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OFFICE PLANTS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The Plant Escape Way
GOT QUESTIONS?
Since 1975, we’ve been providing highly personalized landscaping services to enhance small and large businesses in Denver, Colorado and beyond. With a longstanding reputation for beautifying properties, we’re often asked questions by potential clients regarding which industries we serve and the types of specific services we provide.
Read on for answers to some of the most frequent questions we receive:
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We'd like to have annuals or perennials planted, what is the process?"We would like to schedule a time to come out and see your property and discuss your vison for the space. We will be looking at the light availability for each flower bed or container and collect measurements so we can propose a quantity of flowers suitable to fill the space. Once we have those things, we will craft a proposal and present it to you. Once you have decided to move forward, we will sign a contract and collect a 50% deposit. Once we are close to the planting date, we will order the materials and schedule the installation. If you elect to have us come out and perform ongoing care of the beds (which is highly recommended to keep them looking their best), we will send a team out weekly or bi-weekly to weed, water, deadhead and fertilize the annuals. We will keep them looking incredible all season long.
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We're interested in adding office plants to our space, where do we begin?"Feel free to reach out via a form on this site or to give us a call at 303.584.0496 to schedule a time for us to come out and see your space. We'll work with you to bring your vision to life.
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What is the cost to care for office plants?At Plant Escape, all ongoing care for tropical plants/ house plants / office plants... whatever you call them, comes with our Plant For Life Guarantee - which means if the plants begin to look sad, fade or even die, we'll replace them at no additional expense to you. We have a minimum monthly charge of $135 per account which typically can cover 10-12 plants. The size of the plant (based on the diameter of the grow pot) will determine the cost of replacement and therefore have in an impact on the ongoing cost to guarantee that plant. Other factors include where the plants are located (multiple floors in the building or even multiple buildings) and if you would like a plant to be located in an area where it is not likely to thrive. If for example, you would like a Ficus Lyrata (high light plant) placed in a dark conference room, we will let you know that it will fail in there - but if you really want that (and a faux option just will not due) we will have to include in the monthly care price, the cost to replace that plant on a regular basis. With that being said, they typical office plant is a 10” plant (grow pot diameter) and we charge $8.50 per month to care for them which includes the guarantee. A 6” plant (typically a desktop plant) costs $5 per month and a 14” plant cost $12-$14 depending on the variety.
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Is the design process free?In most cases, the answer is Yes! There are times however when you may want to change your mind (repeatedly), want us to do extensive searches for particular looking containers or plant material or structures - in these instances, we'll let you know that we'll need to begin charging for design time.
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What is the Blooming Plant Program?There are a few indoor plants that we can install as showpieces for your facility, which need to be swapped out often. The reason we have to swap them out is that booming plants fade and lose their blooms after a period of time. We charge a bit more for caring for these plants as we have to replace the whole plant fairly often to keep them looking great in your space. The plants typically included in the blooming program are: Bromeliads (typically last 10-12 weeks) Orchids (typically last 6-8 weeks) Anthurium (typically last 10-12 weeks) Succulents (it's not that they stop "blooming" as they rarely "bloom", the reason we include them in the blooming program is that folks tend to touch them to see if they are real and being as fragile as they are - they break. So, we tend to swap them out every 3 months or so. With all blooming program options, we include ongoing care and our 100% Plant For Life Guarantee.
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What is the process for adding a living wall?First, we come out and see your space to assess the area. If the space has not be built out yet, we can look at the architectural drawings to get a good idea. With the measurements of the wall, you would like to have installed, we can create a quote for the total installation. Based on the size of the wall, we will let you know if an irrigation system will be necessary for the wall to thrive - and if one is required, we will let you know all that is required to make that work. We submit a proposal to you and make any adjustments based on your feedback. If you would like to have a design built into the wall with plants, we can make that happen as well. Once we agree on a proposal, we sign a contract with you and collect a 50% down payment to order materials and schedule the installation. It typically takes 4 weeks from the time we order materials to get everything in and the wall installed. Once the green wall has been installed, we set your facility up on an ongoing maintenance program to have one of our Plant Technicians come out regularly to care for the wall.
