Indoor Garden Benefits in Homes and Offices

There are several benefits to installing indoor gardens in a home or building. Plants supply oxygen and enhance indoor air quality. They can be visually stimulating or they can be calming or relaxing focal areas. Indoor gardens can also serve as spill-over or lounge areas. Below is a list of common elements and found in an indoor garden.

Seating – Seating can be in the form of benches, couches, tables and chairs, seat walls, sculptural stone chairs, or amphitheater seating. Seating in an indoor garden is essential particularly if it is adjacent to concessionaires or an open restaurant. Seating is also needed in order when the garden is used as a spill-over, lounge or waiting area.

Indoor Planting –Planting is also essential for an indoor garden, particularly to enhance air quality and modify the climate. When choosing plants for an indoor garden, specifications must always be considered. There are various specifications for various types of indoor plants. The garden must also have filtered natural lighting in the daytime as all plants still obtain food from sunlight. Consider planting for ornamenting, buffering, screening or scale modification.

Decorative Paving – Decorative paving is always present in any garden, whether indoors or outdoors. Decorative paving provides a flat and dry surface for people to use. These paved surfaces can be used as walkways, seating, waiting, and dining areas.

Focal point – Focal points in an indoor garden help provide a focus for either a large or small scaled space. Focal points organize a space by dividing up areas and pathways for direction. The types of focal points are only limited by the imagination. Common focal points include statues, water features, mobiles, relief or free standing sculptures and even a specimen plant or tree.

Promoting the benefits of indoor gardens for a home or a building can be an effective campaign for landscape garden suppliers and installers. When marketing budget is limited, garden installers can make use of printed promotional materials. Examples of these are flyers, booklets or brochures. Printing these today can be convenient, reliable and affordable using online printers. There are online printing companies such as UPrinting for example, who can be found on popular web directories such as LinkedIn and Wikipedia.

Promoting a Container Gardening Business

Container gardening is an easy and convenient way to introduce landscape decoration to a small space. When this space cannot accommodate new planting soil due to drainage, paving problems or excessive maintenance by the owner of the lot or space, container gardening is often a more manageable alternative. A container garden is a collection or a garden of different plants in containers. Plants may be a collection of flowers, vegetables, ferns, cacti, bonsai, herbs, clematis, flowering plants, or ornamentals. Below are examples of container gardening tips for the home.

Avoid containers with narrow openings-Containers with narrow openings can pose problems when the time comes to uproot the plant. The plant’s roots may have already established itself at the bottom and around the container. The size of the plant’s root ball diameter will determine the size of the container.

Choose durable containers-It is said that cheap, plastic containers might warp or fade in the sun. Unglazed terracotta pots might also fade and dry out. Lazed, ceramic pots are recommended but will need more openings as the ceramic might break with water pressure.
Don’t use wooden containers treated with harmful chemicals-Harmful chemicals can damage plant growth. Choose hardwoods durable or resistant to rotting, warping or peeling. Wooden containers are best for a rustic and natural feel.

Holes and openings-provide plenty of holes and openings for proper water drainage. Holes should be ½ inch in diameter.

Water in the morning-this law generally applies except for plants that need very little watering. Watering in the morning when the sun is not too strong enables water to be absorbed better by the plants.

Having a container garden business involves selling or lending of container plants for occasions or short-term decoration. Container pots are expensive and hard to transport. Container gardening businesses usually have a variety of pots to choose from, each with its own finish, materials, size and color. Marketing for this kind of business with a limited marketing budget can be challenging. An effective and affordable method of promotion is the use of printed promotional materials such as brochures, flyers, and catalogs.

Printing small promotional materials is easy with the help of online printing services. Online printers such as UPrinting for example, provide online printing services as well as tips and discounts through an online discount coupon right.

Promoting School Equipment Sponsorship Programs

Charity programs for children address every kind of need including shelter, education, counseling, tutoring, and sports. One program that addresses a crucial educational need for children is a school equipment donation or sponsorship program. This program’s basic goal is to provide much needed equipment and supplies for minimally resourced school children of any age. Below is a list of three organizations with this kind of program in place throughout the World:

World Vision-World Vision, one of the world’s leading relief and development agencies, has supplied 100 desks to the Kintampo South District Directorate Education Service in Ghana. World Vision carries out this kind of work all over the world, reaching as many as 100 million people in nearly 100 countries. The charity partners with local community groups, organizations and governments in poorer countries such as Ghana in the struggle against poverty, hunger and injustice.

