What is Botany and Art?

1. If tulips were so rare, how did everyone know so much about them? Centuries before the internet or television, all goods for sale were rendered in catalogs full of drawings or, in some cases, paintings. The tulips of the 17th-century Holland were immortalized in detailed full-color paintings which stoked the fires of the mania that would follow.

2. With tulips at the heart of the zeitgeist, all the Dutch masters painted at least one or two still lifes featuring the species, including like Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder’s depiction of a bouquet with both Semper Augustus and a Viceroy in a single vase – a pairing that would have made for an extremely expensive arrangement in real life.

3. Judith Leyster, one of the few female masters of the Golden era, almost exclusively focused on portraiture and vivid human tableaux, though she largely eschewed still life, she agreed to paint several pieces for a tulip book, pieces so acclaimed for their depth of color and rich detail that one of them hangs in the Frans Hals Museum.

4. But at least one artist made tulip-painting a vocation, not an exception. Capitalizing on the tulip craze, Jakob Marrel created watercolor after watercolor depicting various tulips in bloom, making a good part of his living for several years this way.

5. Marrel had access to perfect models because his stepdaughter, Maria Sibylla Merian, was a well-known botanist and, under his tutelage, a painter herself. In three years, he created six tulip books, each 50-80 pages. Marrel’s painting were vivid and precise, though also adorned with whimsical flourishes such as a dragonfly flitting by or a butterfly rising out of a blossom.

6. Soon enough, tulip paintings like Marrel’s became sought out by art collectors. As a result, very few of the 43 recorded tulip books are left intact. The individual artworks are scattered among museums and private homes around the world, masterpieces that many viewers might not guess originated in catalogs.

7. Only two complete tulip books remain, one in a private collection, and the other – one of Marrel’s – at the Rijskmuseum in Amsterdam, which displayed it just this year for one of its only public viewings ever. Today, it is not tulips themselves that are most rare, but the Golden Age masterpieces they inspired.

At Plantscape Designs Inc we continually apply flowering "Living Arrangements" near or around your Boston, MA interiorscapes and corporate art work.

Why use fewer plants nicer containers in your interior offices?

Fewer plants with nicer containers in your interior office work place can save your company money in the long run with interior plant maintenance costs.

Nicer more expensive containers are a one time charge for you company , however the contemporary look of these new design plant holders is worth the expense.

Many of these new tall vertical containers present your less expensive small 3' botanicals in such a manner that the need for many plants in your office is not required. These plants are not just planted in these containers they are displayed and present better than using standard floor pots.

Less is more.

Plantscape Designs Inc. presents these new contemporary containers in numerous downtown Boston, MA cityscapes.

Why use flowering potted begonias in your indoor office interiors?

1. With over 1,500 species, Begonia is one of the ten largest angiosperm genera. The species are terrestrial (sometimes epiphytic) herbs or undershrubs and occur in subtropical and tropical moist climates, in South and Central America, Africa and southern Asia. Terrestrial species in the wild are commonly upright-stemmed, rhizomatous, or tuberous.

2. The plants are monoecious, with unisexual male and female flowers occurring separately on the same plant, the male containing numerous stamens, the female having a large inferior ovary and two to four branched or twisted stigmas.

3. The leaves, which are often large and variously marked or variegated, are usually asymmetric (unequal-sided).

4. Because of their sometimes showy flowers of white, pink, scarlet or yellow color and often attractively marked leaves, many species and innumerable hybrids and cultivars are cultivated.

5. The genus is unusual in that species throughout the genus, even those coming from different continents, can frequently be hybridized with each other, and this has led to an enormous number of cultivars. The American Begonia Society classifies begonias into several major groups: cane-like, shrub-like, tuberous, rhizomatous, semperflorens, rex, trailing-scandent, or thick-stemmed. For the most part these groups do not correspond to any formal taxonomic groupings or phylogeny and many species and hybrids have characteristics of more than one group, or fit well into none of them.

Plantscape Designs Inc. uses these potted flowering plants in our weekly flowering programs Boston, MA.

Why use phoenix pots in your Boston, MA NE interiorscapes?

1. All kinds of colors thats why? These pots come in all colors and pantinas to blend with your indoor office interiors.

2. Phoenix is a moderately-priced container option. It is made from post-consumer materials (recycled office equipment and household items) and is now available in a broad range of cylinders, squares and tall squares, in 41 Low VOC Earth Forms Finishes. Whenever your clients have budget issues or are looking for environmentally-friendly products, you can always offer Phoenix as an alternative.

Plantscape Designs Inc designs with these pots extensively in our Boston, MA cityscapes.

How to use Stromanthe indoor office plants in your officescapes Boston, MA

Why colorful stromanthe "sanguinea triostar" in your indoor office environments?

1. Stromanthe sanguinea is mainly grown for its richly variegated foliage that comes in pink, dark pink or burgundy, white, and green colors. During spring time, sanguinea produces reddish-pink flowers.

2. In addition to the peerless multi-colored foliage many observant and experienced gardeners noticed that it has both nyctinastic (night) and heliotropic (sun) movements that are controlled at the swollen area near the base of the leaf.

3. At this portion, the pigments, Phytochrome triggers the night position of the leaves and the cryptochrome triggers the day movements.

4. Stromanthe sanguinea exhibits a clump-forming growth to about 3.5 feet making it an excellent container plant. It performs well as a landscape and garden patios plant and is loved by many as an office plant in well lite lobbies.

Plantscape Designs Inc uses these colorful plants in your lobbies and atriums to soften the polished river rock used in planters today Cambridge, MA.

Plants for inside outside atriums for your office buildings

The interior atrium (left) of this Boston office building has a simple but effective softening calming and welcoming design.

Seasonal bromeliads are changed every two months. Reds , oranges, pinks , yellows, burgundies, whites and even peaches are applied in this indoor atrium with the planting of Black bamboo, phyllostachys nigra, all year round.

Bamboo are grasses that are both economical and esthetically pleasing for use on your properties.

The exterior atrium (right)also has a simple botanical design using clustered "river birches" betula. Out door seasonal flowers are used sparingly such as hardy mums, coleuses, flowering annuals and sometimes flowering perennials.

