Dormscaping News

 
 

 
 

 
Okay, maybe two Lucky Bamboo plants don't qualify as ‘scaping’ but it’s great to see these young women with plants in their dorm design.

The Holy Cross Crusader picked their dorm as “Dorm of the Week”.

Congratulations ladies! Nice Job!

Meg's grandfather's naval trunk is on the floor in front of the futon, and other than the framed black and white Moran family portrait it is the most interesting aspect of the room. The girls use it as a coffee table, and Meg explained that her sister used it in her dorm room at Dartmouth last year. They decorated the table with their matching bamboo plants and two important books: Muhammad and Vogue's 800-page special fall fashion edition.

New Floriculture and Nursery Crops Outlook

There is no good news (PDF File) here from the USDA. In addition, Katrina and Rita have carried even worse news regarding higher energy and gasoline prices.

This is a great opportunity for savvy business owners to turn a negative into a positive. There’s not likely to be a better time to invest in irrigation technology to allow a switch from energy wasteful and unnecessary weekly plant care.

Despite relatively healthy growth of the U.S. economy, sales prospects for ornamental crops in 2005 are modest. A 2-percent gain for all greenhouse and nursery receipts is projected following 1.3 percent growth in 2004.

Sharply higher energy and gasoline prices in the third quarter of 2005 are expected to dampen consumer spending on discretionary goods such as ornamental crops.

Sales declines are projected for cut flowers and cut cultivated greens and no growth for indoor foliage plants.

Continued strong sales for bedding and garden plants and propagative material are largely responsible for the 2.3-percent gain in floriculture crop receipts in 2005.

Rentokil-Robinson Speculation

What an ugly situation this has become.

American shareholders are rallying behind Sir Gerry Robinson, the Irish-born multimillionaire who has said he may launch a takeover bid for Rentokil, the support services group chaired by Brian McGowan.

Robinson has just spent a week in the US, meeting American investors - who are reckoned to account for over half the Rentokil share register. The Robinson camp are now thought to be quietly confident that they will be able to seize control of the struggling company, which recently published disappointing interim numbers. A move could come in the next two weeks.

The media estimate is that this battle is costing Rentokil as much as $36 million (20 million pounds) in defense fees. Think of all the better uses for the money at this time. Pity.

Plug-in Fungus Gnat Catcher

Got gnats? You don’t need a FlyWeb if you’re watering your houseplants in an environmentally sound way. Moist soil in your living environment is a common problem created only by top watered houseplants.

The surface is always dry with measured sub-irrigation or hydroculture. Therefore, there is no environment available for fungus gnat propagation.

Water by sub-irrigation or hydroculture and you don’t need a gnatcatcher, vinegar in a dish, yellow sticky traps, diatomaceous earth, or any of the other hokey home brew remedies that circulate in houseplant forums. It’s that simple.

Simple it may be but outdoor garden writers just don't get it. The primary reason for that is the failure of the USDA extension programs to teach other than the outdated drench and drain watering method. They simply don't know what they don't know which is ignorance supported by taxpayer dollars.

Plants in Buildings News Summary

Rentokil Initial

Rentokil Initial, UK parent of US Initial Tropical Plants, obviously needs more than a facelift to solve its problems but a newly remodeled website is a good start. You’ll see that it has the imprimatur of new CEO Doug Flynn. Along with a photo there’s video and audio of him reporting interim results on August 25, 2005.

Meanwhile, the takeover attempt by Sir Gerry Robinson of Raphoe Management has split the UK financial community. Forbes reports.

Personally, I’d like to see Flynn get his chance to turn things around. If he’s not the one to do it, I don’t know who is. From what I read the odds are no better than fifty-fifty that they will keep the interior landscaping business. Following this post, you can read public comments by Doug Flynn. It's a collection of quotes from news articles since the interim results report of August 25.

Rentokil reported their support of an interesting study conducted by a student at The Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester.

Her study indicated that plants might have a positive affect on student’s classroom attentiveness. This is a good start but the subject needs more weight behind it to attract media attention. The media will want results authored by a credible institution rather than a study conducted by a college student.

The story was reported by Interior Landscape Business and Landscape Industry News, a sister publication. Other than that, the story has had no traction in the US media.

I hope that more funding appears for studies of this type. The academic market has huge potential. Unfortunately, I observe no leadership within the US interior plantscaping industry. It appears to be leaderless and rudderless at this time. I hope that changes soon.

A Touch of Spring

This is a story (Registration required) from the opposite end of the spectrum from Rentokil. It is about a houseplant hobbyist who started her own business. A familiar story it is.