Satya Special School-Satya Special School is a non-profit organization that helps children in Pondicherry, South India cope with mental and physical disabilities. The school was started in June 2003 with 20 special children with disabilities like autism, Down syndrome, mental retardation, learning difficulties, cerebral palsy and others. Today the school is growing rapidly with 80 children who enjoy their time away from the hardships of social stigma in India. They are provided care from volunteer teachers and physicians through year round schooling.

One Laptop per Child Project(OLPC)-The mission vision of OLPC is to create educational opportunities for the world’s poorest children by providing each child with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop with content and software designed for collaborative, joyful, self-empowered learning.

Promotion and press exposure for such organizations are crucial to the realization and operation of their goals and vision. Since most organizations have limited resources allocated for marketing, the use of small printed materials can prove to be effective and affordable alternatives. Online printing companies offer wholesale printing services at reasonable or discounted rates. Uprinting for example, is an online printing company that is involved with Kiva.com through its U-community program. This printing company lends small, start-up businesses and entrepreneurs in low-income communities to promote their businesses.

Promoting Community Garden Projects

Community garden projects are activities that strengthen relationships amongst the members of a community. Through stewardship and beautification, community garden projects promote awareness, pride and ownership of a community’s place. Community garden projects are activities that assign members of a community to tend a garden plot within the community. A member of the community will be assigned a specific task for the community garden for a specific period of time. The growth of the garden will depend on how much time and effort the community invests in it. Below are tips on how to generate awareness, involvement and support for a community garden.

Hold events-Promote a community garden by opening it to the public as a venue for public and private events. Community gardens make very functional as well as pleasant spaces for community events such as birthday parties, anniversary celebrations, church meetings, small performances, even intimate weddings. The community garden can also be used as a venue to hold gardening classes such as organic gardening, xeriscapes design, and ornamental plant growing.

Use publicity-Request a famous celebrity or personality, particularly if he or she comes from the community to promote a community garden project. Write to newspapers and magazines in order to inform them of the project. Enter community based, nationwide and local competitions. Organize competitions and field trips to the garden for local students.

Use print promotional materials-A simple but effective promotional technique is the use of printed materials. Print a variety of on-site and handy, giveaway materials for the community garden. These include large on-site signage like canvas prints and mountable posters. Handy giveaways include flyers, bookmarks, stickers, brochures, postcards, greeting cards, catalogs and even newsletters. Distribute them within and outside the community for wider exposure and promotion. Printed materials are easy and convenient to order with the use of both local and online printing services. A list of online printers that offer services at reasonable prices have pages in online directories. Uprinting for example, is an online printing company that not only offers discounted rates on wholesale postcard and poster printing. It also maintains blogs and forum pages on printing tips and blog sponsorship promos for those in need of printing services such as youthedesigner.com

Promotion of Roof Deck Garden Designs

Roof deck gardens are becoming more and more popular amenities in the age of green living. Roof deck gardens have been around for decades but have not been constructed often due to maintenance and use of space. Maintenance issues will involve manpower and plant maintenance. Uses of space issues include the decision of architects to make efficient use of the roof deck to locate service or utility pipes including water or air conditioning.

Roof gardens today though, are proving to be efficient as well as environmental-friendly amenities added on top of residential condominiums, office buildings and malls. Promoting the use and construction of roof deck gardens can be done efficiently and directly through promotional print materials. Below is a list of materials that can promote the use of roof deck gardens.

Catalogs-Catalogs are comprehensive, informative promotional materials for customers. Catalogs can feature a complete display of all the elements involved in the design and installation of a roof deck garden. These include types of outdoor furniture such as plant and tree pots, jars and boxes. It can display types of planting including grasses, groundcover, flowering shrubs, hedges, and trees. Catalogs can easily be custom designed and printed in standard sizes including 8.5×5.5, 8.5×11 and 12×12 inches. Customer can choose from wire-o or saddle-stitched binding.

Postcards-Postcards are a novel way to promote roof deck garden design services and installation. Famous and high profile roof deck garden projects can be used as postcard images Postcard bulks sets can be used as special giveaways or gifts to loyal clients. Postcards today can also be printed in back to back full color using digital printers. Offset printers are used for wholesale orders.

