recent Rentokil rumoring from the U.K.

According to traders, Douglas Flynn, formerly of advertising group Aegis (up 2.75p at 101p), was unveiled to City analysts at a drinks party on Tuesday night.

By all accounts he went down well. It seems Mr Flynn, who takes up his new position in about a month, is going to steadily transform Rentokil rather than break it up. Analysts also got the impression that there will be a significant shake-up of senior management and that Rentokil's overseas operations will be run by locals rather than from its head office in West Sussex.

In addition Mr Flynn, 55, apparently sees Rentokil as his last executive position and wants to go out on a high.

Pakistani Houseplants

Pakistan is exporting houseplants (that's a lot better than guns or nukes). I'm curious where they go. Does anyone know?

ISLAMABAD March 02 : Government is fully alive to the importance of horticulture and has taken adequate measures to boost production of quality horticultural produce to meet needs of our teeming millions and yet have substantial exportable surplus, meeting international standards.

Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and livestock, Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan expressed these views while addressing a “National Seminar on Streamlining production and export of cut flowers and House Plants” at NARC on Wednesday.

Mold and IAQ Monitor

There is a post on Greenscaper that is pertinent to interior plantscapers and others interested in air quality.

What's in a Name?

The name you select for your interior plantscaping, florist or nursery business says a lot about you. It’s worth the time to select wisely. This article from the Startup Journal of the Wall Street Journal will get you started.

Do you want the world to identify you as an unsophisticated sole proprietor? I can usually tell from an e-mail address. MsPlants@AOL.com reveals much at a quick glance. Like it or not, those who are web wise look down on an AOL address as that of an unsophisticated web user. That’s particularly true when there’s a trite name before the @ symbol.

Even if you’re not ready to start your website, buy a domain name for your business to use as the e-mail address. A few years ago, I bought a domain name for personal mail hosting for under $30 per year. Hyland was taken so I bought HylandHome.com

It was a good decision. No matter how many times I change Internet service providers, my personal address does not change. There is never a need for a change of address notice mailing. That alone is worth the annual fee.

Incidentally, are you sorting your mail into folders? Along with spam filtering it’s the most effective way to manage spam. Only unsorted mail is in my inbox. It’s easy, therefore, to see the spam and quickly delete it. Click, click, it’s gone!

The web offers an abundance of resource material to help you create a business name. Here are the results of a search on the phrase “business name generator”.

Feel free to run your new name short list by me for an opinion.