News and general info...
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Decorfolia elves at work
Watch us transform a Christmas tree...
Post COVID-19 office planting
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a lasting effect on office life causing many businesses to reassess their workplaces...
Cycle to Work
I have to admit I hadn’t had so much fun for years! The seed was sown and I was determined to get my own ebike and use it to cycle to work...
Recycled Planters
In the 46 years that Decorfolia have been caring for interior plants the plant pot industry has evolved immensely...
DocBike Dorset Charity Ride
As many of you know, I like classic motorcycles. With that in mind, Decorfolia sponsored my participation in the DocBike Dorset Charity Ride Out. The DocBike charity combines a highly qualified (consultant level) doctor or critical care paramedic with two wheels...
Living Wall
One of our clients has recently finished refurbishing their latest serviced offices in Camberley and wanted some live planting for one of the office spaces. The brief was not to take up too much floor space, so we have taken NO floor space whatsoever by planting a small living wall...
Chilli Competition
Earlier this year one of our clients asked us if we could supply them with Chilli plants for an in office chilli growing competition starting in May. Not a problem thought I...
SPUD
Decorfolia were pleased to be able to donate two plant displays to SPUDworks in Sway this week - SPUD is an award winning organisation that brings people together, from all walks of life, to collaborate on educational, art and architectural projects...
London Marathon
Having had a few days to try and walk again and to reflect on last Sunday, I wanted to write to you and thank you once again for the very generous donation that you so kindly made to my chosen charity for the London Marathon 2018. I would also like to thank every one of your customers that also contributed by purchasing orchids...
Puff the Magic Wagon
Bronwyn Burrell made her name as a rally driver nearly five decades ago but gave up her motor sport career at the age of 27. She then began work as an interior landscaper eventually running her own business called Decorfolia...
Unreal Floristry
With the excellent quality of artificial flowers now available, and the fact that we have employed an experienced florist, Decorfolia is now able to say "yes, we do floristry"...
40 years in the Interior Landscaping Industry
1976. Do you remember it, were you even born? Here are a few of the notable events from that year...
Oakhaven Hospice Trust
Thank you to all of you who purchased orchids after they finished their month as displays in your receptions and offices. This time we have given the money to the Oakhaven Hospice Trust...
A new range of plant pots
Here at Decorfolia we strive to be as 'eco-friendly' as possible and with that in mind we are excited to introduce a new range of plant pots made from post-consumer plastics...
Decorfolia's rodent officers
In the 15 years that I have been with Decorfolia many cats have come and gone. Some like Ugly Bugly and Peaches just passed through whilst on their travels (Ugly did eventually spend his retirement with us). Others like Harry and Gandolf made Decorfolia their permanent home...
Introducing a new member of staff...
I would like to introduce Sue Bailey as the latest member of the Decorfolia team. Sue joined us back in September as office administrator to take over some of Pats work now she is semi retired...
Bumblebee Conservation Trust
As many of you know we donate the money from your purchases of the orchids after they have finished their month as displays in your receptions and offices to charity...
A more natural approach to beekeeping
You might be asking what has beekeeping got to do with interior landscaping?
The birds and the bees
Honey bees and other pollinators have been under tremendous pressure over recent years, the wet summer of 2012 and the cold spring of 2013 have exacerbated an already difficult time.
Floriade 2012
Every ten years The Netherlands host a wonderful garden show on a huge scale and in 2012 the Floriade exhibition was held in Venlo.
Orchid sales
There are now a number of our valued clients who enjoy the benefits of our Live Orchid Flower displays. Many of you purchase these plants at the end of their month in the office, and I thought I would give you an idea of some of the projects we have put your money to over the past year.
Iggy the office cat
I understand that a number of our Company Invoices and Documents have recently been "signed" by Iggy the office cat.
Caring for your Phalaenopsis Orchid
Phalaenopsis Orchids or 'Moth Orchids' as they are sometimes called have become very fashionable over the last few years and seem to be for sale just about everywhere...
Green Hosting
When Pat took over the ownership of Decorfolia in 2000 we made a conscious effort to become as ecologically sound as possible...
Caring for your Christmas Tree
For years there has been debate on live versus artificial foliage trees, and now that we are all endeavouring to lessen our carbon footprints the arguments have become quite heated...
Our wildlife meadow...
When I was a child (over forty years ago!) my grandfather showed me a wild bee hive on his allotment and the good they were doing for his veg and flowers. Ever since that moment it has been a personal ambition to keep honey bees...
Oakhaven Hospice Bike and Hike 2008
It was supposed to be for fun...
Spare land + free time = wonderful home grown food...
When the Christmas rush was over we all sat back and discussed what we should do for the next project. It was agreed that perhaps small beds where we could all grow our own vegetables...
Settling in...
Many of you have asked us how things are going on our new site, well here is a brief resume of our first Summer at Pauls Lane.
Decorfolia goes bananas
Have you ever fancied growing a banana plant in your garden and making a statement with it's impressive tropical foliage and architectural structure, but thought it too difficult...
