Interiorscapers and Plantscapers know the value of living plants in office environments – in a world of office cubicle mazes and glass and concrete entryways, living things provide fresh air and a lively, colorful environment.

Now a study by an Australian university scientifically supports how you make a living. According to the Greening the Great Indoors For Human Health and Wellbeing report, “clear reductions in feelings of stress, anxiety, depression, anger, fatigue, confusion and overall negativity among study participants with plants in their offices,” are evident. A “comparison group” with no plants showed a trend towards increased stress in human test subjects.

The report, recently released by researchers from the University of Technology Sydney, found that “indoor plants can be marketed for their demonstrated benefits to staff wellbeing, which research shows are also associated with improved work performance.”

The study’s author, Prof. Margaret Burchett, says having indoor plants fulfills a basic human need. “We evolved in a parkland setting, we have gone into high-rise buildings for work where we have alienated ourselves from our contact with nature,” Burchett said. “It is hard-wired into our heads that we need contact with nature to feel at home.” (more…)

Interiorscapers rely heavily on rectangular planters. So, naturally, they come in all shapes, sizes and colors, right? They don’t.

Fred Scott, NewPro’s vice president and a 20-year industry veteran, listened to specific design ideas from Interiorscapers across the country who needed a rectangular planter that “had some design thinking go into it.”

Fred took suggestions from Interiorscapers and designed the Quadrangle Rectangular Planter that features rounded corners and a tapered base. It’s made from a poly material that resists smudges and scratches and comes in five colors (black, espresso, charcoal, silver and pearl beige). “But there are two features that make it unlike any other rectangle planter out there,” Fred said. “Its dimensions allow it to house three of the taller six inch grow pots, and the ability to securely mount it with brackets.”

Interiorscapers may place Neanthe Bellas in the Quadrangle and install it in a busy conference room. Aglaonema or ZZ plants also work well in Quadrangles that are placed in a window ledge or on the top of a cubicle. “The Quadrangles are going to be used on top of petitions in an office where floor room is limited. They are a great way to provide plants in areas that a floor plant would be in the way of traffic,” said longtime NewPro customer Meg Goodwin of Botanical Environments, Inc. “I’ll be planting six-inch Golden Pothos in them. The Quadrangles are pleasing to the eye with the curved corners.”
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With Father’s Day just three days away, I find myself reflecting upon family relationships. I am a father of three awesome kids and husband to a wife who loves me (most of the time). I am also thankful for the example my own dad has provided and still try to follow (again, most of the time).

Family is a concept we all have experienced on a personal level, but is it really possible in the often-impersonal world of business? We here at NewPro believe it is, and our loyal customers remind us of that every day.

I’ve lost count of the number of times Tamara, our customer service rep., has asked a customer “What kind of project do you have going on this week?” or hearing Prish, also in customer service, laugh out loud (and trust me it’s loud) at a humorous story someone shared from three time zones away.
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MegaPots are available in sandstone (outside) and granite (middle)

Paul Ray, Horticulturalist for Median Hills Country Club in Indianapolis, shares the benefits of MegaPots in this video: