How Office Gardens Are Boosting Employee Wellness, One Plant at a Time

With the push to get people back into offices, there’s a glaring question floating around the corporate world: how do we make the office a place people actually want to come back to? As someone who believes in the impact of plants not just on spaces but on people , this question has me wishing of a world where every office has its own green vegetable garden out back. Does it sound too good to be true? Well, it’s already happening. In this episode, I sat down with Josh and Troy, the founders of StartOrganic , a company that helps employers give that opportunity to their employees. They’ve created office gardens for companies like PayPal, eBay, Intuit, and Apple , and what they’re doing is so much more than planting tomatoes. In this episode, we learn: [03:35] How StartOrganic started [06:54] How did they end up designing gardens for PayPal? [10:31] Scaling up with corporate programs [12:05] What are the first steps in consulting with businesses on garden installation projects? [14:00] What's the most unique place they’ve installed a garden? [14:50] Make gardening fun with Espoma Organic’s all-natural products! [16:26] What is the primary focus of StartOrganic? [19:44] How they tailor their corporate garden programs to client needs [22:11] PayPal’s evolving garden program [24:56] How does StartOrganic help employees care for their corporate garden? [26:54] Measuring the success of corporate gardens [29:17] Heartwarming employee stories [32:10] Can small offices start corporate gardens? [34:42] What are the popular crops and seasonal offerings [36:33] Where can you find StartOrganic? Mentioned in our conversation: Human Spaces Report on The Global Impact of Biophilic Design in the Workplace StartOrganic Free Starter Course How have office gardens impacted employees' well-being? Check out the full show notes and blog here! Thank you to our episode sponsor: Espoma Organic Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront . Follow Maria and Growing Joy: Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet! Get your FREE 2-week trial here ! Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle) Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon ! Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria Subscribe to the Growing Joy Youtube channel! /growingjoywithmaria Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.