May 15, 2025 • 39 mins
There are so many wonderful benefits of plants! Not only do they provide oxygen and food for people but there are many medicinal benefits of plants too. Plants have been linked to contributing to overall well-being, thus why so many residential, commercial, and corporate settings elect to add greenery to their spaces. Jan Goodman, the owner and founder of Cityscapes, joined us to talk about the power of plants!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WBS Boston's radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
I've been doing the show for nearly eighteen years, and
a few weeks ago, a great mutual friend of ours
us being at Jan Goodman, the owner, the founder and
owner of city Scapes Boston, was telling me my friend,
our friend Walter, that I have to have Jan Goodman
on as a guest, and we finally set this up.
(00:32):
I am thrilled to introduce to my audience Jan Goodman,
the owner and founder of city Scapes. She talks about
the power of plants as being transformational. She has been
doing this for three decades and we're going to learn
a lot about plants in the next couple of hours
and how they're actually very good for us and also
(00:53):
something called biophilic Bill Phillick design biophilic design. So, first
of all, without any further ado, Jed Goodman, welcome to Nightside.
How are you this evening?
Speaker 3 (01:04):
I'm very good Dan, it's thank you so much for
having me on. This is exciting, Well it was.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
It was all Walter's idea, and he's a great friend
of yours, and I know he's a great friend of mine,
and I just wanted to a little tip of the
hat to to our friend tonight and talk about this. Look,
I am not the most learned person when it comes
to plants, but I've learned a lot in the last
day or so just going over the variety of things
(01:33):
that your company does. You know, obviously, exterior landscapes, We've
walked by many of them in Boston. Interior landscapes, that's
that's understandable. But then things like living walls, which are beautiful.
Other other moss walls, living fur not sure, a little
(01:56):
play in the.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
World for nature, for nature, nature for nature.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
I'm there, all right, we got it. I like that
holiday decor. We've got so much to cover, as well
as transplanted, which is which is a great a great cause.
And I just like to start at the beginning. When
did you fall in love with flowers? When did you
fall in love with plants?
Speaker 3 (02:24):
When I was very young, my dad was an organic
gardener before the term was even famous cos coined. I
don't think organic was even I don't know in the
sixties seventies. So he had a very large garden and
in everything was you know, no pesticides. He had a
(02:46):
huge compost pile which was very smelly in the backyard,
but very He taught us a lot about growing six
with tomato plants, and we used to can hundreds of
like cans of tomatoes and pickles and you name it.
Always loved the garden.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Did he do that, you know, professionally or was it
an for him an avocation.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
It was for our family of six basically, so it
fed a lot. We had a lot of produce. And
I you know, he always is like, you know, get
out in my garden or the garden. It wasn't always fun,
but he used to always say, you know, you have
such little fingers. You know, you can plant the carrot seed.
(03:28):
So it always made me feel good that I was
the carrot planter, the seed planter. But it was kind
of just the growing and the feeling of the soil
that brought me to the houseplant world when I was
probably I don't know, it's old enough that I could
get on the bus in Manchester, New Hampshire, and I'd
take my allowance. We all, you know, back in the
(03:50):
day of allowance, and we get it on Saturday mornings.
So I'd take the bus downtown to this little flower
shop called slur Lye and I'd buy little house plants
and then I'd take him home, so much of a
plankeek I am. I bring them home, put them in
my bedroom and have like little name tags, and I
name them like they were my pets, Charlie and Harry.
(04:11):
And I'd have these little house plants that I thought,
you know, love to take care of. So it goes
way back. I was like ten years old or so, and.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
He ignited in you what became your vocation. But you, you,
it wasn't as if you inherited. Some people these days,
they they inherit a company that their grandparents or their
parents had founded. You didn't. You started off with working
(04:46):
in your own boss for some time. But it was
not always that.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Way right now. I went to you and h University
of New Hampshire and I got, uh yeah, I loved it.
Went for horticultural technolology and landscape design, you know. I
went for the four year school to get a bachelor's
but it was all too much like genetics and all
(05:09):
that stuff the first year. So I was like, oh,
I just want to get my hands dirty. I didn't
really want to get into the pathology and all that stuff,
which I learned quite a bit, so I switched to
the Thompson School the second year and I got the
more applied school, so a lot, you know, a lot
of learning about you know, landscape design and just a
(05:29):
lot about plants, basically ecology and all that fun stuff.
So I graduated from there and then I started working
for a company called City Gardens and it was great
because I'll never forget the ad. In fact, the City
Scapes uses that ad sometimes. So it said in the
Union Leader in Manchester it says, you know, love plants,
question Mark, love people, question Mark. And I'm like, yes, yes,
(05:53):
and this is the job for you. And it was
because you know, I love talking to people, love love plants.
And it was basically I started with a water bucket
in my hand and I watered plants for a company
out of Boston, but I was still in New Hampshire
in Manchester, and I watered plants at different banks, like
the Bank of New Hampshire back in the day. Sounds
(06:14):
so old on it.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
And building I used to reporting met. The first time
I interviewed Jimmy Carter was on that.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Place way absolutely, yeah, the Dempshire Plaza.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
August of seventy six, Uh yeah, he was the Democratic
nominee and I had I had interviewed him previously and
that was the first time I interviewed him as the nominee.
So I know that well, I know Manchester, New Hampshire.
Over the years, Uh, every four years we spend a
couple of weeks up there. We used to spend a
couple of weeks up there. It's great. It's great city,
(06:50):
particularly when it's when it's really bumping with politics on
p Yeah. So you conquered.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Yeah, yeah, so I was. I grew up in the Anchester.
So I was watering plants all first a company out
of Boston, but they had they had accounts in New
Hampshire and Maine, and I was watering plants. I'd go
into the Amascig Bank, I'd go into the Hampshire Plaza.
I'd go into all these different accounts manpower, you know,
and I had water their plants. And then after a
(07:22):
year or two there was never really anybody selling up
there and or designing and adding on to the portfolio.
So I went to the sales manager at the time,
I but my Roger Schiever, and I was like, I
can do you know, I could sell plants. I can
do this, you know, And the first time he's Nope, Nope,
(07:44):
I didn't get the job. So I continue to water
plants and I'm like, all right, I'm not going to
give up. So I had another salesperson. She didn't work out.
So then the territory came up again and I was like,
I can do this, Roger. I'm telling you, I can
do it, and it's like, Nope, didn't get it to
second time. You know, I was young. I was young,
but that's okay. So I was like, I'm telling you,
(08:06):
So I didn't get it, they hired somebody else. They
failed because it's hard because you work for a Boston
company more expensive. You're up in New Hampshire and Maine
and whatever. You're trying to sell a Boston company to
you know, New Hampshire people that are like, that's just
too expensive. So yeah, so the third time I tried, yeah, yep,
(08:31):
I did. I walked in with these landscape plants I
had from college. I laid him on his desk to
prove that I could do the drawings and things like that,
and I could. You know, my clients loved me at
the time. It was it was it was great. I
loved taking care of plants because, like I said, people
and plants. So I did it. I got the job.
So I started selling in New Hampshire and Vermont and
(08:52):
everywhere all over you know above not in Massachusetts. But
so I started creating a territory up there, which is
funny because I ended up being a competitor, a competitor
of a woman who came to my one of my
classes at un huh. She her name was Nincy Carlisle,
wonderful businesswoman, had a great business up and conquered, and
(09:15):
she came to our class at un h to talk
about interior landscaping. So I was feversually taking notes and
I'm like, oh, I want to be Nancy someday. And
fast forward a few years later, I'm competing against her.
I'm taking some of her clients, and I was a
best to her. But you know, we respected each other.
I didn't do anything, you know, it was just it
was funny because when I, you know, I sold in
(09:37):
New Hampshire. After a few years doing really well, there
was a Boston territory that came out and it was
the best territory. So I went from the lowest kind
of salesperson the least revenue to the highest. I ended
up moving to Boston and taking this.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
That's what we called a big break. But you make
your own yess here, and you were and you were
ready for it. We're going to pause there for a second.