Pocket folders-Pocket folders on the other hand, can be used to promote roof deck design and installation services during landscape design fairs, exhibitions, or trade shows. The pocket folders can include information and images. It can contain postcards and flyers.

When printing promotional materials, it’s also ideal to research around for local, high-quality, affordable printers. Social netowrking sites, blogs and review pages can contribute helpful information on online printing.Uprinting for example, is an online printing company that has pages in other popular social network sites including linkedIn, facebook, yelp, youtube, flicker and twitter.

Brochure Printing for Deck Builders

An outdoor deck is a popular and highly utilized amenity in residences. Outdoor decks serve as multi-purpose spaces that can be used anytime of the day. Decks can be used as outdoor dining, living, lounging, family or entertainment spaces for a home. Decks can be made of a variety of materials but the most popular surface used is treated, hardwood. Other materials include concrete or steel finished with natural stone paving, pebble wash, finished concrete or brick. Marketing outdoor deck construction can be challenging particularly when the business is local. One simple and affordable method is the use of promotional print materials. Below are examples of materials that can be used to promote an outdoor deck construction business.

Flyers-Flyers are easy and convenient to print. Flyers are both attractive and helpful materials for introducing the service to the neighborhood. Deck construction owners can choose to print flyers with one or several deck types and contact information. Flyers today can be printed using full color printers for full, front and back pages of color. Flyer quantity can be ordered from 100 to 100,000 pieces. Sizes range from standard to custom sizes including 5.5×5.5 to 26×12.

Door Hangers-Door hangers are unique, promotional ideas for an outdoor deck business. Business owners can hang them on homes’ front gates. Door hangers can also be printed in bulk orders at reasonable prices using online printers. Orders can start from 250 up to 100,000 pieces. Standard sizes include 8.5×3.5, 8.5×5.25 and 11×14 inches. Online printers also offer die-cutting services of the central hole. Door hangers can be reused.

Brochures-Brochures are classic examples of small but effective promotional materials. They are direct and can be spread quickly. Brochures can feature several deck designs taken from actual projects. Brochures can also be printed in bulk orders at discount prices.

It’s always advisable to research locally for the best printing rates. Business owners can check local city printing services or check forum sites on commercial printing. Online printers such as Uprinting for example, have a blog and review page that discusses products, printing tips and services.

Furniture Sale Promotion

Sales of furniture stores are often well-anticipated events. On regular days, furniture pieces are usually high-priced and unaffordable. Every season though, retail stores conduct large clearance sales to provide space for newly designed furniture. These are occasions where people really take advantage of the big bargains and large marked-downs from 10 to 70 percent off. Retail stores often use print materials to announce them. Below are examples of printed materials that furniture stores use to announce seasonal sales and promos.

Posters-Posters are one of the most common print materials used to announce sales. They are posted on windows and doors announcing marked down prices. A poster design for a furniture sale need not have complex designs as the text or announcement is prioritized. Often, a singular piece of furniture on sale is used as the poster image subject. Poster prints can be ordered in bulk or small quantities through online printing services. Bulk orders can be specified at a minimum of 500 to 100,000 pieces. Poster sizes can be specified at standard or customized sizes starting from 8.5×11 to 28×39 inches.

Canvas prints-Canvas prints are eye catching promotional print materials. They are used as banners and hung on store fronts and interiors. A canvas print size can be specified at standard or custom sizes starting at 8×10 to 55×100 inches. Online printers enable customers to upload their own designs onto their website.

Hang tags-Hang tags are used inside the store and attached on furniture with marked down prices. Hang tags usually have the original price, marked down price, stock and colors. Online printers also offer hang tag printing in bulk orders. Standard sizes can be specified starting from 2x 2 to 8.5×11 inches. Online printers add convenient hole drilling services in 3/16 and ¼ inch diameters.

Catalog Printing for a Decorative Tile Business

Decorative tiles can serve as decorative accents to any part of a room. Used separately or grouped to form a design, decorative tiles can be used for the floor, wall or ceiling of a room. They can be used to tile a bare concrete floor, a solid colored wall or as an accent to mouldings or even wallpaper. Decorative tiles can also be used outdoors. They can be laid out as a decorative garden path or patterned patio surface. Decorative tiles can be challenging to market when there are other products to compete with. One effective method of promoting products like these is through catalog printing.

