Green security

Developer buys up nurseries to secure plant supply for future builds

I will resist the temptation to joke about putting planter boxes in front of entrances to slow down car bombs.

Sometimes you come across a little bit of news that surprises you, and makes perfect sense.
Romeciti, a local Sydney developer have just announced that they have acquired two plant nurseries, so that they could guarantee the supply of mature plant material for their building projects.
 
According to a spokesman for the company, since Romeciti was formed it has always been focused on creating 'green cities':

"We feel that a healthy community includes having access to green spaces, as it has been proven to bring a sense of calm and wellness in this busy modern world. We feel this growing market desire for a green environment is just a natural shift by educated buyers who recognize the importance of greenery in a long-term residence."

It is really easy to dismiss that kind of talk as current zeitgeist marketing hype.  Until you see by their actions, that they mean it and they are prepared to invest in it. They also add significantly to their credibility by emphasizing that their investment is not just in assuring the plant supply, but also in building up their expertise in choice and maintenance of those plants.

Obviously, not every developer can follow this approach. But the initiative is scalable, especially if we had government brave enough to participate.

Congratulations to Romecity.
Read the original article in Architecture and Design, here.

Productive plants

Potted Plants Boost Productivity

In a press release that has gone about as viral as anything from academia is likely to, a team of researchers from Britain, Netherlands and Australia are reported as finding that indoor plants boost office productivity by 15 per cent.  I quote from the Independent:

".....the researchers compared the environments of “lean” and “green” offices in the UK and The Netherlands. They looked at how the two types of surroundings impacted upon staff’s perceptions of air quality, concentration, and workplace satisfaction and monitored productivity levels over an 18-month period.  The research demonstrated that plants in the office significantly increased employee's satisfaction and improved their self-reported levels of concentration and perceptions of air quality."