I'm going to take a couple of commercial messages here.
But I've characterized you as the Queen of Plants. I
don't know if you accept that title, or the Princess
of plants, whichever you would like. That's a little bit
more alterative.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
Fairy godmother they called me on chronicle one time.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Okay, all right, well I think the Princess of plants. Again,
that's alliterative, so I always think alliteration. Anyway, we'll get
back jan Goodman as our guests. From where she came
and what she has built is what's extraordinary. And along
the way we're going to learn a lot about plants
(10:33):
tonight on Nightside. If you have any question, if you've
had trouble, look, one of the things here in New
England that all of us should remember is we're not
a growing season. I mean, we have winter. Winter comes
in sometime in late August and doesn't leave until early June.
I'm being a little sarcastic when I say that, but
we have a long winter here and that is not
(10:56):
that's not great for plants. We're not Florida. But Jan
Goodman has been able to conquer that. We'll talk about
that and how she came in and really has conquered
Boston and some of the great, great projects that she
is that she is involved in, including Transplanted Transplanted Sprout,
which provides charity money. We've got a lot to talk about.
(11:18):
If you have a question or common if you had
trouble blowing growing a plant, this is the this is
the option you have right now. The numbers are six
one seven, two, five, four, ten thirty or six one
seven nine thirty. We're coming right back on Night Side
with Boston's Princess of Plants, Jan Goodman.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on w b Z,
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
We're delighted to be talking with Jan Goodman. Jan is
the owner of City Scapes Boston. So, uh, you start
off as an employee, and you're still an employee, but
then at some point you decided, hey, I can do this,
and you set up your own flower shop called flirtatious, uh,
which I was in Copley Place Mall for a number
(12:04):
of years. So now you are a business woman at
this point, still dealing with the subject that you know
best and that you love the most.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Plants tell us about it, right, So for ten years
I worked for my previous you know, city gardens, and
they were great. I would stayed there forever, Like even
though it was the largest, one of the largest in
the nation. I loved it because they took good care
of us. But then they got bought out by a
huge company from across the pond, and it just was different.
(12:35):
So I decided, well, I'm going to leave. I don't
care if I work in the nursery or whatever from
minimum wage. Again, I was going from the top of
the food chain of the you know, high sales person
selling in the back bay and hospital district to like
I didn't care because it wasn't about money for me.
It was more about I loved what I did. So
one of my clients was Copley Placed, so I knew
(12:57):
the landlords there. I knew them well, and they had
the scar shop, that wash that had closed, you know,
the legal seafoods and sex four so you're like, why
don't you move in? So I was kind of at
the time. Knew a lot about Bond's eyes and things
like that, and I honored the non compete that I
had signed where I wouldn't go after any of my
accounts because integrity, to me is pretty important because a
(13:20):
lot of people were leaving at the time and they
were stealing accounts and quietless and I just didn't do that.
I said, nope. So that's why I didn't do interior
landscaping right away. For a couple of years, I started
this little flower shop Bonzeie dried flowers called Flirtatious at
coffee place.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
And Nice, a nice little double Entendra.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Yeah, so I waited. So I didn't really have any
formal training in flower arranging, which is crazy, but I
feel that either have you don't, Like I definitely had
the green thumb that was from my dad or just
every thing that I you know, sometimes you have it
or you don't. With that too, you can learn, but
with design, I feel it's hard to really force that
(14:09):
if you don't have that eye. So I just started
buying flowers. I didn't even have a floor schooler, and
I'd go to the market, and a little by little
I'd buy flowers and more flowers, and then all of
a sudden, as the you know my company, you know,
I'd have one employee and then maybe then then then another,
and then we'd start doing flower arrangements for like the
(14:33):
Marriott and the Fairmont Copley Plaza. I don't know how, Yeah,
it's crazy. My husband now, he worked at the Flower Exchange.
I met him there and his grandmother, Betty, was one
of the original woman owned floors businesses in the United States. Ever,
(14:53):
Like she was in Hingham called Levels, and so she
taught me so much about how to make a boot
and and all that stuff. Because ended up I did
weddings at the Fairmont, like and I did Tiffany's flowers,
you know, the Tiffany and Company. And we would be
doing like big, huge flower arrangements and they're thirty thousand
(15:14):
dollars base and I was like, I don't want to
pick that thing up. I don't want to drop it.
So it just progressed, and after my two year noncompete,
all my clients, my older clients started to come to me,
like Christian Science Center was one of my big first
new accounts, and ended up getting like the John Hancock portfolio,
(15:35):
which was huge, and I just started kind of mimicking
what I had learned about. Well, I knew how to
take care of plants, but about the structure of how
you have people going out watering them and if they
die you replace them for free, so you price it
with a guarantee involved.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Well, again, that's just good business. I mean, that's you
know that application can food business, plant businesses, whatever. If
you if you're selling snow tires and they're blowing out
at fifty miles, you better be able to replace them.
So things grow, things grow, and just as Chauncey Gardner
said in the movies, you know it, water it and
(16:19):
it will grow. And you watered your business and it grew.
But when did you get to interior and exterior landscape,
because that has to be the next big step I
assume after Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
So right, So I had flirtation and this is when
Walter actually that you know worked for me a million
years ago. He would help he would help me in
the in the shop and deliver some stuff for me.
He drove the flirtatious van. But you know it as
an epiphany, ended up marrying the flower guy at the
(16:55):
flower market, and when we started having kids, had flirtatious
still doing the flower arrangements in the shop. But then
I decided after a few years, when you know, it's
very hard. Everybody thinks I'm gonna have a flower shop
and it's so easy and fun playing with flowers. It
is grueling. It's seven days a week, forget about Valentine's
(17:16):
Day and every holiday. It's a hard business. It's fabulous,
but it's not what everybody thinks it is. And so
one day I just remember, you know, you did maybe
five hundred dollars in a day. That's a busy day
in the flower shop, like you just bust in out right.
But I'll never forget. Somebody came in and they bought
one six foot like palm tree, you know, bamboo palm
(17:38):
in a brass pot, and that was like six hundred
dollars just one plant in a pot or whatever it was.
And I had it delivered by Walter I think probably
took it, who knows. And I was like, that was
so easy. I think I'm going to go back to
the interior landscaping and again, so then I started cityscapes.
That's when I incorporated, and I had two businesses for
(17:59):
a little while well, but after I started having kids,
I was like, something's got to go, so I let
the flower shop. I sold the flower shop business off
because I ended up having quite a few clients that
we did weekly flower arrangements, and I decided to be
have more of a normal life Monday through Friday, not always,
but to start a corporate landscaping business, and that's where
(18:21):
city Scape started. I incorporated that in so I started
for Lictatious in nineteen ninety two, and in two thousand
and I incorporated city Scapes. And it was just like
one account, then another account, then another, and another and another.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Grew the metaphor the metaphor, look, I got to take
a break out.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
So I started. Yeah, I started interior, but then my clients,
like say the Maria Long Wharf, who I still have
thirty two years later, they have exterior landscaping. So I
was like, oh, I can do their pots outside. Then
I started doing exterior, which is a lot harder in
the city because, like you were saying, in the winter
and the wind and the salt and you know, from
(19:06):
the road salts and the building.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
I'm sure, I'm sure you you'll learn to everything. Yeah,
I got to take a break for the news at
the bottom of the hour. And again we invite folks
if they have any questions about anything we're talking about.
This is not the normal coin of the realm here
on nights Side. But I like to do things differently
and I like to mix things up. And I appreciate
Jan taking her time on a Friday night, not for
(19:31):
me a Friday night, because tomorrow I'm off on Thursday
night and we'll we'll get some phone calls at six
one seven, two, five four ten thirty or six one seven,
nine three one ten thirty. And I also want to
talk about Transplanted Boston and Transplanted Sprout and all the
great work that you have done for charitable work. So
(19:51):
so not only have you done good, but by doing well,
but that is the key. Not only have you have
you seen succeeded and have you literally you know, flowered
as a business, but you've reached out and helped other people,
which is I think what is most most important for
any business. We'll take a quick break back with Jan
(20:13):
Goodman and calls and more conversation here on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
You're on Night Side with Dan Ray Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
My guess is Jan Goodman. She is the older founder
of City Scapes Boston. Jan, you you've had an incredible career.