At Plantscape Designs Inc we service both inside and outside atriums with our award winning weekly plant care service in the Boston, MA business communities.

What and why are "Bromeliad Bouquets"for your office reception?

Bromeliad Bouquets are a grouping of potted assorted bromeliads. Plantscape uses these economical long lasting flowering plants on many of your reception desks welcoming your clients in Boston, MA.

What are bromeliads?

1. Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) is a family of monocot flowering plants of around 3,170 species native mainly to the tropical Americas, with a few species found in the American subtropics and one in tropical west Africa, Pitcairnia feliciana.

2. Pitcairnia feliciana is one of the basal families within the Poales and is unique because it is the only family within the order that has septal nectaries and inferior ovaries. These inferior ovaries characterize the Bromelioideae, a subfamily of the Bromeliaceae.

3. The family includes both epiphytes, such as Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides), and terrestrial species, such as the pineapple (Ananas comosus). Many bromeliads are able to store water in a "tank" formed by their tightly-overlapping leaf bases.

4. However, the family is diverse enough to include the tank bromeliads, grey-leaved epiphytic Tillandsia species that gather water only from leaf structures called trichomes, and a large number of desert-dwelling succulents.

5. The largest bromeliad is Puya raimondii, which reaches 3–4 m tall in vegetative growth with a flower spike 9–10 m tall, and the smallest is probably Spanish moss.

6. Bromeliads are one of the more recent plant groups to have emerged. The greatest number of primitive species reside in the Andean highlands of South America.

7. Humans have been using bromeliads for thousands of years. The Incas, Aztecs, Maya and others used them for food, protection, fiber and ceremony, just as they are still used today.

8. European interest began when Spanish conquistadors returned with pineapple, which became so popular as an exotic food that the image of the pineapple was adapted into European art and sculpture. In 1776, the species Guzmania lingulata was introduced to Europe, causing a sensation among gardeners unfamiliar to such a plant. In 1828, Aechmea fasciata was brought to Europe, followed by Vriesea splendens in 1840. These transplants were successful enough that they are still among the most widely grown bromeliad varieties.

9. In the 1800s, breeders in Belgium, France and the Netherlands started hybridizing plants for wholesale trade. Many exotic varieties were produced up until World War I, which halted breeding programs and led to the loss of some species. The plants experienced a resurgence of popularity after World War II. Since then, Dutch, Belgian and North American nurseries have largely expanded bromeliad production.

At Plantscape Designs Inc we currently use all color bromeliads in our weekly and monthly flowering programs in Boston, MA interiorscapes.

Phototropism whats that?

1.Phototropism is directional growth in which

the direction of growth is determined by the direction of the light source.

2. In other words, it is the growth and response to a light stimulus. Phototropism is most often observed in plants.

3.The cells on the plant that are farthest from the light have a chemical called auxin that reacts when phototropism occurs. This causes the plant to have elongated cells on the farthest side from the light.

4.Phototropism is one of the many plant tropisms or movements which respond to external stimuli. Growth towards a light source is a positive phototropism, while growth away from light is called negative phototropism.

5. Most plant shoots exhibit positive phototropism, while roots usually exhibit negative phototropism, although gravitropism may play a larger role in root behavior and growth. Some vine shoot tips exhibit negative phototropism, which allows them to grow towards dark, solid objects and climb them.

6. Phototropism is enabled by auxins.

7.Auxins are plant hormones that have many functions. In this respect, auxins are responsible for expelling protons (by activating proton pumps) which decreases pH in the cells on the dark side of the plant. This acidification of the cell wall region activates enzymes known as expansins which break bonds in the cell wall structure, making the cell walls less rigid.

8. In addition, the acidic environment causes disruption of hydrogen bonds in the cellulose that makes up the cell wall. The decrease in cell wall strength causes cells to swell, exerting the mechanical pressure that drives phototropic movement.

The above photos are examples of a ZZ plants bending toward the lighted window. Our technician had to rotate it 360 degrees to correct the phototrophic bending of this indoor office plant in Boston, MA. This will evenually correct itself and straighten out.

Why use pothos plants in your interior landscape?

Pothos : Epipremnum aureum

1. Light Level: High

2. Water Level: Medium

Pothos is a very common foliage plant. Planterra uses mostly ‘Jade,’ ‘Marble Queen,’ ‘Neon,’ and ‘Golden’ varieties. They look great in hanging baskets, tabletop bowls, and as ground cover. With the proper care, they are durable, long-lasting plants.

3. Country of Origin

Southeast Asia

4. Maintenance Tips

With variegated varieties, leaf color will fade if light is too low.

Do not allow plant to sit in a saucer of water. Does very well with sippers or capillary mats.

Prune often to maintain fluffy, rounded shape growing from the center of the planter.

5. Pests and Problems

Rhizoctonia is a fungal pathogen which causes a disease with symptoms characterized as a root rot as well as an aerial blight. The entire plant and soil surface may be effected by rusty-colored minute filaments (the fungal body).

Scherotium rolfsi, also known as Southern blight, is a white cotton-like fungus, complete with an spore-like objects, on the soil surface and the stem at the soil line. The stem rots and the plant collapses.

6. Mealybug, scale, mites and Thrips.

At Plantscape Designs Inc. Boston, MA. ,we use biological predatory "cryps" Crytosantous to eradicate white fussy mealybugs . Parasitic "lace wings" are used to eliminate scale. Finally predatory mites are used to combat spider mites that feed off your indoor office plant pothos.

Why Does Plantscape Designs Use Warnikis, Neanthe Bella Palms and ZZ Plants?

Fresh Warnikis, ZZ Plants and Neanthe Bella Palms have arrived at our Route 128 warehouse. These low light loving plants soften your office work place cubicles and open areas. The options are unlimited.

Warneckii, Lemon-Lime

Dracaena deremensis

Light Level: Medium

Water Level: Medium

Dracaena deremensis cv. ‘Warneckii’ has stiff, tapered leaves with gray, green and white stripes. ‘Lemon Lime’ is a ‘Warneckii’ cultivar with more yellow and green stripes.

