Tips For Creating A Sustainable Garden At Your Office Building

Julie Starr • May 26, 2022



Sustainability is essential in the workplace. Not only does it make good environmental sense, but it can also save your business money in the long run. A sustainable garden at your office building can provide many benefits, including reducing energy costs, improving air quality, and providing a natural habitat for local wildlife. The following blog will discuss some tips for creating a sustainable garden at your office building!

1) Use Native Plants

Native plants are those that have evolved over time to be well-suited to the local climate and soil. As a result, they require less water, fertilizer, and pesticides than non-native plants, making them a more sustainable option.

When selecting plants for your garden, be sure to choose varieties that are native to your area . You can ask your local nursery or extension office for recommendations.

 

In addition to using native plants, you can also consider investing in golden teacher spores and growing fungi, which tend to grow well in all climates. Another option, you can also use drought-tolerant plants. These varieties require less water to thrive, making them a good choice for areas with limited water resources.

 

2) Use Recycled Materials

When creating your garden, look for ways to use recycled materials. For example, instead of buying new pavers for your patio, you could use recycled tires or concrete blocks.

Commercial landscaping can also include the use of recycled materials such as mulch or compost. Leaves, grass clippings, and coffee grounds can all be used as mulch. Compost is made from decomposing organic matter, such as food scraps and yard waste. It adds nutrients to the soil and helps improve drainage.

Using recycled materials in your garden is a great way to reduce waste and save money. It’s also good for the environment!

3) Use Rainwater

Rainwater is a great way to water your garden without using extra resources. To collect rainwater, you can install a rain barrel or make your own rain catcher.

Once you have collected the rainwater, you can use it to water your plants or fill up a birdbath. Using rainwater is an easy way to be more sustainable in your gardening practices. It’s also free!

4) Plant A Tree

Trees provide many benefits, including shade, privacy, and beauty. They can also help to reduce energy costs by providing natural cooling in the summer.

When selecting a tree for your garden, be sure to choose one that is native to your area. This will help ensure that it is well-suited to the local climate and soil. Planting a tree is a great way to improve the sustainability of your garden. It’s also good for the environment!

5) Use An Irrigation System

One of the best ways to conserve water is to install an irrigation system. This will allow you to water your plants on a schedule and in the most efficient way possible.

An irrigation system can be expensive to install, but it will pay for itself over time in terms of both water savings and lower energy costs. If you’re not ready to install a full-fledged system, consider investing in some soaker hoses or drip lines. These are much easier to set up and can still make a big difference in your water usage.

In conclusion, there are many things you can do to make your garden more sustainable. By using native plants, recycled materials, rainwater, and an irrigation system, you can create a garden that is good for the environment and your bottom line!

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.