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How Office Gardens Are Boosting Employee Wellness, One Plant at a Time with StartOrganic, Ep 284

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?

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Why We Need Green in the Gray

Employee wellness is not a cute perk anymore—it’s a necessity. And sure, you can throw a yoga class on the calendar or install a smoothie bar, but what if you could walk outside during your lunch break and tend to a garden bed filled with kale, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes? What if your coworkers joined you and it turned into a team-building moment? And you could take those veggies home for dinner?

The idea of corporate gardening makes me happy because it blends who we are outside the office with who we are at work. We are our whole selves. And that whole self needs dirt under her nails every once in a while.

Meet the Founders of StartOrganic

Josh and Troy were college soccer teammates, then corporate guys, then scrappy entrepreneurs starting plants in a Tahoe laundry room.

They started small backyard gardens for residential clients in the Bay Area. After installing over a thousand home gardens, the big corporations came knocking. Now they run full-fledged wellness programs where employees grow food, learn new skills, and connect with each other in raised bed gardens right on campus.

What an Office Garden Actually Looks Like

These aren’t scrappy side plots shoved next to the loading dock. Every garden begins with a thoughtful site visit, looking at sun exposure, foot traffic, and space for future expansion. Then come the raised beds (12 to 18 inches deep), automatic irrigation, and curated soil blends to guarantee success from day one.

Employees also don’t just show up and pick lettuce. They join planting days, choose what they want to grow (hot peppers, herbs, heirloom tomatoes, you name it), and commit to tending their beds throughout the season. Some gardens are individual, some are team-based. Some are focused on education, others on food production. It’s all customizable.

Does It Make a Difference?

Short answer: yes. StartOrganic has done the surveys and the results are great. Over 90% of participants report positive lifestyle changes, reduced stress, healthier eating habits, and a better overall outlook on their company. I think that’s a big deal. Not to mention existing studies by big research organizations.

We know plant care is self-care. But now we’re seeing that garden care can be team care. Company culture care. Mental health care.

The Ripple Effect of Gardening

One of my favorite moments in our conversation was hearing about employees who started home gardens because of what they learned at work. One woman now gardens with her kids. One guy drove to the office at 10 PM to catch a skunk stealing veggies. Please don’t trap wildlife, plant friends. But also… total plant person energy.

Josh and Troy always say it’s about building success early. Start with radishes because they only take 30 days from seed to harvest. Then move on to tomatoes, zucchini, and more. Give people that early win and suddenly they’re gardeners for life.

Could You Start One at Work?

Yes! 100%. It doesn’t matter if you’re working for a big tech company or a small local business; there are ways to bring plants into your workplace. Maybe you pitch it to HR. Maybe you offer to lead the charge yourself. Maybe you bring StartOrganic in for a consultation or virtual workshop.

Even one bed. Even a few herbs on a sunny windowsill. It’s not about perfection. It’s about growing something.

The Future is Green

I’m dreaming of a world where every office has a garden. Where wellness programs include planting days and harvest parties. Where employees feel proud to bring home food they grew themselves.

It’s not just about productivity (though yes, happier employees are more productive). It’s about bringing more joy into our everyday lives, even at work.

If you’re interested in learning more about StartOrganic or want to bring them to your company, they have a free starter course on their website. And if you’re very much into indoor plants, I have two free courses for you!

Let’s keep growing joy, plant friends. One garden bed at a time.

Mentioned in our conversation:

Thank you to our episode sponsor:

Espoma Organic

As we welcome the season of growing and gardening, make sure you're using nontoxic products in the garden! Espoma Organic is dedicated to making safe indoor and outdoor gardening products for people, pets, and the planet. They have an amazing variety of high-quality, organic potting mixes, garden soil, fertilizers, and pest control products that are organic and eco-friendly. To top it all off, they have a huge sustainability commitment with a 100% solar-powered plant, zero waste manufacturing, and eco-friendly packaging.

Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

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