Country of Origin

Africa and Asia

Maintenance Tips

When D. deremensis fertility is too low or when the plant is over watered, it may develop weak color and narrow strappy leaves. Lack of phosphorus can cause a severe dieback in the middle and older foliage. Iron deficiency is common and results in severe interveinal chlorosis.

If you gently grab the third leaf back from the growing tip during the middle of the day and hold it lightly in your hand, you may be able to feel the leaf’s heat. If you can, it probably means the light and temperature are too high. You can mist the plant to reduce its temperature and move it away from the light or heat source.

These plants do well when kept on the dry side. You will find they are often in Hawaiian lava rock potting media, which helps prevent root rot. Do not allow these plants to sit in water.

D. deremensis ‘Warneckii‘ prefer low to medium light.

ZZ Plants :

The Zamioculcas is definitely a -"What’s Up" plant. It fits just about every need of what a new indoor plant introduction should be.

Handles low light

Low water use

Tough under indoor conditions

Handles neglect well

The ZZ has been around for decades.

It is a member of the Aroid family along with the philodendron, spathiphyllum and aglaonema. You would never know it though the cardboard palm, is another Aroid.

The base of the plant stalks are swollen from which the stem host dark green, naturally shiny leaves. It’s easy to think that the plant has had leaf shine put on it. Remember, we don’t recommend leaf shine.

One rule that almost all of the BEST indoor plants have is – they grow slow. The ZZ is no exception. It is easy to propagate but develops slowly. Most of the plants are grown from leaf cuttings just as you would a jade plant.

Plants are grown in 4 inch up through 14 inch pots. Large plants can reach 3 feet in height and I have seen a very old plant of 4 foot. The average height of most of the plants grown is about 16 – 28 inches, and the plant can have a wide spread on it. It works well as an accent plant in areas where it can"spread its wings".

Neanthe Belle is discussed in another article in more detail in our PDI BLOG.

At Plantscape all three above 3' plants can be used under your indoor office logos, artwork or company information photos to highlight their importance.

My office needs narrow and stately office plants.

Mona lisas are tall, narrow and stately interior office plants. Grown on the island of Hawaii in their native lava rocks, hydroponically ; Mona lisa , janet crags can landscape your low light office interiors very nicely. Call us they just arrived! This plant shown here is 6' tall and 2' wide. PDI uses these plants in many of our N.E. Plantscape office spaces within the 128RTE area. Visit us at www.pdiplants.com.

Looking for an excellent low-light plant, then look no further than Dracaena Lisa. Dracaena Lisa are fantastic low light plants that, at first look, appear very similar to a Dracaena Janet Craig. But at closer look, you will see that, unlike Janet Craig, the leaves of Dracaena Lisa are much narrower. The lush dark green foliage of Dracaena Lisa are attached to its notable green trunk, which is also used to distinguished it from Dracaena Janet Craig. The plant produces flowers when chilled but it is highly recommended that these flowers should be removed.

Dracaena Lisa is an upright columnar plant that usually reaches a height of not more than 8ft high. The plant is actually quite difficult to locate. It used to grow exclusively in Hawaii. In nurseries or plant shops, Dracaena Lisa plants are available in 8” and 10” containers.

The green trunks of Dracaena Lisa and the upright growth of the plant made them perfect cane plants. Exotic Dracaena Lisa canes are nice focal point in easily seen areas at home. A combination of Dracaena Lisa in staggered canes or various heights make them very attractive even in narrow spots in Boston, MA offices and buildings.

Why use arboricola indoor office plants in your officescape?

In most garden centers you’ll find a regular “mix” of plants filling out many of the spring houseplant assortments. One of these plants is the Schefflera arboricola also known as the dwarf schefflera, dwarf scheff, arb’s and dwarf umbrella tree.

The Schefflera is the "dwarf" brother to the old time umbrella plant – Schefflera actinophylla. Today, you find one variety of the large Schefflera grown called ‘Amate” however the “Dwarf Umbrella” has quite a few varieties and is easy to find in almost any garden center or nursery.

Here’s a couple of the varieties commonly found today:

Arboricola – regular green variety

Renate Green variety that has more ripple to the leaves

‘Gold Capella’ variegated yellow or gold and green leaves

‘Trinette’ variegated cream and green leaves

‘Dazzle’ variegated some leaves almost completely creamy white

Discover the Natural Solution For These Plant Pest!… Everyone fights bug problems from time to time! But, office personal have few safe solutions… until now! Check out our insect pest blogs to read our latest article on an easy, safe, natural solution for your houseplant pests!

There are others currently being introduced and tested. I’m sure we’ll see many new varieties of arboricola introduced over the next 5 years.

Arboricola propagation starts in a variety of ways: seeds, cuttings and air-layers, and then grown in full sun to produce thick full plants. Usually the umbrella’s you’ll find in the garden center will be of the bush form. Pruning the bushes make them full, round and thick with leaves measuring 4 to 6 inches across forming a “fingered umbrella”. The dwarf scheff is also grown in tree forms, bonsai and braided just like Ficus trees. The lifespan of a Schefflera/Umbrella tree can be years when cared for properly.

Whichever form you buy remember when plants move indoors they go through a period of acclimating.Expect as part of your umbrella care for the plant to thin out and loose some leaves.

The Schefflera arboricola can adapt to a wide variety of light levels but prefers higher light if possible especially the variegated varieties – ‘Gold Capella’ & ‘Trinette’. If left alone the branches can stretch and grow “out of shape”. It’s easy to keep them shaped with occasional selective pruning. Fortunately, just like a Ficus the dwarf Schefflera can also handle some radical pruning and come back strongly. Don’t be afraid to prune the plant when needed.

If leaves turn black and begin dropping off it’s a good signal the soil is staying too wet or moist. On the flip side when leaf tips wrinkle if they are too dry.

These plants have a pretty extensive root system and can even grow climbing a tree. They also seek water when being grown outside. As with most plants used indoors, arboricola does not like to sit in water.

Avoid letting the plant sit in that saucer after you water it likes to be moist but not wet… you don’t want to promote disease. The Schefflera is in the Aralia family and like many of the plants from this family spider mites like this plant. Clean the plant regularly when indoors and don’t forget the undersides where mites like to hang out. Check with your local garden center for some of the “safe” preventive measures such as “Safer Soap” or than that disease is not a big problem to this plant.

That’s a quick look at one of the most easy to find indoor plants today – the Umbrella or Schefflera plant.

Remember when caring for your dwarf umbrella / schefflera

1. Don’t keep the plant wet

2. Place the plant in as bright an area as you can

3. Watch out for mites

4. Don’t be afraid to prune when needed

Plantscape Designs interior landscapers repeatedly design with the arbricola in mind in our Boston, Ma officescape locations.

Why PDI uses Dallias in our outside container planters, Boston, MA?

Plantscape Designs of N.E. applies annual flowers like Dallias, sweet potato vines, colorful coleus and marginata spikes to many of our outdoor gardens in the Boston RTE 128 business community.

These lush flourishing outdoor annuals soften the hard concrete and metal table and chairs of your outdoor cafes and roof gardens.

Adding live color invites your employees to remain on your work place properties with out leaving your building and not being late for work the remainder of the day.

Plantscape Designs of N.E. supplements many of our clients interior plantscapes with outdoor plantscaping possiblies such as in the above photo in the downtown Boston, MA areas.

Why use arrow head indoor office plants in your officescapes?

The arrowhead plant goes by numerous names including arrowhead vine, American evergreen, five fingers, and nephthitis. Although it may be grown outdoors in some regions, the arrowhead plant (Syngonium podophyllum) is typically grown as a houseplant.

Overall, arrowhead plant care is quite easy. The arrowhead plant should be allowed to dry out between waterings. Although the plant enjoys some moisture, it should not be kept too wet, which may lead to root rot. It prefers temperatures between 60 ºF and 75 ºF but can tolerate a wider range, if necessary. Proper arrowhead plant care requires humid conditions, especially during dry winter months. Mist the plant daily or place its container on a tray filled with pebbles and water for optimal growth. The arrowhead plant can be fertilized monthly with a balanced fertilizer.

The leaves change shape as the plant matures, beginning as an “arrowhead” shape, and then changing into three to five finger-like sections. Leaves are generally green in color but there are many varieties that include variegated leaves of differing shades. The heavily variegated varieties require bright, filtered light. Average light is the norm for solid green varieties or those with less variegation. Keep them away from direct sunlight, as this will cause the arrowhead plant to burn or bleach. The arrowhead plant will tolerate low light levels on occasion.

Arrowhead Plant Root Structure

The arrowhead plant root structure is quite extensive, spreading and growing to the point of becoming invasive in the wild. Even within a contained environment, because of arrowhead plant root structure, the plant should be repotted every second spring. This plant can also be propagated through division, cuttings (which can be rooted easily in water), and air layering. Gloves should be worn when working with the arrowhead plant, as its sap can be irritating to sensitive individuals.

If the arrowhead-shaped foliage is preferred, simply cut off the climbing stems as they develop. The plant will take on a bushier appearance, with less climbing, and the leaves will remain more arrow shaped.

Plantscape Designs Inc of New England has been applying these colorful indoor office plants in our clients interiorlandscape designs for over 38 years.

Why use Pteris ferns in your interior office plant design?

Pteridaceae (in Pteridaceae (plant family): The Pteridoid clade)

The Pteridoid clade contains 17 genera and about 400 species. The largest genus, Pteris (brakes), consists of about 250 species distributed throughout tropical and warm temperate parts of the world and is known for the large number of hybrids between various species.

DESCRIPTION: This is a large group of Ferns that can be grown in greenhouses, hothouses, and homes. There are hardy kinds that lose their leaves (deciduous) and kinds that are evergreen. They are found wild in many parts of the world, such as tropical America, tropical Asia, India, China, Japan, West Indies, southern Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. Pteris vary greatly in their sizes and shapes. Some are a few inches tall and some are several feet tall. Most kinds have fronds that are divided deeply into many long, ribbon-like sections. P. cretica, the Cretan Brake, is one of the most popular kinds. Growing up to 18 inches high, this Fern forms masses of light green, evergreen or semi-evergreen foliage. The leaves are broadly oval to triangular and divided into finger-like segments. P. cretica albolineata grows up to 18 inches high and has evergreen or semi-evergreen leaves, up to 8 inches long. These are in forked or linear segments. They are pale green striped down the center with creamy white.

PDI currently applies these types of indoor office plants in many of our interior N.E. plantscapes in and around the Boston/ Cambridge, MA areas.

Why is Plantscape Designs Inc. a "Nice Little Company"?

1. PDI loves our office plantcare work.
2. PDI does weekly visits to your office.
3. PDI does not use insecticides, we use safe biological controls.
4. PDI has monthly educational plant clinic meetings for its technicians.
5. PDI fertilizes on a monthly basis.
6. Rapid 24 hour replacement of green tropical plants.
7. PDI uses recycled polyresin containers.
8. PDI management and staff are sensitive to your plantcare needs Boston, Ma.

Why group your indoor office plants?

The advantages of grouping your indoor office plants is as follows:

One, juxtapose three or more different plant leaf sizes and shapes makes for a more interesting botanical interior office design statement.

Two, grouping plants can direct a clients' or employees' eye away from an unsightly electrical wiring in your office work place just because of the shear beautiful botanical mass of this stand.

Three, conversely using a group of plants and contemporary design containers can direct your people toward your logo , seating area or some other more desirable section of your office.

Plantscape Designs Inc. uses these design techniques in our Boston, Ma offices.

Corporate Plant Designs in Boston, MA by PDI Plants

Corporate interior plant designs should have a distinct minilmalistic look.

The use of river rock is an alternative to wood chips or mosses.

The contrast of differing leaf sizes and shapes, makes for a more distinctive botanical design.

This front lobby of one of our Lexington office buildings, welcomes both employees and clients with a fresh look.

