“People don’t work for wages only. They primarily seek an environment that will show them APPRECIATION, both publicly and privately. Wages come and go. As we travel through life, the most important memories we take with us are about how those who showed us Appreciation and Love.”—Rev. Ken Lanning, 1996.

I love this quote. Reverend Ken is a stand-up guy who visits our office on occasion. Once I remember I was eager to show him our green roof, but wary of him getting up to the roof itself. I needn’t have worried though because just as I looked to find a more sturdy lift, there was Reverend Ken climbing a ladder at age 83 to see what all the hoopla was about with my roof.  I felt very special.

As we get busier and busier at work and the word about our living architecture gets out, I find myself thinking about those people who have shown me appreciation. And how hard I worked when starting out in the business to help others show their appreciation! Many a busy day at my plant and flower stand was spent creating just the right custom bouquet for a guy in a suit waiting anxiously writing on a tiny enclosure card. One of my favorite questions while helping a customer choose their flowers was “are you in trouble or do you want to get into trouble”? I was lucky. I also got to see the faces of those who received those special bouquets – if I was on delivery that day.

It’s always a treat to watch someone receive flowers. They first hunt for the card and usually a smile follows and those around them get curious and ask all about who sent the bouquet. Women more often would send a  house plant gift to a man in an office. Still…the same reaction. EVERYONE likes to know they are appreciated.  How better to do that by sending someone plants or flowers with a kind note?

I guess I sound like an advertisement for FTD. But it’s so important to remember how important plants and flowers are in our lives. If you work in an office building, you may not notice the greenery in the lobby or the orchid on the receptionist’s desk. But take them away, and you’ll notice, I promise!

There have been studies that show that in a work environment with plants present, absenteeism goes down and productivity goes up. Plants give off oxygen which helps fill our lungs with the good stuff we need to live. They also help clean the air we breathe and make us feel good. Indoor plants make you happy!

Seeing a lobby filled with artistically arranged greenery makes a statement: We care enough to beautify our space. We recognize the importance of working in a clean, beautiful and living environment. And while this may be a tough thing to do in every workspace, there are endless options to space and budget issues. Just ask our Good Earth Plants design team, Debbie and Dawn.

And sit back and enjoy the beauty of living art.

I appreciate you taking time to read this!