Catalog prints are decorative yet very informative mediums of showcasing a collection of products to the customer. They often prove to be very helpful and effective sales materials. Catalog prints today can easily be printed using the services of an online printing company. Business owners can order by just logging on to their website, call a toll free number or use the website’s live chat function. Below are ideas on information that can be included in catalog prints.

Company profile-Apart from a catalog of the products themselves, catalogs can include a one to two page profile on the company. In order to introduce and build up a reputation with customers, the profile can include the company’s mission and vision, history, manufacturing site and staff profile.

Specifications-It’s best to anticipate and answer all the information a potential customer has on the product or service. Decorative tiles come in various sizes, textures, colors, materials and uses. Printed specifications for this type of product are essential for both the ordinary consumer and professionals in the design trade.

Uses and design suggestions-Customers often have a difficult time deciding which product to buy because they aren’t sure what kind of product to use for a specific purpose. A printing company can print full color catalogs with customized design suggestions by the business owner. Apart from a section on the products, the catalog can include a section on decorative tile types and what type of products are well suited to them.

Pop Art Posters

Pop art was one of the offshoot trends of the art avant-garde movement in the 1950s. Originating from Britain, it was a movement of artists who used mass-consumed products, technology, mass media and advertising as subjects of their art. One of the most famous proponents of the Pop Art movement in the United States, Warhol used the medium of silkscreen to render commercialized products of the 1960s in garish, fancy colors. Also a film maker, poet, and record producer, the artist experienced more than “fifteen minutes of fame”, an expression he coined, when he first launched a one man gallery exhibit on July 9, 1962. He was also said to have founded “The Gallery”, which became his studio for three years.

Examples of the images he painted included commercial items such as Campbell soup cans, Coca Cola bottles and dollar bills. In 1964, he launched an exhibit entitled “The American Supermarket”, which was a supermarket scene filled with actual supermarket goods. The goods though, were designed by Warhol and six other pop artists such as Billy Apple, Mary Inman and Robert Watts.

He also painted cultural icons such as Elizabeth Taylor, Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, Mick Jagger, Liza Minelli, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. He especially profited in the 1970’s from doing portrait commissions of these famous celebrities. It was written that he was criticized for becoming a commercial artist.

Pop Art prints have become exactly what the movement stood for. Pop art images became mass-produced images. Museums, bookstores and novelty shops continuously print posters and other commercial items of Warhol’s paintings. Today, online print shops make it convenient for customers to make a poster online. Customers can make posters online by uploading any design on a printing company’s website. Colors, sizes, and finishes can all be customized and printed as posters.

Promoting Art Therapy Workshops and Events

Art therapy is a form of therapy that involves the use of artistic techniques and materials in order to heal various mental and emotional illnesses amongst different age groups. Groups such as the American Art Therapy Association have at least 5,000 members that represent various local state chapters around the United States. Art therapy activities range from scrapbooking and journal making, retreats, mask making, role playing, narrative and printmaking. Art therapy groups are constantly looking for ways to promote their events and raise funds. When budget and resources are limited, small but effective print materials can help market such events. Examples of print materials that can be used to promote events include:

• Posters-Posters, being large format prints can gain a lot of attention. They can be posted in strategic place for maximum impact. In order to create community interest, posters can be placed in community centers, clubs, schools and parks. Posters can serve not only as marketing materials but as educational tools on the value of art therapy. The patients’ designs can be used as poster layout ideas. Printing posters today is convenient and easy through online printers. Printers’ offer printing of a standard poster size or custom poster size print of any customized design.

• Postcards-Postcards can be a unique way to promote specific works of specific patients. Postcard designs can feature a variety of art from painting, sculpture, performance art, crafts. Postcards can be mailed out to a residential district, offices and shops in a local area where the art therapy event will take place. Online printers today offer digital address printing, sorting and delivery to a local postal service.

• Calendars-Calendars can also serve as fresh ideas for promotion as these can also double as special gifts or souvenirs after each event. Calendars increase recall and referral rates of the event to others. Event promoters can avail of calendar printing using customized designs. Online printers provide free digital proofing of all customized designs uploaded onto their website before printing.