Happy New Year! Can you believe we are 15 years into a new century?

My first plant selfie of the year at the TPIE show in Florida.

I’m getting inspired at the Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition (TPIE) in Florida, one of our hottest trade shows and conferences, literally. This group knows its audience well. Who wouldn’t jump at the chance in most of the U.S. to attend a trade show located in sunny south Florida in January? Back home they would be shoveling snow and only dreaming of the warm weather ahead.

I’m motivated by the opportunity to meet and learn from other like-minded people, including a meeting with members of the nonprofit group Green Plants for Green Buildings. We’ll talk about ways to spread the environmental, productivity, and health benefits of plants in the built environment.

Online and virtual tools (like this newsletter) are efficient ways to communicate, but nothing beats the energy created when smart people gather in person to brainstorm and share ideas. I always return from these trips with renewed energy that translates to the rest of my staff and especially to our clients.

Among the finds at this year’s TPIE show: this ‘weird’ looking fern. Photo: Jim Mumford

If you haven’t made a New Year’s resolution yet, this would be a good one. Set a goal of meeting in person at least once a month with people who share your professional or personal goals. Put away the electronics. Hey, I’m talking to you! Listen, explore, share. Don’t be surprised if you come away with a new way of looking at an old problem.

In the year ahead, Good Earth Plant Company and GreenScaped Buildings both have big expansion plans. We’re excited about projects in the Northeastern U.S., including New York and New Jersey. I look forward to sharing news about our plans and how they benefit you over the next few months.

I ran across this spectacular bromeliad display at the TPIE show. Wouldn’t this make a great living wall IRL? Photo: Jim Mumford.