Loriope ,grass like indoor plants, softens the smooth black hard river rock. The 3 foot wide florurishing cardinal philodendron add botanical mass to the triangular planters. Finally ,the lemon tinted neon 6" pothos adds a contrasting third color to the planter arrangement.

The same old same old will not be found in these corporate planters.

PDI currently services Lexington and Bedford , MA office buildings.

Where Should Interior Plant Care Designers Use Colorful Plants?

Colorful stromanthe plants have just been stocked, ready to be delivered to your Boston cityscaped high light planter boxes in your office. These colorful leaves add depth and texture to your office windows. PDIPlants uses these colorful botanicals in many of the Boston, Ma office interiorscapes.

Growth of stromanti is also determined by environmental factors, such as temperature, available water, available light, and available nutrients in the soil like other indoor office plants. However, these colorful plants lack the dark green chorophyll and chloroplasts as say a philodendron, thus they need more sunlight. Any change in the availability of these external conditions will be reflected in the plants growth.

Why PDI uses Dyna-Gro fertilizer 7-9-5 in your indoor office plants.

Plantscape Designs Inc. applies Dyna- Gro fertilizer 7-9-5 to all our indoor green office plants this time of year for the following reasons:

1.contains 7% nitrogen for your healthy greening of your plants by sun absorbing chlorophyll, builds amino acids, proteins, coenzymes, nucleic acids

2.contains 9% phosphate available for your plants vibrant leaf/ flower pigmentations and ATP energy chemical reaction transfer, helps build phospholipids as well as coenenzymes.

3.contains 5% soluble potash ( potassium) for your green plant coenzyme development, for protein synthesis and essential for stomatal function

4. numerous trace elements are also contained in this liquid grow plant food, which promotes healthy vibrant growth of all plants such as :boron, cobalt, Magnesium, calcium, copper, iron,manganese, molybdenum, sodium, zinc.

Plantscape Designs Inc. uses this plant food in all our N.E. plantscape locations Boston, MA.

Why clean and steilize your scissors after trimming your indoor office plants?

Any one trimming their indoor office plants must always clean and sterilize with alcohol their scissors.

1.When trimming what appears to be brown or yellow spots or tips of leaves could be fungus or even viruses.

Fungus spores or virus vectors could adhere to your scissors or pruners and infect the next plant you intend to trim.

2. Like wise when trimming leaves microscopic insect eggs can also stick to your pruners or scissors, further causing contagion of insect larvae with other plants in your interior officescapes.

3.The easiest and safest method to sterilize your trimming scissors is dipping them in a 70% solution of isopropyl alcohol or soaking a clean cloth with this solution thoroughly wiping your tools of these live organisms.

4. By doing this simply procedure you and your company can save hundreds of dollars in plant replacements.

At Plantscape Designs Inc. Boston, MA we always sterilize our tools on a daily basis to eliminate costly interior office plant loss.

What are fungus gnats?

Fungus gnats are tiny flies that don’t bite or spread human pathogens/diseases. The only way they can harm us is through frustration as they invade our houseplants or spring seedlings.

What do fungus gnats look like?

They are small, grayish to black flies that are 2 ½ millimeters long and resemble tiny mosquitoes (minus the bloodsucking). Their legs are long and slender, and their skinny antennae are usually longer than their heads. Their wings are shades of gray. Fungus gnats are relatively weak fliers and generally remain near potted plants, often running or resting on soil or leaves.

What kind of damage do fungus gnats do?

They may not threaten human health, but with fungus gnats you get a triple whammy: Not only do people hate to see them in general, the pests can be vectors for plant diseases – not good! “What’s a vector,” you ask? It’s an organism that transmits a pathogen, so if you have a sick plant, fungus gnats can spread it to all your healthy neighboring plant friends. They can also vector several different fungal root rots, including ones called Fusarium and Pythium, and even foliage pathogens like Botrytis. And as if that’s not bad enough, fungus gnat larvae make breakfast, lunch and dinner out of your plant roots.

So there’s good news, and there’s bad news: The good news is adult fungus gnats only live about one week. The bad news is that in this short time, the female will deposit 100-150 eggs on your plant’s soil surface. These eggs are laid in strings of three to 40 and can hatch within four days of being laid!

The emerging larvae are clear to creamy-white and can grow to about 5 ½ millimeters long. They have shiny black head capsules. The larvae feed on tasty root hairs in the upper 1 centimeter of the soil, then work their way up into the plant stem. (They also love to feed on the roots of your newly planted seed, so watch those seed-starting trays in spring!) The larvae feed on highly organic soils, too. After feeding for approximately 14 days, the larva pupates. In about three and a half days, an adult will emerge from the case. The total life cycle takes two to four weeks.

At Plantscape Designs Inc. ,we combat the infestation of fungus gnats with bological control such as the use of parasitic nematodes in our N.E. plantscape clients.

Philodendron - A Versatile Plant For Your Office

Philodendron oxycardium, heart leaved Philodendron, has been a staple in the foliage plant industry with unlimited uses. It works beautifully to enhance your office space as a hanging plant, desk plant or a floor plant when trained on a support. Some of the creative uses are when it is used in dish gardens, terrariums or groundcover in large architectural planters.

This Philodendron also has an interesting past. First collected in the West Indies in 1793 by Captain William Bligh, yes, the Captain Bligh of Mutiny on the Bounty, and returned to England where it has graced homes and offices around the world since. We currently use these in many of our Cambridge Ma. office locations.

Why use opuntia cacti in your office plantscapes?

Indoors, Opuntia cactus can be grown in pots but they generally don't grow to more than a few feet tall. They do best in full sunlight with very little water. No cacti likes to be over watered and they will rot if they remain in saturated soil. Water sparingly and improve soil drainage in areas that receive a lot of rain. My cactus lets me know when it needs water with thin pads and droopy tips. One year we got over 20 inches of rain and the pads swelled up with so much moisture they broke off under their own weight.

We at PDI are currently using opuntia cacti in our downtown Boston cityscapes Boston,Ma.

