We’re all excited about summer. It is a season I love for its energy, the bright colours, and the summer-specific creative designs we incorporate into our floral displays. For corporate clients it is a wonderful opportunity to showcase their products and services, market to new customers, and harness a portion of the seasonal excitement–not to mention take advantage of the incredible array of in-season flowers and arrangements we have to offer.
There are many reasons to add greenery to your office. As Andy Baxter, MD and Green Design Expert at Internet Gardener explains: “The future of office design is green. Bringing the outside in is growing in popularity every year with businesses realising the vast benefits nature and plants can have on productivity and wellbeing as well as showing off their eco-friendly side to potential clients, employees and guests.
“Studies every year prove that having plants and greenery in a work setting, whether full office or home desk, improves productivity in people whatever they’re working on. Businesses are now often turning to biophilic design, often incorporating living walls. These often take form in wall sections covered in plants, artificial or genuine, or vines, with pockets of grass and moss that grow into the wall. Brightly coloured plants poke out of holes and grow to change the wall’s design over time.
“Plants have also been proven to produce a calming atmosphere which can be integral to many high-pressured offices.”
Felicity from Advanced Commercial Interiors says: “When it comes to creating a beautiful office space, it can be easy to overdo it with the floral arrangements. Getting the right ratio of space and flowers can be a very personal thing, but from experience, we’ve found the old adage; ‘less is more’ really is true. While designing an office space we’ll sometimes add small details like flowers just to give the client an idea of what the space could look like. In doing this, we’ll usually opt for a large focal piece that creates a somewhat natural feel that contrasts a modern, contemporary workspace. This contrast often evokes a personable feel an inspires clients to follow suit.
“Looking for summer office flowers is something that might take longer than you think. But looking for something that follows your company colour scheme can be a starting point. Lilies are versatile, they’ll stand both by themselves or as part of an arrangement which means they’re a great choice.”
Raeleen Kaesehagen from Mud Putty also adds: “Floral arrangements soften the office, making it feel more welcoming, fresh and visually appealing. My advice would be to choose easy to manage plants that look great, such as succulents.”
Attention Grabbing Outdoor Floral Designs
“Outdoor fresh flowers displays, doorway flowers and even restaurant and store window displays, are even more important in the summertime. Shoppers commuters and passerby are drawn in by striking fresh flowers arrangements. But what makes the biggest impression? I think simplicity is important. Complementary colours, one or two blossoms, foliage in a heavy vase or urn can go a very long way.” – Joe Adler, Yoghurt Digital
Large Table Arrangements and Bright Flower Bouquets
Large table arrangements are often part of a customer or clients first impression, whether he or she is walking into your lobby, waiting area, or the front of your restaurant. For summer, I love branches. I love blossoms. I think this season you can see classic arrangements, such as roses and ranunculus with filler flowers, as well as minimalist arrangements that make perfect use of just a few tall, enticing tropical flowers.
Unique interior planting ideas
Add some interest to your office by thinking of alternative planters for your interior planting displays. Parveen Dhaliwal from Inspiring Landscape Solutions says: “Ladders make lovely plant stands which can be filled up and are especially good for tight spots. Some other ideas for appropriate and interesting decor include hanging planters and textural and uniquely shaped pots and pot stands. You can also incorporate room dividers using systems like the Schiavello wall or install a living vertical garden.”
“If you have pillars or posts in your office that are in desperate need of some decoration, consider adding some life to the room with some greenery by wrapping the pillars with a vine plant, such as the bright and leafy Pothos (“Epipremnum aureum”). They’re hardy and also help purify the air, keeping your office fresh.” – Georgia Budden, Service.com.au
English Garden Corporate Flowers Theme with Miniature Trellis, Ivy, White and Yellow English Roses
Did you know it was possible to dress up your cubicle? The miniature trellis is perfect to hang English ivy, fresh cut flowers, or silk flowers if you want something you can leave up as permanent decoration, for summer and year round.
Hydrangeas and Cascading Green Foliage
Hydrangeas are extravagant. They are exuberant. They are some of my favourite flowering shrubs to use in summer arrangements. Their clustered blossoms are versatile and easy to arrange. Combining them with cascading green foliage is perfect for one end of a front desk or a large table reception in a reception area.
Professional and Welcoming Reception with Indoor Plants and Modern Stylish Vases
What’s an easy way to make clients, guests, and colleagues feel at home? Or maintain a comfortable environment for customers? Ivy, flowering shrubs, succulents, potted plants and bonsai trees are my top picks for indoor plants. And Indoor plants provide a host of other benefits, from cleaner air and less stress to more moderate air temperatures. All of which make a big difference during the summer.
Wide Corridor Areas with Large Potted Shrubs, Bushes and Miniature Trees
Bring some part of summer inside by turning your office space into greener space. Miniature rose bushes, azaleas, philodendron, ficus, giant snake plants–any one of these large potted indoor plants won’t require too much effort to maintain.
Classic Fishbowl Arrangements and Ceramic to China Vases
Fish bowl arrangements, flowers in simple vases–these are the small touches that can make a big impression on the people who come in contact with your business, before you even exchange words. Wild bright green grasses wrapped around the circumference of the bowl add colour and texture. You can float whole rose blossoms, or just the petals. Lotus flowers are a classic choice. Calla lilies swirled around the bowl are another popular selection.
Hotel Lobby Centre Floral Table Display
How will you handle a first impression on guests and VIPs? Summer flowers are naturally bold, bright, ecstatic. They help you make a statement, naturally. Hydrangeas, delphiniums, striking orchids, or large arrays of roses, dahlias and monochrome peony arrangements are some of my flower displays for hotels and lobbies.
Lift, Lobby, Hallway and Hotel Foyer Arrangements: Succulents and Orchids
These are two somewhat opposite approaches. Succulents are subtle, varied, soothing and can tend to blend into the background, complementing your existing decor and atmosphere without competing for attention. Meanwhile, orchids are elegant, alluring, and depending on which colour you choose–pink, fuchsia, magenta or purple, even a classic bright white–they can really stand out. What you pick depends on the look and feel of your business.
Still, succulents and orchids arrangements can function as the perfect accent, like a bridge between the lobby and guests’ rooms, in hallways, by lifts and waiting areas.
Real or artificial plants?
JM from RFP Magazine says: “People are very keen to put flowers in offices nowadays, but they still need to be aware of factors such as who is responsible for the plants, where will they go, how many you will have, and whether they can they block views if you put them in windows.
“On the positive side, flowers add a pleasing visual aspect to a dull and dreary offices and there are health benefits associated with plants. They clean the air by removing dust, toxins and other bad things from the air.
“Artificial plants have also become more popular, and they come without the babysitting elements of real plants, so can get them imported for really lazy offices!”
