Stewarts Office Plants

We supply many businesses across the South, from Sussex and Surrey, through Hampshire and Dorset to Wiltshire and Somerset. For more information about the services we offer visit our home page, or contact us here. In this blog you'll find news, interesting snippets, stories and pictures of our staff's adventures out on the road.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

'Finishing Touch' floral displays


Stunning aren't they? This is a 'Finishing Touch', a stylish orchid arrangement which we leave on Reception for four weeks, when we replace it for a new one. The new one will use a different colour container, different colour orchids and new sculptural materials too.
When you consider that fresh flowers start at £20 a week, these last much longer and look as good when we take them away as they do when we deliver them (sometimes this can't be said of fresh flowers).
The large arrangement pictured would cost you £13.75 + VAT each week, but we have others which reduce costs down to as little as £5.50 + VAT each week.
Let me know if you'd like to try one and I'll bring a sample along to leave on your desk for a week or so - no obligation.

 Jonathan

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Special offers on planted containers


As ever, I'm back to tell you about our special offers. If you are concerned about the cost of interior plants, perhaps you aren't aware that you can have one of our stock containers, planted with a standard 1.5M specimen plant, on a 2 year rental, with fortnightly maintenance, for as little as £6.85 each plant per month? If you feel like committing for a little longer, a 3 year rental option is available for £5.90 per month per plant.
I think that's a pretty good deal. It still includes visits by our fully trained staff to water, feed, prune and clean the plants and plant replacements too, should any fail!
The catch? Only that this deal uses our second-hand stock containers (like those pictured), as we are keen to re-use them, so although these are in great condition, we wouldn't be able to offer you the wide range of colours that we normally do.

Jonathan 

My plant needs repotting....

Another in my occasional series of tips on indoor plant care.

Maybe it's because I've potted so many (it must be multiple thousands by now) but I'm reluctant to re-pot plants unnecessarily.

One of the misconceptions I encounter frequently when people ask me for advice on their office plants or their houseplants at home, as that 'they need repotting'.

In some people's books this a cure all for a plants ills. I cannot emphasise enough how infrequently repotting is the answer to an ill plant's woes.

It is easy to think why it might help:

1. It gives the plant a dose of fresh soil. True, but the nutrients in fresh compost are used up in a matter of weeks or months. How often were you planning on repotting it?
2. It gives the roots room to grow. Again, true, but I've dug out perfectly healthy houseplants, showing no signs of ill health from being potbound, that have been in the same pot for decades, with roots going round and round the inside of the pot.



Now here's why you should restrain yourself.


1. Plants have delicate hairs all over their roots, which are very easily damaged. Pulling a plant out of its pot is like taking a pair of walking boots off with the laces done up. It's possible, but it won't do your toes much good.


2. Being a little bit potbound will inhibit a plant's growth. Think before you pot on whether you actually want your plant to get a lot bigger. If you don't then prune the plant (most of them love it) and keep the pot.


3. Houseplants will live in tiny pots in comparison to their size. I've seen it many, many times. As long as they get enough water and food, they'll live in terrible soil in a tiny pot (hydroponic plants live in gravel after all).


Here are the only reasons you should repot a plant, in my opinion:
1. It's in a pot with drainage and the roots are escaping.
2. It's easier to get the watering right in a bigger pot.
3. The pot looks too small. Indoor plants are there to make your home or office look nice. If the pot looks out of proportion, change it!

Jonathan

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Recession? What recession?



After the expected busy few weeks I was kind of expecting things to slow down a bit, but here at Stewarts we seem to be busier than ever, with what seems like a new customer signing up for our maintenance service every day.

These new customers have come in all across our coverage area (Hampshire, Dorset and parts of surrounding counties); off the top of my head there are ones in Alton and Fareham in Hampshire, Bournemouth, and gratifyingly one just down the road in Wimborne, Dorset, where we are based, with another local one in the pipeline...

Also absolutely buzzing at the moment is our short-term hire service of plants (mainly topiary) for events such as weddings, office opening etc. So much so that I can hardly keep up.

Some recession!

Jonathan