Go Green at Work by Growing Your Own Garden

Julie Starr • May 7, 2022



There are many benefits of having a garden at work. It can help you go green , reduce your carbon footprint and stay healthy. You also have the opportunity to grow your own food which is a great way to save money. In order to have a successful garden, you need to start with the basics like soil, water, and sunlight. If you want to grow vegetables, then it’s important that you get some seeds first. You can also buy starter plants from your local nursery or online store and plant them in pots until they’re big enough for the ground. Let’s take a look at how this will work.

Steps to Start Growing Your Own Garden

Starting your own garden is not as difficult as it may seem. You just need to be patient and have the right tools and knowledge. Gardening has become a popular hobby these days – even at work. People are enjoying the benefits of creating their own food from their own backyard. It is also a great way to get fresh air and exercise outdoors.

The Benefits of Office Gardening

Office gardening is a trend that has been taking off in recent times. The benefits of indoor office gardening are not only limited to the aesthetics of the office. It also helps people feel more refreshed and creative. It can also be good for team morale and help the company to be greener too.

Tips and Tricks for Growing Your Own Garden

Gardening is a rewarding and relaxing activity. It can be a great hobby for those who want to spend some time outdoors. As with any other hobby, it requires some effort, time, and money to maintain. Gardening hacks can help you grow your garden more efficiently – even in the office – or make it look nicer. Some of these hacks include:

-planting flowers in the ground instead of in pots

-growing your own herbs

-use a good fertilizer, like Bulk Biochar , to help nurture the soil

-placing a bird feeder outside

-watering from the top down instead of from the bottom up

Tips for Picking the Right Plants & Vegetables For Your Small Space

There are many benefits of having a small garden, but not all plants and vegetables are suited for this type of environment. You should be able to find the right plants and vegetables for your space so that you can maximize the benefits of gardening in a small space. Some plants that are good for small spaces are:

– African violet

– Dwarf date palm tree

– Dwarf pomegranate tree

How an Office Garden Helps Create a Sense of Community in the Workplace

An office garden is a space that brings the outside in and can be used as a tool to create community in the workplace. It is also a great way to reduce stress and increase productivity. The benefits of an office garden are endless, but it can also be costly to maintain. However, it is worth every penny because it helps create a sense of community by providing employees with the opportunity to spend time outside and relax.

 

5 Everyday Items That Can Quietly Boost Your Brand

By Julie Starr • July 17, 2025
The best branding doesn’t always come from big campaigns or expensive graphics. Sometimes it’s the smaller stuff that leaves the biggest impression. Things people actually use, touch, or carry with them. That’s where your brand can quietly make its mark without needing to shout about it. If you’re only focusing on social media and business cards, you’re leaving a lot on the table. Here are five overlooked ways to get your name out there that feel natural, useful, and more personal. Thank-you slips If you’re already sending out orders, there’s no reason not to include a short thank-you slip. You can easily get these made through any decent online print shop , and they’re usually pretty cheap to run off in small batches. Just a simple note that says thanks, maybe with a reminder to follow you online or a cheeky discount code for next time. It’s quick, thoughtful, and makes the whole order feel more finished. Customers notice that kind of detail, especially when everything else they buy online comes with zero personality. You don’t need a complicated design either. Just something clean with your logo, a message that sounds like you, and maybe a social handle. The point is to give them a reason to come back or remember your name without it feeling forced. Branded zip pouches If you sell physical products, offer services, or run events, small zip pouches are surprisingly effective. Think of the kind you’d use for stationery, receipts, or travel bits. You can get your brand printed on the side and hand them out with purchases or include them in welcome packs. People keep them because they’re actually useful. They get tossed in handbags, school bags, or glove boxes and your logo just keeps turning up. Cleaning cloths for glasses or screens This one works brilliantly if you’re in tech, health, beauty, or anything involving screens or eyewear. A simple microfibre cloth with your branding on it can go a long way. Everyone needs one. Whether they use it for glasses, a phone screen, or their laptop, it’s something they hang onto. It’s not the kind of thing people throw away, and that means your name sticks around too. Receipt envelopes You might already use little envelopes to hand over receipts or business cards. Branding those envelopes is a small change that makes a big difference. Instead of someone getting a scruffy bit of paper in a plain sleeve, they’re handed something that feels a bit more finished. You can even add a message inside. Doesn’t need to be anything dramatic. A simple “thanks for visiting” or “see you next time” is enough to add a personal touch. Wet wipes or mini hand gels If your business is in hospitality, food, or anything hands-on, branded wet wipes or pocket-sized hand gels are surprisingly popular. People actually use them, especially at festivals, food stalls, pop-ups, or kids’ events. They end up in handbags or cars and stick around longer than you think. They don’t scream “marketing” either. They’re practical, and when done right, they make your business feel thoughtful. That’s what good branding does, it shows you’ve thought ahead.

How Student-Led ‘Energy Audits’ Are Cutting School Costs (and Lighting the Way Forward)

By Julie Starr • July 14, 2025
What happens when students stop waiting for adults to fix things and start conducting their own energy audits? Money gets saved. The lights get switched off. Data gets analyzed. And a quiet revolution in sustainability begins—inside schools that once overlooked their own inefficiencies. Across the globe, student-led energy audits are proving that change doesn't always need to come from a policy shift or a major capital budget. Sometimes, it begins with a clipboard, a spreadsheet, and a group of curious minds asking: Why are the hallway lights on at noon when sunlight floods the building? The Energy Detectives These audits aren’t science fair projects. They’re rigorous investigations, often done in collaboration with facilities staff, local environmental nonprofits, or even engineering mentors. Students go from classroom to classroom measuring electricity usage, checking for phantom loads , and identifying where heat is escaping in winter or air conditioning is leaking in summer. One high school in Ontario saved over $12,000 a year after its Grade 11 physics students ran an energy audit and suggested simple changes—LED upgrades, motion sensors in bathrooms, and smarter heating schedules. They didn’t just propose ideas. They pitched them with spreadsheets, thermal images, and payback timelines. It worked. Learning That Pays Off—Literally Unlike textbook learning, these audits blend real-world math, environmental science, economics, and persuasive communication. Students aren’t just learning about sustainability. They’re doing it. And the savings add up. From dimming overlit hallways to reprogramming HVAC systems that run all weekend for empty buildings, students are surfacing blind spots that administrators often overlook. In some districts, their findings are influencing energy policy. Elsewhere, the audits have inspired school boards to hire sustainability coordinators—often alumni of the student programs themselves. There’s something poetic about a school funding new books or laptops from money saved by students who found out the vending machines didn’t need to be plugged in 24/7. Why This Matters More Than Ever With education budgets tightening and utility costs rising, every dollar saved is a dollar that can go back into classrooms. And here’s where it gets interesting from a family finance perspective, too. If you’re a parent setting aside money for post-secondary savings, every bit of school efficiency helps. Fewer energy costs might mean more programming, better STEM facilities, or even bursaries. That raises a broader point: when families save for their children’s future, they often look into RESPs (Registered Education Savings Plans). And many wonder—is a RESP deduction available on my taxes? While contributions themselves aren’t deductible, the gains grow tax-free, and students often pay little to no tax when they withdraw the funds during school. A Movement Worth Replicating These audits aren’t just an exercise in environmentalism. They’re leadership labs. Students learn how to spot inefficiencies, speak up in board meetings, and make a business case for change. They don’t just flip switches—they shift mindsets. And they carry these habits into adulthood. The result? A generation growing up not only with climate anxiety, but also with tools to tackle it.