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What are the benefits of green or living walls?Living walls are truly living art. They not only make a statement to your guests and employees, they offer several health benefits as well. Green walls have been proven to purify the air, reduce ambient temperature and noise levels, increase productivity and enhance the feelings of wellbeing. When most people come across a living wall, they are stopped in their tracks. The beauty of the walls and the scent of fresh plants make for an instant conversation piece.
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What structural requirements are necessary for a living wall?Backing/Support: To support the weight of the system, plants and water, ¾” plywood is usually ample; Water supply: If there is an irrigation system being installed, a standard ¾” water supply line (typically copper) works great; Drainage will be necessary for excess water to be removed from the wall. A 2”-4” drain pipe (depending on the size of the wall) works well; Power: A standard outlet will be necessary to plug in the irrigation control clock; Lighting: We recommend a minimum of 150 Foot Candles in an even flood over the entire wall in a 4300 k color temperature range for promoting optimal growth of the green plant foliage.The lighting system should NOT be on at all times; only 10-12 hours of light are required each day. Plant health issues will arise if the lights are too close to the wall, if the light levels are insufficient, or if the light is too direct or focused on the wall. We typically suggest installing track lighting approximately 5 feet back from the living wall.
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Why use a green wall for branding?Living walls have significant customer impact. Green and living walls add a lot of value to a building and enhance the building lobby, some say that they are more valuable than a piece of art. Customers are amazed that the wall itself is real and are in awe of how it is put together and thriving! They act as talking pieces and are used extensively in press articles and reviews. Most importantly, a green wall speaks for itself. If a customer questions your Green initiatives, just walk over to the green wall to start the discussion. As such a living wall provides a tremendous return on investment.
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What plants can you use in a living wall?For indoor green walls we use tropical plants because they are able to thrive in an interior climate. While there are several varieties of plants of plants that can live in a wall, it is necessary to only install plants that require similar amounts of light and water. If one plant requires more water than another, one is likely to be overwatered while the other is dry as they will all receive the same amount of water. Another consideration is how each plant will mature over time, If you add an arboricola to a wall, it will look great when it is small but once it starts to grow it will become top-heavy and begin to tip out of the wall system. We like to add several varieties of Pothos or Philodendron Cordatum to wall systems. Marantas are another nice option to add color as are ficus elastica (rubber trees – little ones).
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What are the maintenance requirements for living walls?Ongoing maintenance is key to having your living wall thrive for years to come. As some walls have automated irrigation systems and others are hand watered, the maintenance will vary from wall to wall. For walls with irrigation systems we send out a Plant Technician each week for the first 4-6 weeks after installation to ensure the wall is acclimated to its new space and there are not issues arising from the installation. After that period, we shift the visits to every other week. At each visit the Plant Technician will ensure the wall is receiving ample water and the plants are healthy. They will pull any yellow leaves, trim the plants so they don’t get ‘leggy’ and make any necessary replacements. For walls in which an irrigation system was not installed (typically walls less than 50 square feet), the Plant Technician will be out weekly to hand water the wall and check the health of the plants. With all Plant Escape ongoing care, we offer a 100% Plant For Life Guarantee that if a plant fails or just begins to get old, we’ll replace it at no additional cost to you, the Client.
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What do living walls cost to install?For complete wall coverage you can expect to invest between $175 – $200 per sqft for a living wall. This expense includes the living wall system (we use the Gsky Versa Wall system here at Plant Escape), Irrigation Components, assorted tropical plants and installation labor. Other expenses you will incur include having a plumber bring water supply to the wall and provide drainage from the wall. If water or drainage are not possible, we have wall systems which utilise a tank system. You'll also need to have an electrician install an outlet near the wall (or wherever the water supply for the wall is located) for the irrigation timer and track lighting above the wall to ensure the plants thrive. Other costs include delivery of materials, trip charges (bring the guys out) and dump fees if materials need to be removed.
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What do living walls cost to maintain?When you think about ongoing maintenance for living walls, expect to pay between $5-$7 per month, per square foot for care and guarantee on the plant material. This will incude fertilizing the wall and coming out from time to time to detail the wall.
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How much does a green wall clean the air?Indoor Green Walls significantly improve indoor air quality and remove harmful VOC’s. Just 50 sq. ft. of Green Wall can consume as much CO2 as a 14’ high tree in a year! As much as one pound of dust can be removed from the air per square foot per year! No matter which way you look at it, a Green Wall can significantly improve your indoor environment for years to come.
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