Also called Prickly pear cacti, opuntias typically grow with flat, rounded platyclades that are armed with two kinds of spines; large, smooth, fixed spines and small, hairlike spines called glochids, that easily penetrate skin and detach from the plant. Many types of prickly pears grow into dense, tangled structures.

Like all true cactus species, prickly pears are native only to the Western hemisphere; however, they have been introduced to other parts of the globe. Prickly pear species are found in abundance in Mexico, especially in the central and western regions. They are also found in the Western United States, from arid regions in the Northwest, throughout the mid and lower elevations of the Rocky Mountains, and especially in the Southwest. Prickly pears are also the only types of cactus natively found to grow far east of the Great Plains states, as far northeast as Long Island, where it can be found in Northport.

Prickly pear species were introduced into Australia in the late 1800s, causing major ecological damage in the eastern states. They are also found in the Mediterranean region of southern Europe, especially on the island nation of Malta, where they grow all over the island, and can be found in enormous numbers in parts of South Africa, where it was introduced from South America.

Plantsape Designs Inc. of Boston, MA uses these cacti in your cold unheated entrance ways when no other tropical plant can survive.

Opuntia are the most cold-tolerant of the lowland cacti, extending into western and southern Canada. Prickly pears also produce a fruit that is commonly eaten in Mexico, known as "tuna"; it also is used to make aguas frescas. The fruit can be red, wine-red, green or yellow-orange.

Charles Darwin was the first to note that these cacti have thigmotactic anthers: when the anthers are touched, they curl over, depositing their pollen.

How Plantscape Designs Inc. uses cork screw ficus in office interiors.

PDI uses cork screw ficus trees in office interior lobbies as well as office cafes.

These tall stately low light ficus trees add character to your office work place.

Planting these soft leafed botanicals in Lechuza Cubicos further enhances the long elegant lines of these indoor plants.

Plantscape Designs Inc. currently services the Woburn, MA. office parks.

Do you know that one of the most popular plants in Europe is the Ficus benjamina

and its many cultivars.

There are many perceptions in the US on Ficus trees with differ from Europe

Ficus drop their leaves

Ficus are short lived in the interior environment

Ficus are uninteresting

Ficus are inexpensive

A Ficus is a Ficus

There is nothing new in Ficus

In fact over 15 years ago Ficus trees accounted for over 11% of all potted plant sales sold and over 60 Ficus varieties were being cultivated commercially.

Now not all Ficus cultivars are superior but some select varieties are indeed superior. Plus we continue to see new selections both unique in color form and growth habit.

This image is of a crop of 14 inch Ficus Benjamina ‘Monique‘ trees grown as ‘corkscrews’. These trees are undergoing the acclimation process getting use to lower light levels soon ready to be a conversation item as a houseplant or in an office.

Ficus Benjamina Monique is more drought tolerant than past benjamina varieties. Learn more on Ficus tree care here.

Ficus trees are one of PDI main staple plants for your Boston cityscape atriums.

PDI unlimited plant care

Plantscape Designs Inc. is the interior plant care industry's standard-bearer. This unlimited plant care company has the broadest product portfolio and offers office work place customers the closest thing to a one-stop shopping.

Plantscape not only services plants but builds live corporate flowering gardens for reception desks that last a month or longer verses expensive cut flower short lived arrangements that its competitors offer.

PDI has been streamlining operations to lower its cost structure. For example, our monthly educational plant clinics, using photos of clients' tired or unhealthy plants has educated PDI staff to become more aware of what our customers are seeing on a daily basis. Correcting the situation immediately, therefore making for happier customers and therefore less loss of our customer base during this current recession. PDI services the Boston, MA financial district.

Why use Hawiian Michiko Canes and not Florida cane in your indoor office environments?

Dracaena michiko is one of the world’s most sought-after dracaena hybrids. This fabulous plant is importer from Hawaii and is commonly known as Michiko cane because of its cane-like structure caused by its upright growth habit. The leaves of this plant are held tighter to its trunks. This makes the plant a perfect plant to be put in narrow or tight areas or rooms with limited available space.

Compared to Dracaena Michiko plants grown in Florida, Dracaena Michiko Hawaii have greater life expectancy because of their well-developed root systems. The large size plus a full-grown look would surely mean lower expenses to be spent on pots or decorative containers. In addition, most Dracaena Michiko plants grown from Hawaii are tall and upright or columnar thereby making them excellent choices for places with limited space or area. These reasons and more explain why Hawaii-grown Dracaena Michiko plants are more expensive than those grown in Florida.

At Plantscape designs Inc. the Michiko canes are currently being used in our downtown Boston, Ma. officescapes.

How can scale insects hurt your interior office plants?

Scale insects can hurt your interior office plants by sucking their life juices out of them.

Most scale insects are parasites of plants, feeding on sap drawn directly from the plant's vascular system. A few species feed on fungal mats and fungi, e.g., some species in the genus Newsteadia in the family Ortheziidae. Scale insects vary dramatically in their appearance from very small organisms (1–2 mm) that occur under wax covers (some look like oyster shells), to shiny pearl-like objects (about 5 mm), to creatures covered with mealy wax. Adult female scales are almost always immobile (aside from mealybugs) and permanently attached to the plant they have parasitized. They secrete a waxy coating for defense; this coating causes them to resemble reptilian scales or fish scales, hence the name.

Scale insects feed on a wide variety of plants, and many scale species are considered pests.

Plantscape Designs Inc. can eradicate these insect parasites by injecting a chemical systemic into your plants soil.

The way these chemicals work is as follows:

1.inject the systemic into your plant soil

2.water your plant

3. the water and liquid systemic will be absorbed by your indoor office plants through their root hairs and primary root systems

4.the water and systemic will be transpired up the xyleum vascular tissue of your green plants

5. once the upward flow of these lethal liquids assents the leaves and small upper portions of your plants' stems where the scale reside, these liquids are ingested by the scale insects poisoning them.

Plantscape Designs Inc has been using this systemic chemical solution when biological solutions are not feasible in our interior office plants in the Boston, MA area.

Tillandsia plant care by Rain Forest Flora Inc.

Watering Tillandsias Outdoors is generally easy. A basic rule of thumb is to water them every time you water your other plants. In any area where the humidity is 50% or less it is difficult to over water the plants unless it is very cold. Generally, the warmer and/or drier the air, the more frequently you will water. However, once Tillandsia leaves are wet, more water doesn't do a thing for them. Wet them and leave them. This makes watering quick and efficient.

For hot, humid climates watering the more xeric Tillys (those with whiter and/or fuzzier leaves) requires more attention. When it is hot and humid the plants don’t dry out as quickly as they would in lower humidity. Yet with high heat there is a higher metabolic rate (like a person running up a hill and breathing hard) but the plants can’t respire (breathe) if the leaf surfaces are wet. With high humidity the leaves don’t dry as quickly after becoming wet so in combination with high heat there is a greater potential for rot to set in. You will want to keep the plants from becoming wet too frequently when it is hot and humid.

Watering Indoors

Watering Tillandsias Indoors is a little more critical than outdoors because one generally cannot use a hose so the watering has to be more precise. The most common mistreatment of tillys indoors, unintentional though it may be, is to under water them. Misting the plants CAN be sufficient but it can also be OVER-sufficient or UNDER sufficient. The plants can look dry but actually remain moist in the crucial center area, in the meristematic tissue where new cells are produced. If this area remains too moist for too long the plant may rot. Likewise, one can mist the plants regularly but, in the end, it isn't enough to prevent a gradual dehydration that normally manifests itself with the edges of the leaves curling up and "pinching."

The most secure way to water the plants indoors is to submerge them for a twelve hour period in "good" water, that is, water that is low in dissolved solids and salts. Rain water and bottled drinking water are the best. When the plants are under water for this length of time they have enough water availability for a long enough period of time to completely rehydrate. A soaking in this manner should suffice for ten days to two weeks in average conditions. If a mounting item is too big to submerge, attaching a velcro dot to the plant and the mounting item allows the plant to be easily removed so that it can be rehydrated. Finally, if this just isn't practical or possible, mist the plants with "good" water and try to monitor the state of hydration as best you can. Once you have the right system down that works in your given situation, watering is a breeze.

One last note. If the plants are soaked, you can put water in a container that has a lid to prevent evaporation. This water can then be used over and over for your soakings. A small pinch of Epiphyte's Delight fertilizer in the water helps as well and it lasts indefinitely. Shake or jostle the container prior to putting the plants in, in order to remix the fertilizer evenly throughout the water. Also, as the water gets used, more can be added to keep the container full enough to submerge the plants completely.

Plantscape Designs Inc. uses these tillandsias in our terrarium and orchid gardens flowering programs in the Cambridge, Ma corporate plant designs.

Plantscape Designs Inc does rent office plants for the Boston, MA area.

Plantscape Designs Inc. has been leasing and renting indoor office plants for over 35 years in the Boston, MA business community area.

1. Quick installation

2. No hassle service when our office plants are on your location

3.Numerous indoor office green plant varieties

4.low cost fees

5. you speak to a live customer service representative

Plantscape Designs Inc. can make your office plant rental a pleasant experience.

PDI servicing Boston, Ma for over 35 years

Why use bamboo fiber pots in your Boston cityscapes?

Bamboo is one of the most rapidly growing plants on earth. It is a grass, not a wood, making it a non timber, non-fossil fuel resource. And while hardwood forests can take 20-25 years to mature, bamboo forests mature 4-6 years after being harvested. This is why the U.S.Green Building Council has designated bamboo as a rapidly renewable material.

Engineering and testing of Solid Bamboo Planters has been underway for several years, and now we have a product we can sell you which is strong, durable and long lasting for your interior offices.

These planters are available in the Natural Bamboo finish in tapered square and tall tapered square shapes.

PDI hopes you will enjoy these beautiful and environmently-friendly planters in the Boston, MA metro areas.

How do you care for your interior orchid corporate arrangements?

When Your Orchid Is Flowering

Feed with 20-20-20 fertilizer at a rate of 1 gram per liter every other watering.

Do not let the soil dry out; evenly-moist is the ideal state.

Since conditions vary in each household or office, check guide, lift the plant daily and see if it is top heavy. The pot should feel heavy versus the rest of the plant. Water should not be dripping from the bottom, nor should it be sitting in an enclosed container holding water. The holes in the bottom of the pot are there for exactly that reason, good drainage.

If the plant seems to lose its’ luster, you can always mist it with the same rate of fertilizer (only the plant, not the flowers). The misting can be done several times a day as long as you make sure there is no run-off and no standing water on the leaves.

When All the Flowers Have Fallen Off Your Orchid

Cut the stem 5 centimeters above the leaves. Following the procedure described, you will give the plant the opportunity to have multiple spikes as the years go by.

The feeding in this period is stronger. Use the same fertilizer at the same strength but with every watering. If you lose roots (they turn dull and lose the green tip), turn to misting daily for two weeks.

Plantscape Designs Inc services interior orchid arrangements for our corporate clients in the Waltham, Ma area.

Why cut off the reproductive organs on your interior office bamboo palm?

You should always cut off the reproductive structures from your indoor office bamboos because they will grow better.

Most palms, such as bamboos, fan palms, kentia palms , majesty palms , neathe bella palms, etc. need to have their seed structures removed for a healthier appearance and for survival .

The energy that the seed or reproductive structures take from your indoor palm can inhibit or even stunt the growth of your interior tropical plant.

The nutrients and minerals of your fertilizers and even from the parent palm plant will be consumed in the building of new cells and tissues for the new seed structures, not the adult plant, thus depleting the parent palm plant of all of these life giving substances.

So please remove these stuctures as shown here in our photo.

At Plantscape Designs Inc. we always remove these seeds from all our palms for a more symetrical and even growth.

PDI services Boston, Ma and Cambridge, Ma corporate businesses.

Recession package from Plantscape Designs Inc.

The difficult economy can effect your employees on many different levels. One of the solutions Plantscape Designs In. can offer your company is relatively simple and inexpensive -- live, green plants. It has been scientifically proven that healthy, green plants in your office boosts employee morale and helps keep employees healthy by cleaning the air of carcinogens. Consider our recession package below and let Plantscape help you to help your employees.