You've you've done it with help of people along the way,
no question, but you also have given back a great deal.
(20:45):
You were impacted, I believe by a trip that you
took to Peru. We we know a little bit more
about Peru because we just had a pope elected, and
the American pope who spent a lot of time in
Peru never ran across Pope Leo when you and Peru,
I assume, right, right, Okay.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
Yeah, So I went on a few service trips there,
some mission trips with my church and my sixteen year
old daughter at the time, my oldest Samantha, and it
changed my life pretty much. We went three times, but
and really saw some i awakening, you know, poverty, obviously joy,
(21:29):
a lot of joy too. It wasn't like, you know,
we think we're there when you're on a mission trip
or service project to do good for them, but you're
they're actually you're bringing back the fruit of what you
learn and what you see. So what happened when I
came back, I felt like, yes, the business was successful.
This was like in twenty nineteen, and we had been
doing a lot of charity work here and there with
(21:51):
you know, Hope and Bloom and all these different places.
But I just knew that there was more impact that
we could have on the on the city and the
the world basically by doing something else. So when I
came back from Peru, I said, you know, what can
we do to do a more more of an effort
to do more charitable work for our own town in Boston?
Speaker 4 (22:14):
Right?
Speaker 3 (22:15):
And so I saw, I don't know, an ad, I
saw this picture of a plant truck in New York
and I was like, oh, I do a plant shock.
That's pretty cool. And I said, but let's do it
for charity. So I designed a truck that it was
all custom designed with a glass top. It's called the
Roaming Greenhouse Sprout right, And so it's like a little
(22:36):
plant shop on it, like it's like, yeah, it's a
food truck, but it's a plant shop, you know.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
It was.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
It was custom made for us. So what we do
is we go to our clients' offices and we have
little pop ups and we bring all the plants and
the containers and all the profits go to the charity
that they pick, which is nice, not just one charity.
They get to pick the charity they wanted to go to.
So it means a lot to the clients and we
and we asked the charities to come and they can
have a table there, they can talk to people about
(23:05):
their their their work. And I mean we just big,
you know, big Sister Association, Boys and Girls Club. There's
so many. So it started in two thousand and nine
and still growing strong out there and I think, you know,
raising probably over one hundred thousand at this point in
charitable donations to all kinds of local and you know,
(23:27):
national international charities. My daughter helps start it in twenty
nineteen and fast forward six years later she's heading up
the whole department with other things including our Sprout pop
up shop downtown Boston on Summer Street. You have.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
I shouldn't say that we're taking advantage, but you have
made the most of you know, this this gift that
you have in giving back. I have one other question
before we get to phone calls, and that is this
concept of bio design. That's a concept that I see
on your website and I don't understand what that means.
(24:09):
Can you explain that?
Speaker 3 (24:11):
Sure? I can give you a nice simple definition. So
bioso design, it's a design approach that connects people with
nature by incorporating natural elements like my favorite plants, but
not just that light, so lots of windows, water, natural
materials like nice wood, liveage, tables, things like that incorporated
(24:32):
into the built environment. And what it's rooted in. It's
in the concept of biophilia. Have you ever heard of
that term, dan, I have not. Bio biophilia. It aims
to enhance well being, health and productivity by tapping into
Biophelia means the innate affinity to the natural world. Basically,
it's the bio is life and phelia is love. So
(24:56):
it's the love of life or the love of living systems.
So the design concept that is within the idea that
humans have an affinity toward the natural world. I mean,
think about COVID, how many people bought house plants. It
was the biggest craze I've seen in by forty two
year career. Like, there were so many people crazy buying
plants because they were stuck inside and it ended up
(25:17):
being the biggest boom that the industry has ever had.
And it just makes people feel better. There's so much
science stand that is related to this that proves and
the studies that are showing, you know, increase in productivity
by fifteen percent if there's biosoke design in an office,
you know, with more not just plants like I said,
(25:39):
but natural light. I mean, how about if you sat
in a cubicle, I don't know, maybe you did years ago,
no window next to you, cubicle after cubicle, and that's
kind of depressing when you think about it. So the
benefits of cubicles, yeah, it was so having a bit
a beautiful environment. We work with tons of architects on
(26:00):
bioflog design and we're consulting, you know, with a lot
of architects on that. It reduces stress and improves your
mood and it actually enhances creativity. Harvard does study have
to study all these big research you know colleges are doing,
you know, studies about focus and plants improve the air quality.
(26:22):
In fact, the Eale's doing a big study right now
on that. But it's not just that just makes people
feel better.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
Sure, it also just adds to the uh to the
comfort and the cleanliness and the smell absolutely, so I
now want to say what the word means. But again,
as you're your slogan transforming people's lives through the power
of plants, let's let's get to some phone calls because
I think the number of people would like to speak
(26:50):
with it. The only line we have open is the six, one, seven, nine, three, one,
ten thirty. Let me go first to Joe, who has
a question. I believe Joe, you have a question about
medicinal value. Correct.
Speaker 5 (27:03):
Yes, I know I called about plants. But could I
take ten seconds to tell Jim my favorite flowers.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
I would prefer you just go write to your question Joe,
to be if you could do it in ten seconds, Joe,
I'll put you on the clock.
Speaker 5 (27:19):
Go ahead, Okay. My favorite flowers are roses, tulips, and
Glenn Campbell's record sunflower. That's why I like sunflowers.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
All right, I've written that down, Joe. I'll keep that
in my memory bag. What's your question for Jim?
Speaker 5 (27:37):
I'd like Jim to elaborate on plants being used for
herbs and for medicine.
Speaker 4 (27:49):
Okay, good questions, Juistic, I am.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
One hun homeopathic. If you know what that word means,
are herbal. I don't take any type of you know,
pharmaceutical drugs. It helps. It's it's just it's almost like
it's back, it's back in the day. But it works
better than I believe in most pharmaceuticals, you know. Depending
(28:15):
so like echinatia, elderberry helps improve the immune system. I
have a lot of energy right or but I do
have ADHD. I'm self diagnosed. I was never but for
my to try and focus, I use ash Wa Ganda.
Have you ever heard of that? Ashua Ganda helps you
(28:36):
calm down, helps you focus. It's a root, you know.
At night I take I actually grow my own camo
meal or Tulsi, holy basil and all that to make
herbal teas and then you drink that before bed and
you sleep like a baby. So that you know stress
and anxiety. Cam a meal digestive health, like do you
(28:56):
have inflammation, you have a stomach problem, peppermint gingre you
can just make you take. You can buy ginger in
a store and just boil it kind of have to
oil it and then make a tea out of it,
and it helps your digestice systems, just like turmeric. Did
you ever hear a turmeric. What is it arthrightis turmeric
(29:17):
is another route and it's really really good for arthritis.
Annie inflammatory. I know a lot about herbal remedies, and
you know just mint, mint is really good for you.
There's there's so many men. There's a lot of books
on it. There's a lot of really good herbal therapy books.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
And Joe, you've got a lot of good information here
from someone who knows. So I hope that you've at
least made some mental notes and maybe you'll become an
expert in that area. Joe, I got to run. We're
up on our break. Appreciate you all very much. Thanks Joe,
Thanks Joe. There he goes, Jan. We're going to take
a very quick break. We got a couple of more
calls for you at least, and we have there's a
(29:59):
line of two opens, six, one, seven, nine thirty. Quick
question for Jan Goodman right here on night Side. I'm
learning a lot. I hope you're learning as well. We'll
be back on Nightside right after this.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
Night Side Dan Ray on w BZY, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
My guest is Jan Goodman, founder and owner of Cityscapes.
As I like to say, she's the princess of plants
here in Boston. Let me go to Walter. Well, I
know who this guy is. Hey Walter, welcome, how are
you sir?
