Whether placed at a traditional office or a home office setting, a bright, colorful garden area will get the creative juices flowing. It'll also benefit nature. (Photos of home office garden by Dan Smolen, June 2009)
For more years than I can remember, gardening has been something that I’ve taken great pride and joy in learning to do well.
And as someone that has worked from a virtual/home office for 15 years, my office garden has been a place for me to meditate and gather creative inspiration.
Whether we are technicians, programmers, operations specialists, client relationship managers, financial gurus, marketers, or talent recruiters, our work requires a good constant flow of creativity to assure quality results.
Without continual sources of inspiration (and good distractions), the creative juices will eventually dry up. At which point, the quality of our work suffers.
That’s why I believe it is so important to have a workplace which is connected to nature.
I happen to live in a suburban community subdivision that allows me to be creative with my property. Soon after moving in, I ripped up half the front lawn, replacing it with lots of colorful perrennial plantings.
This season, the Middle Atlantic area of the U.S. where I live has been blessed with above-average rainfall. And my garden has thrived. Blooms like the ones shown here did not take much effort or skill to create.
Pesticides? Don’t need ‘em.
Herbicides? Bad for the wetlands that border my property. We do not use them.
To get this office garden to look its best takes continual weeding (keep up with it and it won’t be a burden), a good cover of hardwood mulch, and good rainfall or every other day slow-watering (with a soaker hose). Well-established plants won’t need much more than that.
And here’s an added benefit: these gorgeous blooms attract beautiful songbirds! A office garden like this will attract hummingbirds, too!
So whether your work is based in a more-traditional office setting, or located in that study on the main floor of your house, you can get close to nature and the rewards it provides.
Need help getting your office garden started? Start with the locally-owned and operated nurseries in your area. They will provide you with the guidance you need to get the look you want, with plantings appropriate for your area. What is more, prices at local nurseries have never been better.
I wish you good success with your Office Garden.
Now, enjoy!
Red Twig Dogwood
Butterfly Bush
Echinacea (Orange Cone Flower)
Mexican Blanket Flower
Balloon Flower
Tickseed
you write so beautifully
and the pictures are great
love
S
thx, bro
Great article, your pictures came out great. Speaking of work spaces, there is this company called Execu-Center that offers some beautiful work spaces. Plant can only go so far, but it requires an out or ordinary office space to make things truly unique and interesting to inspire creativity.
Great photos and wonderful piece on greening the workplace. I hope all the corporate executives see this and get it.
[...] eyes on something long-distance. In an earlier dispatch, I talked about planting and enjoying an office garden. Take to your feet and smell the roses. Continual exposure to the computer screen leads to nagging [...]
[...] eyes on something long-distance. In an earlier dispatch, I talked about planting and enjoying an office garden. Take to your feet and smell the roses. Continual exposure to the computer screen leads to nagging [...]