Plan One :

1. 9 or fewer table/floor (5 table, 4 (3-4 ft. tall) floor) plants in our contemporary powdered steel-finish containers for $99 per month.

Plan Two:
2. 4 (5 - 6 ft. tall) plants/trees in our comtemporary powdered steel-finish containers for $99 per month.

Plan Three:
3. 5 plants (two table, three (3-4 ft tall) floor) plants and one orchid for the reception area in our comtemporary powdered steel-finish containers for $99 per month.

Symptoms of mineral deficiencies in your indoor green office plants.

• 
  
• Nitrogen - Lack of growth or limited growth with chlorosis (yellowing) or loss of leaves in severe cases. Purplish coloration due to accumulation of anthocyanin pigments. Entire plant affected, older leaves most.
• 
  
• Phosphorus - Dark green, stunted plants. Accumulation of anthocyanin pigments. Delayed maturity. Entire plant affected, older leaves most.
• 
  
• Potassium - Mottled chlorosis, necrosis (spots of dead tissue, especially at tips and margins, between veins). Older leaves most affected. Weak stalks, roots more susceptible to disease.
• 
  
• Sulfur - Chlorosis of young leaves, usually no necrosis. Veins remain green, tissue between light green.
• 
  
• Magnesium - Mottled or chlorotic leaves, may redden. Leaf tips turned upward. Older leaves most affected.
• 
  
• Calcium - Inhibition of root development and death of shoot and root tips. Young leaves most affected.
• 
  
• Iron - Intervienal chlorosis of young leaves, stems short and slender. Buds remain alive.
• 
  
• Chlorine - Wilted leaves, chlorosis, necrosis. Stunted, thickened roots or club-shaped roots near tips.
• 
  
• Manganese - Chlorosis of youg leaves, necrosis between veins; smallest veins remain green. Disorganization of lamellar membrane.
• 
  
• Boron - Death of stem and root apical meristems. Leaves twisted, pale at bases. Swollen, discolored root tips. Young tissues most affected.
• 
  
• Zinc - Reduction in leaf size and length of internodes. Distorted leaf margins. Chlorosis. Older leaves most affected.
• 
  
• Copper - Young leaves dark green, twisted, wilted, misshapen; tip remains alive.
• 
  
• Molybdenum - Chlorosis or twisting and death of young leaves.

PLantscape Designs Inc uses liquid green fertilizer for all our indoor plant design and installation accounts in the Burlington, MA interiorscapes.

PDI Botany news , smallest living orchid just discovered.

The smallest species of orchid in the world has been discovered hidden among the roots of a larger plant in a nature reserve in Ecuador.

Lou Jost, an American botanist, found the tiny orchid by accident when he was inspecting a plant collected from the Cerro Candelaria reserve in the eastern Andes, which was created by Ecuador's EcoMinga Foundation in partnership with the World Land Trust in Britain.

The plant is just 2.1mm wide, and instantly supercedes the species Platystele jungermannioides as the world's smallest orchid. The petals are so thin that they are just one cell thick and transparent.

The flower is just one of 60 new orchids and 10 other plant species that Dr Jost has discovered in the past decade. "I found it among the roots of another plant that I had collected, another small orchid which I took back to grow in my greenhouse to get it to flower," he said of his latest discovery. "A few months later I saw that down among the roots was a tiny little plant that I realised was more interesting than the bigger orchid.

"Looking at the flower is often the best way to be able to identify which species of orchid you've got hold of – and can tell you whether you're looking at an unknown species or not."

Dr Jost, who works for the EcoMinga Foundation, is one of the world's leading orchid hunters. "It's an exciting feeling to find a new species. People think everything has been discovered but there's much more," he said

A second tiny orchid collected in the Rio Anzu Reserve in central Ecuador is among his other discoveries. "It was so small, it looked like a piece of dirt at first. I was going through the moss on a fallen tree branch – they're good places for orchids to grow – when I spotted it. The flower was 3mm across," he said.

Dave Roberts, of Royal Botanical Gardens Kew, said of the area where the flower was found: "That region of the world is where the majority of very, very small orchids live."

More than 1,000 orchid species have been discovered in Ecuador in the past century, as plant collectors enjoy a bonanza made possible by the construction of roads which have allowed access to some of the most remote and unspoilt forest habitats in the world.

A group of 28 types of orchid which evolved in a mountainous area the size of London was perhaps the most exciting of Dr Jost's recent finds. They are part of the Teagueia genus, which had previously been thought to be restricted to just six species. The evolution of the 28 closely related orchids in such a small patch of land was described as a botanical version of Darwin's finches.

Plantscape Designs Inc. services the Boston, Ma corporate cityscape New England Plantscape community.

Why use tiny Tillandsias with your corporate office orchid arrangements?

We, at Plantscape Designs Inc., use tiny Tillandsias attached to our monthly corporate orchid programs for a more colorful and natural look.

Tillandsias are miniture air plants or bromeliads that flourish in the rainforests of Florida and the Amazon .

These small botanicals attach themselves to stems and branches of trees under the rainforest tree canopies.

All these Tillandsias nutrients and water come from the high humidity of the low cloud covered rainforest.PDI is currently appling tinyTillandsias of 14 diffent species in our monthly corporate orchid gardens inthe Waltham, Ma interiorscapes.

Why PDI uses new interiorscape designs in our restaurant planters?

New interiorscape design ideas from our PDI design staff.

Instead of just using leafy tropical plants in our restaurant locations, our PDI staff has decided to simplify the look of these indoor planters.

We arrange such plants by using one or two species of plants in a single planter, and not the 5-6 varieties that most of our industry has placed together in the past.

Often, at PDI we plant single species plants in one planter box, repeating the leaf configurations as a single drift effect. This is an outdoor gardening technique used by gardeners of perennial gardens for more of a statement.

Lastly, as these indoor planters illustrate, less leafy tropical plants are used . Succulents, such as escheveria are applied.

Plantscape Designs Inc maintains indoor plants of the above types in the Woburn, Ma business communities.