As long as the established interior plantscaping companies allow the cost of entry into the business to be low (the cost of a watering can) there will be severe low-price competition from indoor gardeners. The pay beats pumping coffee at Starbucks.

Note the low-tech unprofessional saucer installation of these plants. This is an image not likely to promote the business of interior plantscaping.

Real or Replica at the Mall?

According to this article, MacArthur Center in Norfolk, VA switched from living to replica plants with little notice by shoppers.

It appears to me that, along with the plants, this ‘photo’ is also fake. It looks like a computer rendering. Someone from the interior plantscaping industry should call them on this. In my opinion, it’s negative publicity based on misrepresentation.

Incidentally, what does “very few comments” mean? People are now quite accustomed to seeing ‘fake’ plants and would not likely take the time to comment one way or another. It doesn’t mean they like fake plants or don't care.

When MacArthur Center owners switched out live greenery for the synthetic version about two years ago, they heard very few comments from customers, said Karen Winters, marketing director for the downtown Norfolk mall. Winters said she presumes shoppers either liked the change, didn’t notice it or didn’t care.

Planters, United Arab Emirates

Planters, of Dubai, is the only interior plantscaping company I know of on the web that has a program of professionally produced press releases.

Their ‘news’ appears on a frequent and regular basis. Even knowing that what I read is PR rather than media news I read their stuff. The information and writing quality is worth my time.

'The project is very interesting in that it combines replica, preserved and living trees and plants. The high quality of the plants chosen makes it difficult to differentiate between what's live and what's preserved,' explained Mr. Pardoe. 'We have chosen the Birch species to provide an authentic British tree, the Cypress to give that formal English garden look, Kentia palms imitate the parlour palms often used in British décor and Peace Lilies imitate the 'Lilly of the Valley' plants often found in traditional English Gardens.'

Planters, the largest interior landscaping company and in the middle east for the last 26 years have announced that they will be participating at the fourth Cityscape 2005 exhibition to be held in Dubai from Sept 17 - 19, 2005 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Doug Flynn media comments follow.

Doug Flynn, Rentokil Initial CEO, comments since August 25, 2005

Telegraph UK, August 28, 2005

At the beginning of April he started the new job, and began to burrow into the company and evaluate the challenge he faced - which now appears enormous.

Was it greater than expected? "Well, certainly not less" is how he puts it.

"I don't exactly lack in energy, I don't lack in balls," he declares. "I'm not going to stand back and shy away from the problems. The problems are there, I will confront them."

His plans for the group are wide-ranging and ambitious, and mostly revolve around its organisation and structure. "It is a company stuck in the 1980s," he says. "All the changes in the way you run a business in the past 20 years have passed it by."

To reinforce the point that its organisation is poor, Flynn deploys a startling anecdote. "We have got competing businesses in washrooms in Europe," he says. "Now I just find that extraordinary. They are in the same countries and they are competing."

He also refers to a diagram from the results presentation. Its title is as blunt as Flynn can be: "Poor performance analysed - ineffective organisation."

In the chart, the company is divided into four vertical silos titled sectors one to four. In each silo are a mix of pest control, washroom services, cleaning and other business areas. Presumably each sector is a geographical part of the world? Wrong, he says. At this point his adviser interjects, saying each sector has a head in charge of it.

But how on earth are these fiefdoms created; they can't just be arbitrary? Flynn's eyes light up. "Completely arbitrary," he booms. "Well, I'll rephrase that. It's not totally arbitrary, it's mostly arbitrary. It's a mix of geographies and businesses. I think they started out with a regional structure then tried to move it a bit. They didn't quite get there. I've said nuts to all that, our structure has got to be based around our strategy."

The Sunday Times Online, August 28, 2005

Flynn repeated that the company still had huge problems, despite his work over the past months. He delivered a blistering critique of past management failings at Rentokil, particularly of Thompson. He said the company had failed to invest in the business, had worked to very short-term goals, allowed service standards to deteriorate and had set prices at unsustainably low levels. He also said acquisitions had not been properly integrated.

“This company is stuck in the 1980s,” Flynn told The Sunday Times. “It has had a simplisitic view and management style that has been based on the branch structure. The idea of 20% returns stopped more than 10 years ago. The only reason, for instance, that returns continued to be high after 1998 was due to the acquisition of BET. But the reality was different.”

The Herald, August 26, 2005

Flynn said further asset sales would inevitably follow that of the conferencing unit, saying he would get rid of the "clutter" at the edges of the group.

However, this does not include its parcels and tropical plants businesses, Flynn said.