Speaker 3 (30:28):
Good?
Speaker 6 (30:28):
Nick, Good evening. I just want to make a small
trivia to you, Dan and Jam. The two key ingredients
to your success are one, you both have a very
keen eye for detail throughout the years. The second thing
is you both possessed an enormous heart for others. It
said that if if we help out this on our way,
then our living is not in vain. So both of
(30:48):
you are living has not been in vain. And y'all
keep going what y'all been doing.
Speaker 4 (30:53):
Have a great night.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
Walter, Thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
Also were in that category, Walter, trust me. Yeah, he's
an incredible guy.
Speaker 6 (31:04):
Another name for Jan is Christmas Queen. See, he's the
Christmas Queen. You knew what you did at Christmas.
Speaker 4 (31:09):
He's the best.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
Is a great guy, I mean, unbelievable. John. Let me
go next to Jake in Roxbury.
Speaker 7 (31:20):
Jake, you go ahead, Jake, God Dan Jan uh Yeah, Hello,
how are you so? You're at City Scapes and I'm
read next door at City Fresh Foods.
Speaker 4 (31:34):
I'm very, very impressed with your company. Yeah, you guys
do the Prudential Center, right.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
We do the big living walls there and we get
the yeah here for years. Yeah, that big living wall.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
That's a wonderful, such a wonderful you know setup you
have that. I see you guys sometimes working that wall,
and Dan, I know you probably haven't been in a
little while, but it's really a psight to see over there.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
But look, I've been looking at pictures of it and
prepping for this show. It's amazing the work that they do.
Amazing you get and you get to enjoy it. Next door.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
I like that.
Speaker 4 (32:10):
Yeah, well I actually grew up right next door City
city Scapes is right next to City Fresh Food, so
we are we are absolutely neighbors right there, so we're
both located there in Roxbury. So it's really a funny
thing that she's on tonight and I'm listening to the
owner of City Scape. That's really really great. I love
your trucks. They look great, and your people always be
(32:31):
courteous and things of that nature.
Speaker 3 (32:34):
I hope you get to pick up the plants we
leave out on the sidewalk, that the gently used ones
that we don't like to throw away and we leave
them out all the time for people in the neighborhood
to take. Really, I did not know that I'll have to.
Speaker 6 (32:48):
Come and see you then, looks looks Jake.
Speaker 4 (32:52):
I'm an off site manager. But but yeah, that's that's excellent.
So very very thrilled, very happy for your business. And
as I said, I see you talk throughout the city
and you know, damn once again, you've you had me
called twice in almost a week. That's that's amazing. I
always listen. We talked about my mother mama flow. Yeah,
(33:12):
well put together.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
Yes, yes, I remember that phrase. Yeah, Jake, appreciate it.
I really do appreciate appreciate it very much. We'll talk again.
Thank you, Dan, Thanks Jake. Talk to good night. Okay,
let's go have well let's go about three quarters away
across the country. Let's go to whatever our most loyal listeners,
(33:34):
who I think probably is a planned person to Laurie
and Idaho. Laurie, you're on with Jan Goodman of City
Scapes in Boston.
Speaker 8 (33:41):
Hello Laurie, Hi, Hi Dan, Hi Jam. I just kind
of aim blown away by your story and your talent
and your energy, and I wish I lived in the
Boston area right now, because I would probably apply to
come work for you. But yay, amazing, Well we do.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
We do work across the country. I have friends in Idaho,
So do you want to get into the plant business?
I can, yeah, oh yeah, friends everywhere. Yeah. I'm the
president of Green Plants or Green Buildings, which connects kind
of the whole mission of biophilia. You know, plants in
the built environment, so we have connections all over. It
(34:17):
wants the country, you need it, and I do, damn
the right.
Speaker 8 (34:20):
I do love plants, and I love container gardening because
I've done that while my first when I first moved
into my townhouse, it had no real place to do anything,
but it had roof deck and balconies, and so I
get into that. So I love doing the roses and
tree roses. But I have a question for you, if
I may, is there any way you can grow peonies
and a container?
Speaker 3 (34:40):
Yeah? I mean, you know, if you want them to go,
it has to be a really good sized container. And
you're in Idaho. So the problem with a lot of
containerized plants in the winter is it freeze and thaws.
So when you got to give it enough area for
your roots, right, so it'll come back. Maybe you can
(35:02):
cover it. But what the key is is if you
have these containers, is that they're nice and thick and
maybe somewhat insulated. And then when it kind of February
March is when it could start thought freezing and dawing, right,
so all of a sudden the plant roots are all
isolated in their dormant because they're frozen. Then all of
a sudden you get this saw in March or February.
(35:25):
It's dry, right, so the ice is gone, the ground
isn't frozen, especially in the container, and then it dries
out so drives the roots out. So if you get
if you keep it in the container over the winter
and then all of a sudden you have a saw,
you got to get that plant watered so that when
it freezes again, it'll freeze the root ball again. So
(35:48):
when we do big living walls in New England, which
is tricky, we do them in pots, so it's like
we almost have to go in water them in like
February March when there's a saw, so that they can,
like I said, refreeze so they can go back into
dormancy because you're taking them out of dormancy when Oh yeah, Gage, it's.
Speaker 8 (36:07):
Not a good idea.
Speaker 3 (36:09):
Yeah, you could do that, you could, you could, you could,
you could put him in there that But like I said,
it's that the ground should stay frozen, you know, I don't.
It'll just dry down there and it won't be frozen
if you put him in the garage. So I don't
know if the peonies do you not have a Do
you have an area that you can plant them in
the ground at all? Anywhere? Not right here? No? I
(36:32):
mean I have in the past where I'm right here.
Speaker 8 (36:33):
I'm only renting, so I wouldn't want to leave them behind.
Speaker 3 (36:37):
No, No, I could. You could, and then you dig
him up and when you leave, that's what you do.
Speaker 6 (36:44):
Okay. I really enjoyed listening to you. It's just fantastic.
Speaker 3 (36:50):
Thank you. Our website you'll see us pictures.
Speaker 4 (36:55):
I will thank you.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
In a beautiful part of the country.
Speaker 3 (37:00):
It's so nice.
Speaker 2 (37:01):
It's it's amazing, and you're amazing. Jan Thank you so much.
I've learned so much tonight. I hope my audience has
as well. If folks want to get in touch with
city scapes, I assume they just can go Boston citescapes,
dot com.
Speaker 3 (37:15):
It's dot com and then we're on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn
all that fun stuff.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
And the other thing you need to mention just quickly
is that you have a big staff.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
It looks to me like, yeah, employees now, almost one
hundred employees right now. Yep, it's crazy, right how that happened?
I had a water buck in my hand two minutes ago, but.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
I still do.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
Yeah, we just opened up. Yeah. I just bought another
business too, called the Route and Situated. It's a garden center,
plant shop andvent space. I'm spos retiring, but I just
keep getting busier, busier, But it's fun now creating really
cool things like immersion rooms and living furnature and all
(38:02):
that fun stuff.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
Someone once said to me one time, the day you
retire is the day you really start to.
Speaker 3 (38:07):
Die and you die. Yeah, I'm not dying.
Speaker 2 (38:10):
I'm gonna neither one of us. Jim, thank you so
much for thank you for having me. Doesn't know a
lot about this. I've learned a lot about it. And uh,
someday I'll swing by and say hello in person. Thank
you much.
Speaker 3 (38:22):
Oh you should. We have three warehouses in Rockster, and
we have our beautiful biflop design showing him right in
the back day across the Handcock tower. So come and
visit anytime and I'll give you a plant.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
That's okay, I'll buy one.
Speaker 3 (38:36):
Don't worry, all right, we'll take care Dan.
Speaker 2 (38:39):
Thank you, thanks so much, and again thanks to Walter
for setting this up for us. When we get back,
we are going to change topics and also have a
very second, very interesting guest. Name is Kevin Surley. He's
a futurist. He has a special website called Meet the Future.
