Stopping to smell the flowers
Business is blooming
Photo and Story By Arlene Marturano

Arlene Marturano is a master gardener, writer, and educator. As an advocate of gardening as a tool for learning, she helped develop the Carolina Children's Garden at the Sandhill Research and Education Center. She is an education consultant with T.E.A.C.H. marturano@yahoo.com

Business owners realize curbside appeal is one courtesy extended to clients and the community.

Eye- catching landscapes spark interest in a company, too. Green space outside the workspace offers tranquil respite for employees.

Continental American Insurance Company headquartered in Columbia and active in 46 states opened a new operations center on Devine Street last year.

Chris Goodall, chairman and CEO, is mindful of the importance of first impressions based on appearance. He hired Robert Brooks of Brookegreen Landscaping to design, install, and maintain the horizontal tile planter along the facade of the operations center.

Goodall provided an idea of what was wanted, and Brooks had the skill in selecting plants, colors, and textures for the layered look. This fall and winter Brooks used pansies to provide a base of color across the bed and red rocket snapdragons for height. Flowing throughout the bed were Iceland poppies, unusual and visually striking.

Iceland poppies, Papaver nudicaule, are not commonly seen in Columbia but have great potential in the fall and winter garden. They are especially fond of southern exposures offering full sun, which contributed to their success at the 2835 Devine Street location. They are perennials usually grown as annuals or biennials. The sweet- scented silk- like blossoms come in pink, rose, yellow, white, créme, and orange and stand atop a one foot stem.

Brookegreen Landscaping installed a rear courtyard area with a fountain and raised containers connecting the two Continental buildings on Devine Street. Goodall said the employees use the outdoor area for breaks and lunch. Large oaks provide shade in spring and summer.

Goodall notes that employees are extremely busy indoors, and the courtyard provides a comfort zone for them.

Continental American insures visitors and employees of continuing efforts to keep their business blooming. Brookegreen is planning the spring and summer plantings for all to enjoy.