The BIG move...
What does Friday the 13th mean to you? For us at Decorfolia it meant signing on the dotted line and moving to our new home...
A day trip to Eden
So this year we all voted for a day out to the Eden project in sunny Cornwall and what a beautiful day it was too.
A perfect winter morning saw us all gathered at the office...
Treatment in the real world
"Fortunately for us, decorfolia stepped in and offered to replant our reception with some fabulous foliage, as part of a donation to our centre..."
Time to meet a new member of staff...
Time to introduce a new member of staff - most of you have probably now met Katalin. Kate, as she prefers to be called...
Why make compost ?
The simple answer to this question is, the better the soil the healthier your plants will be. Home made compost is the most cost effective and rewarding way of improving and fertilizing your garden's soil...
Busman's Holiday
I thought that late September would be a good time to visit Cornwall for a few days, and of course just had to make a trip to the Lost Gardens of Heligan. I wasn't disappointed...
A simple money saving idea
In recent years Alan, Charlie and Co. of the 'ground force' team have started a DIY landscaping epidemic. They make time consuming and expensive gardening techniques look very easy...
Succulents
Hydroculture is an unlikely candidate for the growing and care of this large group of xerophytes (plants that have developed water storage structures for times of drought). But with care and patience...
Allotments
Used to be gentlemen of a certain age taking this pastime every day, with neat green grass pathways and rows of vegetables. Taking time to 'brew up' and sup the tea with their allotment friends...
Bionic Buildings
During the Christmas Holiday we were contacted by the Plants for People organisation - you might remember the item in a past Newsletter, when we used some of their research to illustrate the use of plants as health givers in your working environment...
I had a Ficus but all the leaves fell off...
There are over 800 species and 2,000 varieties of ficus. Their natural habitat tends to be the moist forests found across the tropics and sub-tropics, mainly in parts of Asia and Africa, but also in South America and Australia. In their natural surroundings they can live to over 500 years...
Conservatory planting
Recently, we have been invited to undertake some interesting work in private houses, supplying hydroculture plants for conservatories. These have been very varied projects, ranging from an ultra-modern underfloor heated and automatic shaded addition to a home, through to the more traditional half-brick style. The only common point between them is that this is a hostile environment...
Introducing Margaret and Mark...
I would like to take a few lines in this edition of the Newsletter to introduce a couple of members of the Decorfolia team...
Ugly Bugly
It must have been about 4 years ago that Ugly first appeared in the greenhouse. At the time I was already feeding a stray cat that I had called “Peaches”. He was an entire tom, with the most beautiful cream coloured coat that had small flecks of peach – hence thename Peaches – short for Peaches and Cream...
The influence of office plants on well-being, health and productivity.
Considerable academic research, which shows that office plants can improve health in the workplace, has been carried out. The research has shown that plants reduce complaints of minor ailments, generally improve the feeling of well-being and also reduce stress levels...
The Christmas Tree
Most of us will have a Christmas Tree as the centre of our festive decorations. Whether our choice is for live or artificial the history of this tradition remains the same...
What’s the big deal about office plants?
Do the plants in your building give people a buzz or bore them rigid? How can you tell? Your own opinion of what you look at is a good start. If your reaction is "wow that's impressive" or " this room looks attractive", then it is reasonable to assume that the plants are creating a good impression...
The Flying Dutch Trip
During the early part of September 2002 Pat and Mark took up a long-standing invitation to visit one of our regular plant suppliers whose nursery is in the Alsmeer area of The Netherlands. We thought it would be a good idea to link this visit to a flying trip to the Floriade show...
A letter from America Brazil
Dear Decorfolia friends and clients of, it's Guy here an ex-DecorF employee. You may have seen me around your office floor, rummaging around in the foliage, between April and September 2001? I hope that you remember me!? Hello to those of you who do!
Anthurium
Anthuriums, sometimes called Flamingo flower, come from a large genus of about 900 species of evergreen, native to the damp tropical and subtropical forests of America. A large proportion of these bright plants are epiphytic, i.e they lodge on other plants and get nourishment and moisture from the atmosphere...
Poinsettia
Did you know that the Poinsettia is now the most popular pot plant in the UK? By careful breeding and production we can now buy these traditional plants in all shades of Pink, Red, Cream and even Marbled shades...
Decorfolia goes Dutch
On 1st November Decorfolia celebrated it's first year with Pat at the helm. How could we mark the occasion? - what better than a trip to Holland to visit our main hydroculture plant supplier? So off we went! The little group included Peter, Anita, and Mark all of whom you know, and our latest recruit Laura...
Staff Profile
Hi, I'm Laura.
I joined Decorfolia back in August. Hopefully I have met most of you by now and those I haven't I'm sure you will see my face out and about soon...
Geranium (Pelargonium) cuttings
July and August is the best time for taking Geranium cuttings...
Happy Birthday Decorfolia
Did you know that it was in June 1976 that Bronwyn Burrell started Decorfolia? I know that some of her earliest customers are still with us now. I wonder how many companies can make a boast like that?