This gentleman is someone you're going to hear from many
(39:01):
times after you hear them tonight on Nightside. It's going
to be a treat. We'll be back on Nightside right
after the ten o'clock news here in Boston.
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WBS Boston's radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
I've been doing the show for nearly eighteen years, and
a few weeks ago, a great mutual friend of ours
us being at Jan Goodman, the owner, the founder and
owner of city Scapes Boston, was telling me my friend,
our friend Walter, that I have to have Jan Goodman
on as a guest, and we finally set this up.
(00:32):
I am thrilled to introduce to my audience Jan Goodman,
the owner and founder of city Scapes. She talks about
the power of plants as being transformational. She has been
doing this for three decades and we're going to learn
a lot about plants in the next couple of hours
and how they're actually very good for us and also
(00:53):
something called biophilic Bill Phillick design biophilic design. So, first
of all, without any further ado, Jed Goodman, welcome to Nightside.
How are you this evening?
Speaker 3 (01:04):
I'm very good Dan, it's thank you so much for
having me on. This is exciting, Well it was.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
It was all Walter's idea, and he's a great friend
of yours, and I know he's a great friend of mine,
and I just wanted to a little tip of the
hat to to our friend tonight and talk about this. Look,
I am not the most learned person when it comes
to plants, but I've learned a lot in the last
day or so just going over the variety of things
(01:33):
that your company does. You know, obviously, exterior landscapes, We've
walked by many of them in Boston. Interior landscapes, that's
that's understandable. But then things like living walls, which are beautiful.
Other other moss walls, living fur not sure, a little
(01:56):
play in the.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
World for nature, for nature, nature for nature.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
I'm there, all right, we got it. I like that
holiday decor. We've got so much to cover, as well
as transplanted, which is which is a great a great cause.
And I just like to start at the beginning. When
did you fall in love with flowers? When did you
fall in love with plants?
Speaker 3 (02:24):
When I was very young, my dad was an organic
gardener before the term was even famous cos coined. I
don't think organic was even I don't know in the
sixties seventies. So he had a very large garden and
in everything was you know, no pesticides. He had a
(02:46):
huge compost pile which was very smelly in the backyard,
but very He taught us a lot about growing six
with tomato plants, and we used to can hundreds of
like cans of tomatoes and pickles and you name it.
Always loved the garden.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Did he do that, you know, professionally or was it
an for him an avocation.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
It was for our family of six basically, so it
fed a lot. We had a lot of produce. And
I you know, he always is like, you know, get
out in my garden or the garden. It wasn't always fun,
but he used to always say, you know, you have
such little fingers. You know, you can plant the carrot seed.
(03:28):
So it always made me feel good that I was
the carrot planter, the seed planter. But it was kind
of just the growing and the feeling of the soil
that brought me to the houseplant world when I was
probably I don't know, it's old enough that I could
get on the bus in Manchester, New Hampshire, and I'd
take my allowance. We all, you know, back in the
(03:50):
day of allowance, and we get it on Saturday mornings.
So I'd take the bus downtown to this little flower
shop called slur Lye and I'd buy little house plants
and then I'd take him home, so much of a
plankeek I am. I bring them home, put them in
my bedroom and have like little name tags, and I
name them like they were my pets, Charlie and Harry.
(04:11):
And I'd have these little house plants that I thought,
you know, love to take care of. So it goes
way back. I was like ten years old or so, and.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
He ignited in you what became your vocation. But you, you,
it wasn't as if you inherited. Some people these days,
they they inherit a company that their grandparents or their
parents had founded. You didn't. You started off with working
(04:46):
in your own boss for some time. But it was
not always that.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Way right now. I went to you and h University
of New Hampshire and I got, uh yeah, I loved it.
Went for horticultural technolology and landscape design, you know. I
went for the four year school to get a bachelor's
but it was all too much like genetics and all
(05:09):
that stuff the first year. So I was like, oh,
I just want to get my hands dirty. I didn't
really want to get into the pathology and all that stuff,
which I learned quite a bit, so I switched to
the Thompson School the second year and I got the
more applied school, so a lot, you know, a lot
of learning about you know, landscape design and just a
(05:29):
lot about plants, basically ecology and all that fun stuff.
So I graduated from there and then I started working
for a company called City Gardens and it was great
because I'll never forget the ad. In fact, the City
Scapes uses that ad sometimes. So it said in the
Union Leader in Manchester it says, you know, love plants,
question Mark, love people, question Mark. And I'm like, yes, yes,
(05:53):
and this is the job for you. And it was
because you know, I love talking to people, love love plants.
And it was basically I started with a water bucket
in my hand and I watered plants for a company
out of Boston, but I was still in New Hampshire
in Manchester, and I watered plants at different banks, like
the Bank of New Hampshire back in the day. Sounds
(06:14):
so old on it.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
And building I used to reporting met. The first time
I interviewed Jimmy Carter was on that.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Place way absolutely, yeah, the Dempshire Plaza.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
August of seventy six, Uh yeah, he was the Democratic
nominee and I had I had interviewed him previously and
that was the first time I interviewed him as the nominee.
So I know that well, I know Manchester, New Hampshire.
Over the years, Uh, every four years we spend a
couple of weeks up there. We used to spend a
couple of weeks up there. It's great. It's great city,
(06:50):
particularly when it's when it's really bumping with politics on
p Yeah. So you conquered.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Yeah, yeah, so I was. I grew up in the Anchester.
So I was watering plants all first a company out
of Boston, but they had they had accounts in New
Hampshire and Maine, and I was watering plants. I'd go
into the Amascig Bank, I'd go into the Hampshire Plaza.
I'd go into all these different accounts manpower, you know,
and I had water their plants. And then after a
(07:22):
year or two there was never really anybody selling up
there and or designing and adding on to the portfolio.
So I went to the sales manager at the time,
I but my Roger Schiever, and I was like, I
can do you know, I could sell plants. I can
do this, you know, And the first time he's Nope, Nope,
(07:44):
I didn't get the job. So I continue to water
plants and I'm like, all right, I'm not going to
give up. So I had another salesperson. She didn't work out.
So then the territory came up again and I was like,
I can do this, Roger. I'm telling you, I can
do it, and it's like, Nope, didn't get it to
second time. You know, I was young. I was young,
but that's okay. So I was like, I'm telling you,
(08:06):
So I didn't get it, they hired somebody else. They
failed because it's hard because you work for a Boston
company more expensive. You're up in New Hampshire and Maine
and whatever. You're trying to sell a Boston company to
you know, New Hampshire people that are like, that's just
too expensive. So yeah, so the third time I tried, yeah, yep,
(08:31):
I did. I walked in with these landscape plants I
had from college. I laid him on his desk to
prove that I could do the drawings and things like that,
and I could. You know, my clients loved me at
the time. It was it was it was great. I
loved taking care of plants because, like I said, people
and plants. So I did it. I got the job.
So I started selling in New Hampshire and Vermont and
(08:52):
everywhere all over you know above not in Massachusetts. But
so I started creating a territory up there, which is
funny because I ended up being a competitor, a competitor
of a woman who came to my one of my
classes at un huh. She her name was Nincy Carlisle,
wonderful businesswoman, had a great business up and conquered, and
(09:15):
she came to our class at un h to talk
about interior landscaping. So I was feversually taking notes and
I'm like, oh, I want to be Nancy someday. And
fast forward a few years later, I'm competing against her.
I'm taking some of her clients, and I was a
best to her. But you know, we respected each other.
I didn't do anything, you know, it was just it
was funny because when I, you know, I sold in
(09:37):
New Hampshire. After a few years doing really well, there
was a Boston territory that came out and it was
the best territory. So I went from the lowest kind
of salesperson the least revenue to the highest. I ended
up moving to Boston and taking this.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
That's what we called a big break. But you make
your own yess here, and you were and you were
ready for it. We're going to pause there for a second.
I'm going to take a couple of commercial messages here.
