Month: August 2017

I Love Amazon

by Barry Powers

There’s a lot to love about Amazon – it’s an awesome online buying experience with an extravagant array of products that can be delivered in a very, very short period of time – sometimes in the same day.  And, if you’re a Prime member, like me, there are even more options for getting goods in your hands quicker than anyone could have imagined just a few short years ago.  It has changed the landscape of many retail models and continues to add products and services that will put additional pressures on traditional distribution channels. 

While there’s plenty to love about buying goodies on Amazon, selling on it is a different story.  And I’m asked nearly every day “why aren’t you selling plants on Amazon?”  Truth is, we tried; but the parameters placed on delivery times became unsustainable for us.

You see, our top priority is getting a healthy, great-looking plant to your doorstep in a reasonable amount of time and we’ve developed industry-leading packaging and shipping techniques to do that. This means it may take few days to process plants and make sure they’re ready to ship.  There are a number of factors we consider when preparing a shipment, including 1) soil moisture (we can’t ship it if it’s just been irrigated and is too wet), 2) anticipated time in transit (we try to avoid shipping very long distances when your plant may spend a Sunday in a FedEx location), and 3) your weather (yep, if it’s expected to be very hot or very cold in the destination location, we will hold a shipment for more favorable conditions).

Our “seller agreement” with Amazon did not allow us to take these factors in to consideration and it compromised our ability to achieve our goal of landing a beautiful plants on customers’ doorsteps – so we stopped selling on Amazon.

There are other companies selling plants on Amazon and I wish them luck.  If you’ve ordered a plant from us or you’re considering it, you won’t find a company who’s more fanatical about getting a plant to you in great condition, and that means the plant needs to be ready for the trip.

Have a green day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve Stanford

The Importance of Indoor Plants for Apartment Dwellers

by Barry Powers

As the population increases and more people flock to cities, humans are getting further and further from nature – and it isn’t good for our health. While the children of yesteryears grew up playing in the dirt and soil in the backyard, which lead to a healthy level of diverse bacteria exposure, today’s kids are roaming in a much more sterile concrete jungle. Living in a city or high-rise apartment away from trees, plants, and soil can lead to some disadvantages, but indoor plants can help combat these issues.

Exposure to nature helps diversify the bacteria in our bodies, which help to fight off infection and inflammation. The bacteria that humans have are actually similar to those in plants, as we both carry trillions of goodand bad bacteria. Plants also help make humans healthier by removing toxic chemicals from the air and improving air quality be removing carbon dioxide. Simply viewing plants can even help reduce stress levels. In Japan, the practice of shinrin-yoku, or nature therapy, is actually used to boost mental health and lower blood pressure; it is done by simply taking a walk in a forest or natural area.

Adding plants to your urban household can help diversify good bacteria while cleansing the air of harmful toxins. Here are a few of our favorite plants for apartment dwellers:

  • Areca Palm – The Areca Palm is a great choice for apartments with a lot of natural light. According to NASA’s indoor plant and air quality study, they are actually considered the best air purifying plant. Areca Palms are great at removing formaldehyde and are as effective as an electric humidifier. At PLANTZ.com, you can order your very own Areca Palm in two sizes: 5-feet tall in a 10-inch grow pot or 6-feet and over in a 14-inch grow pot.
  • Kentia Palm – The elegant cousin of the Areca Palm, the Kentia Palm does not require as much light while still effectively purifying indoor air. These palms can go nearly a month without watering when using sub-irrigation, making them a better choice for a forgetful plant parent. The Kentia Palm is highly effective in removing volatile organic compounds from air. Our Hawaiian-grown palms are available in two sizes: 5- to 6-feet and 6- to 7-feet tall.
  • Bamboo Palm – Also known as the “Cham Palm,” the Bamboo Palm will tolerate a bit of shade in your apartment, but prefers moderate to high amounts of light to thrive. These versatile palms have a wonderful reputation for filtering out indoor air pollutants, especially benzene and trichloroethylene. Perfect for smaller apartments, the Bamboo Palm is available from PLANTZ in two sizes: 3-feet and 5-feet.

Do you live in an apartment? Would you like to live a healthier life? Order your very own air purifying indoor plants from PLANTZ.com today!