He also ruled out dumping any of its main businesses, adding: "You are going to leave a lot of value on the table if you go down that path aggressively."

Rather than this, Flynn said it would be far more preferable to focus on improving their productivity.

Rentokil's immediate focus will be on its rat-catching business and washroom services and textiles, which provide "the greatest opportunity to drive shareholder value".

Additionally, Flynn acknowledged the group would probably have to undergo a rebranding process in the future, but said this was the least of his worries at the moment.

"If I went down the branding route right now it would look like we were moving the deckchairs around on the deck of the Titanic."

Guardian, August 26, 2005

Undue cost cutting and a poorly focused sales strategy had also hurt the business. "Since quality of service is the single most important matter for our customers, declining service has resulted in a high level of terminations," the management statement added.

Rentokil had also suffered from being deficient in customer data analysis, partly due to inefficient IT spending, while its organisation and structure was ineffective.

"It has been based on a 'command-and-control' approach that has impeded rather than ensured good decision-making. It has encouraged a silo mentality and has resulted in the organisation becoming overly centralised and inward looking," said the statement.

Guardian, August 26, 2005

Rentokil says it has already moved to running businesses globally and that it plans to address issues of leadership and local managers avoiding responsibility for change.

The company said it would concentrate early development efforts on pest control and washrooms, where selective acquisitions would be considered.

But little was said about a range of other operations, such as parcels, tropical plants and catering. Are these to go eventually? Putting the conference business on the block has been on the cards for a long time. Nothing radical there. In fact, the turnaround plan looks alarmingly similar to a previous rescue strategy that surfaced last year, although Mr Flynn denies this.

The Scottsman online, August 26, 2005

Flynn - who joined in April - said that he would be off-loading the group's conferencing arm, which has been under pressure from hotels, but will keep the remaining seven businesses. These range from pest control to washrooms.

He added that improvement is needed in almost all parts of the business. "This is a company stuck in the 1980s," he said. "Every change that has been made by companies in the last 20 years has bypassed this one. Everywhere you turn, there are things wrong with this company."

Times Online, August 26, 2005

Describing yesterday’s numbers as “pretty terrible”, Mr Flynn said: “We are taking a comprehensive set of initiatives to drag us out of the 1980s and into the Noughties. We believe we know what the issues are and the necessary actions to achieve a turnaround have commenced.”

Mr Flynn said that the company would concentrate in future on core businesses — washroom/textile services, pest control and electronic security and cleaning. Other “peripheral” businesses may be sold but there was no mention of a sale of parcels or plants, two businesses that Sir Clive Thompson, the former chairman, had wanted to sell.

Mr Flynn has made clear that he will dismantle the “silo mentality” that created an over-centralised and inward-looking organisation and will introduce a streamlined management structure.

Times Online, August 26, 2005

RENTOKIL has laid bare its soul and it is not a pretty sight.

Doug Flynn’s diagnosis of the difficulties at the former stock market darling reads more like a psychiatrist’s note on a troubled patient.

The company has become “introspective” and managment has made “very short-term goals” a priority. As budgets became “ever more unrealistic, so morale has dropped”.

Forbes, August 25, 2005

'Right at this time there are no other disposals planned... but what we wish to go forward with we'll keep an open mind about,' chief executive Doug Flynn told reporters on a call.

MarketWatch August 25, 2005

"The issues aren't that complex individually, but there are lots of them -- more than I've ever seen in a single place," Chief Executive Doug Flynn, who was hired in April, told journalists on a conference call.

"Our main problem is that the company has remained stuck in the 80s," he said.
The company, which operates mainly in Europe, is also being hit by a difficult trading environment. Flynn said on the conference call that European companies "aren't exactly booming forward." As a result, management said it doesn't expect market conditions to improve anytime soon.

Flynn said no other divestments are planned at the moment. Job cuts at the senior-management level are also on the agenda.

ThisIsMoney UK August 25, 2005

Flynn's business review has concluded that Rentokil must focus on businesses that can create shareholder value and where profitable growth can be achieved. His base will be European pest control, washrooms and textiles and, in the UK, security and cleaning.

Times Online August 25, 2005

As he accepted that the group had a "poor track record" in adapting to change and insisted that he had embarked on a more "disciplined" approach to managing the group, Mr Flynn said he was not expecting any improvement in market conditions in the near future.

As he set out his recovery plan for Rentokil against the backdrop of Sir Gerry's interest, Mr Flynn said Rentokil would be focusing on its pest control and washroom and textiles businesses, although he maintained the group would not let other parts of the operation slip.

Reuters August 25, 2005

"Few companies have so many pillars for growth," said Flynn, whose first results statement as CEO included a stinging attack on previous management for running the company on unrealistic budgets, with cost-cutting that destroyed service quality and led to lost contracts.

"The '20 percent' era ended in 1998. Our review has shown how the pressures, both internal and external, to meet expectations led to management prioritisation of very short-term goals. Prices were pushed to unsustainable levels. Costs were relentlessly taken out -- often to the detriment of growing the business. Service quality was sacrificed," Flynn said.

The company's immediate focus will be pest control and washroom and textiles, which provide "the greatest opportunity to drive shareholder value", Flynn said.

Hydroculture Month Six

Click to enlarge.Orchids and Lucky Bamboo are still the stars of the retail ‘houseplant’ market. Having no experience with orchid culture, I erroneously grouped them with epiphytic bromeliads as non-candidates for hydroculture.

Guess again. I’ve discovered that a significant number of orchid hobbyists are using what they call semi hydroponics, or semi hydro for short or even shorter s/h.

I now have two orchids that recently jumped into my Trader Joe’s shopping basket. I believe they are both Dendrobiums. They were immediately converted in full bloom.

There are now about 100 plants in the lab converted from measured sub-irrigation to hydroculture since March of this year. Unless something unexpected turns up, I would not go back to soil based media. No way! The advantages of hydroculture using expanded clay pellets are too great.

There is no doubt in my mind that there is a niche retail business potential for hydroculture. In my opinion, it is not necessary to wait for a grower supply channel. That can happen later from pull through marketing when one or more growers see a business opportunity.

Converting from soil to expanded clay pellets is practical. I call it ‘hydroconversion’. I believe with minimal instruction it is suitable for the retail market. All that is needed for widespread use of hydroconversion is more education and widespread availability of expanded clay pellets.

I'm Still Here

Sorry that blog posting has taken a back seat to the Katrina tragedy and maintenance of my inside plants applied research lab.

The “to post” folder is full of items and I will get to them in the next few days when I finish watering in the lab. I have created a monster and it’s more than I can handle.

There are higher priority projects for me to pursue. The research, however, should continue. My current plan is to donate the lab and database to an urban botanic garden. If you have any thoughts or ideas about this please contact me.

We Aren’t In Kansas, Anymore

Jeff Morey is publisher of Interiorscape magazine. We both entered the interior plantscaping business around the same time back in the mid-seventies.

His recent editorial, “We Aren’t In Kansas, Anymore” is, perhaps, the first voice of realism I’ve read recently about the business of plants in buildings. There is no healthy part of the business that I can find—either commercial ‘interiorscaping’ or retail ‘houseplants’.

It’s long overdue that a non-self-congratulatory voice be heard. Better yet would be many voices. Recognition of reality is the first step in recovery of any kind whether in personal or business life. There are far too many “Queens (and Kings) of DeNile” in the business. The sand gets deeper.

It has been disturbing to note that there has been no discussion of his editorial on the Interiorscape forum. It appears that questions about Cardomon (sic) plants and Natal Mahogany are more important than the future of the business.

That is a sad story.

Excerpt from Morey editorial:

An Obvious Decline

Of course, what we as individuals, and as an industry, do with the challenge of this change is what it’s all about.

I fear I sound like a broken record (OK, younger readers ... a scratched CD), but I sense our industry is at a critical stage. Our next steps will define our future.

Some say this industry never really had much to do with its own success. They say that we rode the wave of public demand for interior greenery - that we didn’t create the demand, we simply filled it. Nothing is wrong with this if, indeed, it is what happened, but it does help put things into perspective as to where we are today.

It concerns me greatly when I continue to see an obvious decline in the use of interior plants in both new and existing buildings. Anyone who doesn’t see this is either totally naive or is sticking his head in the sand.

Help Victims of Katrina Today

‘Houseplants’, interior plants, or plants in buildings have little importance to me today when so many Americans are enduring unimaginable pain and suffering.

The ‘blogosphere’ is once more rising to the occasion as it did for Tsunami relief. Today is worldwide web “Hurricane Katrina: Blog for Relief Day” for the victims of Katrina.

There are bloggers who are far more technologically sophisticated than I who organized this effort. They have compiled a wealth of information to help us all give help. There is a need that we together can meet by giving to one of the charities listed on these blogs. Please help!

These are just a few of the blogs where you can find links and recommendations for giving.

Glenn Reynolds, Instapundit
N.Z. Bear
Michelle Malkin