But I've characterized you as the Queen of Plants. I
don't know if you accept that title, or the Princess
of plants, whichever you would like. That's a little bit
more alterative.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
Fairy godmother they called me on chronicle one time.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Okay, all right, well I think the Princess of plants. Again,
that's alliterative, so I always think alliteration. Anyway, we'll get
back jan Goodman as our guests. From where she came
and what she has built is what's extraordinary. And along
the way we're going to learn a lot about plants
(10:33):
tonight on Nightside. If you have any question, if you've
had trouble, look, one of the things here in New
England that all of us should remember is we're not
a growing season. I mean, we have winter. Winter comes
in sometime in late August and doesn't leave until early June.
I'm being a little sarcastic when I say that, but
we have a long winter here and that is not
(10:56):
that's not great for plants. We're not Florida. But Jan
Goodman has been able to conquer that. We'll talk about
that and how she came in and really has conquered
Boston and some of the great, great projects that she
is that she is involved in, including Transplanted Transplanted Sprout,
which provides charity money. We've got a lot to talk about.
(11:18):
If you have a question or common if you had
trouble blowing growing a plant, this is the this is
the option you have right now. The numbers are six
one seven, two, five, four, ten thirty or six one
seven nine thirty. We're coming right back on Night Side
with Boston's Princess of Plants, Jan Goodman.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on w b Z,
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
We're delighted to be talking with Jan Goodman. Jan is
the owner of City Scapes Boston. So, uh, you start
off as an employee, and you're still an employee, but
then at some point you decided, hey, I can do this,
and you set up your own flower shop called flirtatious, uh,
which I was in Copley Place Mall for a number
(12:04):
of years. So now you are a business woman at
this point, still dealing with the subject that you know
best and that you love the most.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Plants tell us about it, right, So for ten years
I worked for my previous you know, city gardens, and
they were great. I would stayed there forever, Like even
though it was the largest, one of the largest in
the nation. I loved it because they took good care
of us. But then they got bought out by a
huge company from across the pond, and it just was different.
(12:35):
So I decided, well, I'm going to leave. I don't
care if I work in the nursery or whatever from
minimum wage. Again, I was going from the top of
the food chain of the you know, high sales person
selling in the back bay and hospital district to like
I didn't care because it wasn't about money for me.
It was more about I loved what I did. So
one of my clients was Copley Placed, so I knew
(12:57):
the landlords there. I knew them well, and they had
the scar shop, that wash that had closed, you know,
the legal seafoods and sex four so you're like, why
don't you move in? So I was kind of at
the time. Knew a lot about Bond's eyes and things
like that, and I honored the non compete that I
had signed where I wouldn't go after any of my
accounts because integrity, to me is pretty important because a
(13:20):
lot of people were leaving at the time and they
were stealing accounts and quietless and I just didn't do that.
I said, nope. So that's why I didn't do interior
landscaping right away. For a couple of years, I started
this little flower shop Bonzeie dried flowers called Flirtatious at
coffee place.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
And Nice, a nice little double Entendra.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Yeah, so I waited. So I didn't really have any
formal training in flower arranging, which is crazy, but I
feel that either have you don't, Like I definitely had
the green thumb that was from my dad or just
every thing that I you know, sometimes you have it
or you don't. With that too, you can learn, but
with design, I feel it's hard to really force that
(14:09):
if you don't have that eye. So I just started
buying flowers. I didn't even have a floor schooler, and
I'd go to the market, and a little by little
I'd buy flowers and more flowers, and then all of
a sudden, as the you know my company, you know,
I'd have one employee and then maybe then then then another,
and then we'd start doing flower arrangements for like the
(14:33):
Marriott and the Fairmont Copley Plaza. I don't know how, Yeah,
it's crazy. My husband now, he worked at the Flower Exchange.
I met him there and his grandmother, Betty, was one
of the original woman owned floors businesses in the United States. Ever,
(14:53):
Like she was in Hingham called Levels, and so she
taught me so much about how to make a boot
and and all that stuff. Because ended up I did
weddings at the Fairmont, like and I did Tiffany's flowers,
you know, the Tiffany and Company. And we would be
doing like big, huge flower arrangements and they're thirty thousand
(15:14):
dollars base and I was like, I don't want to
pick that thing up. I don't want to drop it.
So it just progressed, and after my two year noncompete,
all my clients, my older clients started to come to me,
like Christian Science Center was one of my big first
new accounts, and ended up getting like the John Hancock portfolio,
(15:35):
which was huge, and I just started kind of mimicking
what I had learned about. Well, I knew how to
take care of plants, but about the structure of how
you have people going out watering them and if they
die you replace them for free, so you price it
with a guarantee involved.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Well, again, that's just good business. I mean, that's you
know that application can food business, plant businesses, whatever. If
you if you're selling snow tires and they're blowing out
at fifty miles, you better be able to replace them.
So things grow, things grow, and just as Chauncey Gardner
said in the movies, you know it, water it and
(16:19):
it will grow. And you watered your business and it grew.
But when did you get to interior and exterior landscape,
because that has to be the next big step I
assume after Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
So right, So I had flirtation and this is when
Walter actually that you know worked for me a million
years ago. He would help he would help me in
the in the shop and deliver some stuff for me.
He drove the flirtatious van. But you know it as
an epiphany, ended up marrying the flower guy at the
(16:55):
flower market, and when we started having kids, had flirtatious
still doing the flower arrangements in the shop. But then
I decided after a few years, when you know, it's
very hard. Everybody thinks I'm gonna have a flower shop
and it's so easy and fun playing with flowers. It
is grueling. It's seven days a week, forget about Valentine's
(17:16):
Day and every holiday. It's a hard business. It's fabulous,
but it's not what everybody thinks it is. And so
one day I just remember, you know, you did maybe
five hundred dollars in a day. That's a busy day
in the flower shop, like you just bust in out right.
But I'll never forget. Somebody came in and they bought
one six foot like palm tree, you know, bamboo palm
(17:38):
in a brass pot, and that was like six hundred
dollars just one plant in a pot or whatever it was.
And I had it delivered by Walter I think probably
took it, who knows. And I was like, that was
so easy. I think I'm going to go back to
the interior landscaping and again, so then I started cityscapes.
That's when I incorporated, and I had two businesses for
(17:59):
a little while well, but after I started having kids,
I was like, something's got to go, so I let
the flower shop. I sold the flower shop business off
because I ended up having quite a few clients that
we did weekly flower arrangements, and I decided to be
have more of a normal life Monday through Friday, not always,
but to start a corporate landscaping business, and that's where
(18:21):
city Scape started. I incorporated that in so I started
for Lictatious in nineteen ninety two, and in two thousand
and I incorporated city Scapes. And it was just like
one account, then another account, then another, and another and another.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Grew the metaphor the metaphor, look, I got to take
a break out.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
So I started. Yeah, I started interior, but then my clients,
like say the Maria Long Wharf, who I still have
thirty two years later, they have exterior landscaping. So I
was like, oh, I can do their pots outside. Then
I started doing exterior, which is a lot harder in
the city because, like you were saying, in the winter
and the wind and the salt and you know, from
(19:06):
the road salts and the building.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
I'm sure, I'm sure you you'll learn to everything. Yeah,
I got to take a break for the news at
the bottom of the hour. And again we invite folks
if they have any questions about anything we're talking about.
This is not the normal coin of the realm here
on nights Side. But I like to do things differently
and I like to mix things up. And I appreciate
Jan taking her time on a Friday night, not for
(19:31):
me a Friday night, because tomorrow I'm off on Thursday
night and we'll we'll get some phone calls at six
one seven, two, five four ten thirty or six one seven,
nine three one ten thirty. And I also want to
talk about Transplanted Boston and Transplanted Sprout and all the
great work that you have done for charitable work. So
(19:51):
so not only have you done good, but by doing well,
but that is the key. Not only have you have
you seen succeeded and have you literally you know, flowered
as a business, but you've reached out and helped other people,
which is I think what is most most important for
any business. We'll take a quick break back with Jan
(20:13):
Goodman and calls and more conversation here on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
You're on Night Side with Dan Ray Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
My guess is Jan Goodman. She is the older founder
of City Scapes Boston. Jan, you you've had an incredible career.
You've you've done it with help of people along the way,
no question, but you also have given back a great deal.
(20:45):
You were impacted, I believe by a trip that you
took to Peru. We we know a little bit more
about Peru because we just had a pope elected, and
the American pope who spent a lot of time in
Peru never ran across Pope Leo when you and Peru,
I assume, right, right, Okay.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
Yeah, So I went on a few service trips there,
some mission trips with my church and my sixteen year
old daughter at the time, my oldest Samantha, and it
changed my life pretty much. We went three times, but
and really saw some i awakening, you know, poverty, obviously joy,
(21:29):
a lot of joy too. It wasn't like, you know,
we think we're there when you're on a mission trip
or service project to do good for them, but you're
they're actually you're bringing back the fruit of what you
learn and what you see. So what happened when I
came back, I felt like, yes, the business was successful.
This was like in twenty nineteen, and we had been
doing a lot of charity work here and there with
(21:51):
you know, Hope and Bloom and all these different places.
But I just knew that there was more impact that
we could have on the on the city and the
the world basically by doing something else. So when I
came back from Peru, I said, you know, what can
we do to do a more more of an effort
to do more charitable work for our own town in Boston?
Speaker 4 (22:14):
Right?
Speaker 3 (22:15):
And so I saw, I don't know, an ad, I
saw this picture of a plant truck in New York
and I was like, oh, I do a plant shock.
That's pretty cool. And I said, but let's do it
for charity. So I designed a truck that it was
all custom designed with a glass top. It's called the
Roaming Greenhouse Sprout right, And so it's like a little
(22:36):
plant shop on it, like it's like, yeah, it's a
food truck, but it's a plant shop, you know.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
It was.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
It was custom made for us. So what we do
is we go to our clients' offices and we have
little pop ups and we bring all the plants and
the containers and all the profits go to the charity
that they pick, which is nice, not just one charity.
They get to pick the charity they wanted to go to.
So it means a lot to the clients and we
and we asked the charities to come and they can
have a table there, they can talk to people about
(23:05):
their their their work. And I mean we just big,
you know, big Sister Association, Boys and Girls Club. There's
so many. So it started in two thousand and nine
and still growing strong out there and I think, you know,
raising probably over one hundred thousand at this point in
charitable donations to all kinds of local and you know,
(23:27):
national international charities. My daughter helps start it in twenty
nineteen and fast forward six years later she's heading up
the whole department with other things including our Sprout pop
up shop downtown Boston on Summer Street. You have.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
I shouldn't say that we're taking advantage, but you have
made the most of you know, this this gift that
you have in giving back. I have one other question
before we get to phone calls, and that is this
concept of bio design. That's a concept that I see
on your website and I don't understand what that means.
(24:09):
Can you explain that?
Speaker 3 (24:11):
Sure? I can give you a nice simple definition. So
bioso design, it's a design approach that connects people with
nature by incorporating natural elements like my favorite plants, but
not just that light, so lots of windows, water, natural
materials like nice wood, liveage, tables, things like that incorporated
(24:32):
into the built environment. And what it's rooted in. It's
in the concept of biophilia. Have you ever heard of
that term, dan, I have not. Bio biophilia. It aims
to enhance well being, health and productivity by tapping into
Biophelia means the innate affinity to the natural world. Basically,
it's the bio is life and phelia is love. So
(24:56):
it's the love of life or the love of living systems.
So the design concept that is within the idea that
humans have an affinity toward the natural world. I mean,
think about COVID, how many people bought house plants. It
was the biggest craze I've seen in by forty two
year career. Like, there were so many people crazy buying
plants because they were stuck inside and it ended up
(25:17):
being the biggest boom that the industry has ever had.
And it just makes people feel better. There's so much
science stand that is related to this that proves and
the studies that are showing, you know, increase in productivity
by fifteen percent if there's biosoke design in an office,
you know, with more not just plants like I said,
(25:39):
but natural light. I mean, how about if you sat
in a cubicle, I don't know, maybe you did years ago,
no window next to you, cubicle after cubicle, and that's
kind of depressing when you think about it. So the
benefits of cubicles, yeah, it was so having a bit
a beautiful environment. We work with tons of architects on
(26:00):
bioflog design and we're consulting, you know, with a lot
of architects on that. It reduces stress and improves your
mood and it actually enhances creativity. Harvard does study have
to study all these big research you know colleges are doing,
you know, studies about focus and plants improve the air quality.
(26:22):
In fact, the Eale's doing a big study right now
on that. But it's not just that just makes people
feel better.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
Sure, it also just adds to the uh to the
comfort and the cleanliness and the smell absolutely, so I
now want to say what the word means. But again,
as you're your slogan transforming people's lives through the power
of plants, let's let's get to some phone calls because
I think the number of people would like to speak
(26:50):
with it. The only line we have open is the six, one, seven, nine, three, one,
ten thirty. Let me go first to Joe, who has
a question. I believe Joe, you have a question about
medicinal value. Correct.
Speaker 5 (27:03):
Yes, I know I called about plants. But could I
take ten seconds to tell Jim my favorite flowers.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
I would prefer you just go write to your question Joe,
to be if you could do it in ten seconds, Joe,
I'll put you on the clock.
Speaker 5 (27:19):
Go ahead, Okay. My favorite flowers are roses, tulips, and
Glenn Campbell's record sunflower. That's why I like sunflowers.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
All right, I've written that down, Joe. I'll keep that
in my memory bag. What's your question for Jim?
Speaker 5 (27:37):
I'd like Jim to elaborate on plants being used for
herbs and for medicine.
Speaker 4 (27:49):
Okay, good questions, Juistic, I am.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
One hun homeopathic. If you know what that word means,
are herbal. I don't take any type of you know,
pharmaceutical drugs. It helps. It's it's just it's almost like
it's back, it's back in the day. But it works
better than I believe in most pharmaceuticals, you know. Depending
(28:15):
so like echinatia, elderberry helps improve the immune system. I
have a lot of energy right or but I do
have ADHD. I'm self diagnosed. I was never but for
my to try and focus, I use ash Wa Ganda.
Have you ever heard of that? Ashua Ganda helps you
(28:36):
calm down, helps you focus. It's a root, you know.
At night I take I actually grow my own camo
meal or Tulsi, holy basil and all that to make
herbal teas and then you drink that before bed and
you sleep like a baby. So that you know stress
and anxiety. Cam a meal digestive health, like do you
(28:56):
have inflammation, you have a stomach problem, peppermint gingre you
can just make you take. You can buy ginger in
a store and just boil it kind of have to
oil it and then make a tea out of it,
and it helps your digestice systems, just like turmeric. Did
you ever hear a turmeric. What is it arthrightis turmeric
(29:17):
is another route and it's really really good for arthritis.
Annie inflammatory. I know a lot about herbal remedies, and
you know just mint, mint is really good for you.
There's there's so many men. There's a lot of books
on it. There's a lot of really good herbal therapy books.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
And Joe, you've got a lot of good information here
from someone who knows. So I hope that you've at
least made some mental notes and maybe you'll become an
expert in that area. Joe, I got to run. We're
up on our break. Appreciate you all very much. Thanks Joe,
Thanks Joe. There he goes, Jan. We're going to take
a very quick break. We got a couple of more
calls for you at least, and we have there's a
(29:59):
line of two opens, six, one, seven, nine thirty. Quick
question for Jan Goodman right here on night Side. I'm
learning a lot. I hope you're learning as well. We'll
be back on Nightside right after this.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
Night Side Dan Ray on w BZY, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
My guest is Jan Goodman, founder and owner of Cityscapes.
As I like to say, she's the princess of plants
here in Boston. Let me go to Walter. Well, I
know who this guy is. Hey Walter, welcome, how are
you sir?
Speaker 3 (30:28):
Good?
Speaker 6 (30:28):
Nick, Good evening. I just want to make a small
trivia to you, Dan and Jam. The two key ingredients
to your success are one, you both have a very
keen eye for detail throughout the years. The second thing
is you both possessed an enormous heart for others. It
said that if if we help out this on our way,
then our living is not in vain. So both of
(30:48):
you are living has not been in vain. And y'all
keep going what y'all been doing.
Speaker 4 (30:53):
Have a great night.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
Walter, Thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
Also were in that category, Walter, trust me. Yeah, he's
an incredible guy.
Speaker 6 (31:04):
Another name for Jan is Christmas Queen. See, he's the
Christmas Queen. You knew what you did at Christmas.
Speaker 4 (31:09):
He's the best.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
Is a great guy, I mean, unbelievable. John. Let me
go next to Jake in Roxbury.
Speaker 7 (31:20):
Jake, you go ahead, Jake, God Dan Jan uh Yeah, Hello,
how are you so? You're at City Scapes and I'm
read next door at City Fresh Foods.
Speaker 4 (31:34):
I'm very, very impressed with your company. Yeah, you guys
do the Prudential Center, right.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
We do the big living walls there and we get
the yeah here for years. Yeah, that big living wall.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
That's a wonderful, such a wonderful you know setup you
have that. I see you guys sometimes working that wall,
and Dan, I know you probably haven't been in a
little while, but it's really a psight to see over there.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
But look, I've been looking at pictures of it and
prepping for this show. It's amazing the work that they do.
Amazing you get and you get to enjoy it. Next door.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
I like that.
Speaker 4 (32:10):
Yeah, well I actually grew up right next door City
city Scapes is right next to City Fresh Food, so
we are we are absolutely neighbors right there, so we're
both located there in Roxbury. So it's really a funny
thing that she's on tonight and I'm listening to the
owner of City Scape. That's really really great. I love
your trucks. They look great, and your people always be
(32:31):
courteous and things of that nature.
Speaker 3 (32:34):
I hope you get to pick up the plants we
leave out on the sidewalk, that the gently used ones
that we don't like to throw away and we leave
them out all the time for people in the neighborhood
to take. Really, I did not know that I'll have to.
Speaker 6 (32:48):
Come and see you then, looks looks Jake.
Speaker 4 (32:52):
I'm an off site manager. But but yeah, that's that's excellent.
So very very thrilled, very happy for your business. And
as I said, I see you talk throughout the city
and you know, damn once again, you've you had me
called twice in almost a week. That's that's amazing. I
always listen. We talked about my mother mama flow. Yeah,
(33:12):
well put together.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
Yes, yes, I remember that phrase. Yeah, Jake, appreciate it.
I really do appreciate appreciate it very much. We'll talk again.
Thank you, Dan, Thanks Jake. Talk to good night. Okay,
let's go have well let's go about three quarters away
across the country. Let's go to whatever our most loyal listeners,
(33:34):
who I think probably is a planned person to Laurie
and Idaho. Laurie, you're on with Jan Goodman of City
Scapes in Boston.
Speaker 8 (33:41):
Hello Laurie, Hi, Hi Dan, Hi Jam. I just kind
of aim blown away by your story and your talent
and your energy, and I wish I lived in the
Boston area right now, because I would probably apply to
come work for you. But yay, amazing, Well we do.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
We do work across the country. I have friends in Idaho,
So do you want to get into the plant business?
I can, yeah, oh yeah, friends everywhere. Yeah. I'm the
president of Green Plants or Green Buildings, which connects kind
of the whole mission of biophilia. You know, plants in
the built environment, so we have connections all over. It
(34:17):
wants the country, you need it, and I do, damn
the right.
Speaker 8 (34:20):
I do love plants, and I love container gardening because
I've done that while my first when I first moved
into my townhouse, it had no real place to do anything,
but it had roof deck and balconies, and so I
get into that. So I love doing the roses and
tree roses. But I have a question for you, if
I may, is there any way you can grow peonies
and a container?
Speaker 3 (34:40):
Yeah? I mean, you know, if you want them to go,
it has to be a really good sized container. And
you're in Idaho. So the problem with a lot of
containerized plants in the winter is it freeze and thaws.
So when you got to give it enough area for
your roots, right, so it'll come back. Maybe you can
(35:02):
cover it. But what the key is is if you
have these containers, is that they're nice and thick and
maybe somewhat insulated. And then when it kind of February
March is when it could start thought freezing and dawing, right,
so all of a sudden the plant roots are all
isolated in their dormant because they're frozen. Then all of
a sudden you get this saw in March or February.
(35:25):
It's dry, right, so the ice is gone, the ground
isn't frozen, especially in the container, and then it dries
out so drives the roots out. So if you get
if you keep it in the container over the winter
and then all of a sudden you have a saw,
you got to get that plant watered so that when
it freezes again, it'll freeze the root ball again. So
(35:48):
when we do big living walls in New England, which
is tricky, we do them in pots, so it's like
we almost have to go in water them in like
February March when there's a saw, so that they can,
like I said, refreeze so they can go back into
dormancy because you're taking them out of dormancy when Oh yeah, Gage, it's.
Speaker 8 (36:07):
Not a good idea.
Speaker 3 (36:09):
Yeah, you could do that, you could, you could, you could,
you could put him in there that But like I said,
it's that the ground should stay frozen, you know, I don't.
It'll just dry down there and it won't be frozen
if you put him in the garage. So I don't
know if the peonies do you not have a Do
you have an area that you can plant them in
the ground at all? Anywhere? Not right here? No? I
(36:32):
mean I have in the past where I'm right here.
Speaker 8 (36:33):
I'm only renting, so I wouldn't want to leave them behind.
Speaker 3 (36:37):
No, No, I could. You could, and then you dig
him up and when you leave, that's what you do.
Speaker 6 (36:44):
Okay. I really enjoyed listening to you. It's just fantastic.
Speaker 3 (36:50):
Thank you. Our website you'll see us pictures.
Speaker 4 (36:55):
I will thank you.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
In a beautiful part of the country.
Speaker 3 (37:00):
It's so nice.
Speaker 2 (37:01):
It's it's amazing, and you're amazing. Jan Thank you so much.
I've learned so much tonight. I hope my audience has
as well. If folks want to get in touch with
city scapes, I assume they just can go Boston citescapes,
dot com.
Speaker 3 (37:15):
It's dot com and then we're on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn
all that fun stuff.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
And the other thing you need to mention just quickly
is that you have a big staff.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
It looks to me like, yeah, employees now, almost one
hundred employees right now. Yep, it's crazy, right how that happened?
I had a water buck in my hand two minutes ago, but.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
I still do.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
Yeah, we just opened up. Yeah. I just bought another
business too, called the Route and Situated. It's a garden center,
plant shop andvent space. I'm spos retiring, but I just
keep getting busier, busier, But it's fun now creating really
cool things like immersion rooms and living furnature and all
(38:02):
that fun stuff.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
Someone once said to me one time, the day you
retire is the day you really start to.
Speaker 3 (38:07):
Die and you die. Yeah, I'm not dying.
Speaker 2 (38:10):
I'm gonna neither one of us. Jim, thank you so
much for thank you for having me. Doesn't know a
lot about this. I've learned a lot about it. And uh,
someday I'll swing by and say hello in person. Thank
you much.
Speaker 3 (38:22):
Oh you should. We have three warehouses in Rockster, and
we have our beautiful biflop design showing him right in
the back day across the Handcock tower. So come and
visit anytime and I'll give you a plant.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
That's okay, I'll buy one.
Speaker 3 (38:36):
Don't worry, all right, we'll take care Dan.
Speaker 2 (38:39):
Thank you, thanks so much, and again thanks to Walter
for setting this up for us. When we get back,
we are going to change topics and also have a
very second, very interesting guest. Name is Kevin Surley. He's
a futurist. He has a special website called Meet the Future.
This gentleman is someone you're going to hear from many
(39:01):
times after you hear them tonight on Nightside. It's going
to be a treat. We'll be back on Nightside right
after the ten o'clock news here in Boston.
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