The Plant Professionals

The Plant Professionals The Plant Professionals will work with you to create a perpetually healthy landscape, inside and out

Let us show you how living plants can add beauty to your environment while increasing productivity, creativity and morale. Your clients and staff will appreciate the difference plants and flowers make indoors. Fresher air, vibrant greens, bright colors and textures are all part of the experience.

Our partnership with the Lansing Symphony means so much to us.
12/22/2025

Our partnership with the Lansing Symphony means so much to us.

The herd looks ready to nibble the trees.
12/16/2025

The herd looks ready to nibble the trees.

Theming to corporate colors can be pleasing.
12/15/2025

Theming to corporate colors can be pleasing.

12/13/2025

Grand River Avenue Bridge Now Open! 📢

MDOT has confirmed that the Grand River Avenue Bridge is now open to traffic.

The bike lanes are also open. However, the pedestrian pathways on the new bridge will not open until late winter or early spring, as the safety railing is on back order at this time.

Thank you for your patience during this project!

Tribute piece to honor a loved one.
12/12/2025

Tribute piece to honor a loved one.

A custom greens piece for a special client.
12/11/2025

A custom greens piece for a special client.

12/11/2025

🍎 The Rotten Fruit: DON'T PICK UP THESE ROTTEN APPLES.

The Scenario: The Myth of the "Tidy" Yard
For homeowners, fallen and rotting fruit is messy, potentially attracting pests, and seen as yard waste that must be cleaned up. This impulse to "tidy" removes one of the most critical energy sources for birds facing late-winter hunger.

DON'T PICK UP THESE ROTTEN APPLES.

🍯 The Reality: Pure Sugar and Instant Energy
The rotting fruit isn't waste; it's a perfect food source for birds, especially when the ground is frozen solid, making their usual diet of worms and insects inaccessible.

Caption (Adapted): "They look brown, soft, and ugly to you. But for me, a hungry American Robin shivering in the frost, this is pure sugar, instant energy when the ground is hard as a rock. Leave them for me."

1. The Winter Energy Crisis (The Unseen Side):
Frozen Ground Famine: The American Robin primarily feeds on earthworms and insects dug from the soil. When the ground is frozen solid (the 'hard as a rock' scenario), this entire food source vanishes.

The Sugar Solution: Rotting fruit (apples, pears, berries, etc.) is packed with easily accessible fermented sugars. Unlike trying to find seeds, which requires hard work and high energy expenditure, soft fruit is instant, high-octane energy—crucial for a bird to raise its body temperature and survive the next night.

Essential Timing: This food source is most vital in late winter (February/March), before the ground thaws and before spring insects emerge.

2. The Ecosystem Service of Decay:
Soft Fruit Specialists: Birds like the Robin, Eastern Bluebird, and various thrushes are adapted to feed on soft fruits (called frugivores). Leaving the fruit on the ground directly supports these species.

Seed Dispersal: By consuming the fruit, the birds help disperse the seeds away from the parent tree, aiding in natural propagation.

The Unseen Benefit: Leaving the fruit allows the natural process of decay to continue, enriching the soil and supporting beneficial microorganisms, which in turn feed the very worms the robin will seek once the thaw arrives.

🤝 Our Duty: Embrace the Mess
The message encourages a shift from the aesthetic desire for a sterile yard to an appreciation for functional chaos.

The Simple Act: If you have fruit trees, leave a portion of the fallen fruit on the ground, especially those bruised apples or pears that weren't good for human consumption anyway.

Safety Precaution: Only leave fruit that is naturally rotting. Do not leave processed or cooked foods, which can introduce harmful salts or sugars.

Your tolerance for a little "mess" in your yard creates a vital caloric lifeline for the American Robin and other thrushes when they need it most.

12/11/2025

In winter, birds can still find bits of food but water is the real struggle. When everything turns to solid ice, dehydration hits them fast, sometimes faster than starvation.

A few simple ways to help:
• Break and replace the ice in your bird bath daily. 🧊➡️💧
• Add warm water a couple of times a day during severe cold. 🔥💦
• Use a heated bird bath or a safe outdoor heater.
• Keep the bath clean to prevent disease. 🫧

A little water can save a life this winter. 💙

12/11/2025

A hollow tree isn’t empty — it’s full of life fighting to survive winter.

Raccoons rely on dry inner chambers to conserve heat.
Flying squirrels stash nuts in hidden cavities.
Owls perch inside sheltered hollows to escape storms.
Beetles, moths, spiders, and countless invertebrates overwinter in its protected layers.

When we cut down every dead or hollow tree “for safety,”
we erase one of the most critical winter habitats left in our landscapes.

If a hollow trunk isn’t threatening your home,
leave it standing.
For wildlife, it’s the difference between shelter and starvation.

12/11/2025

The Winter Dilemma: Survival Without Shelter
The Rabbit (Cottontail or European Hare) is a vulnerable prey animal that does not hibernate. It relies entirely on dense, windproof shelter to survive the freezing temperatures, wind chill, and exposure to predators during the long winter months.

In suburban areas, where natural thickets and brush piles are often cleared for neatness, safe shelter is scarce.


YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE IS MY WINTER FORT.

Don't trash your old tree. Put it in the backyard. It creates a windproof castle for me and the birds.

The Insulation Factor: This is the core benefit. The dense, thick needles of a discarded Christmas tree (Fir, Pine, Spruce) provide excellent, multi-layered wind and thermal insulation. A rabbit burrowing under the thick branches can escape wind chill and retain critical body heat.

The Castle/Fort Analogy: "A windproof castle" is a perfect description. It’s not just a resting spot; it’s a robust fortress against predators (cats, foxes) and severe weather, offering crucial safety and cover.

The Double Duty: The message highlights that the tree benefits more than just rabbits. Small birds (Juncos, Sparrows, Cardinals) also use the dense needles as a roosting spot to escape harsh winds and to rest safely during the day.

The Simple Solution: "Don't trash your old tree. Put it in the backyard" provides the easy, zero-cost instruction. Instead of dealing with the inconvenience of curbside pickup or recycling, the homeowner performs an immediate act of conservation.

🤝 Our Responsibility: Recycle for Life
Turning your old Christmas tree into a wildlife refuge is an act of proactive conservation:

Placement is Key: Place the tree securely in a corner of your yard, perhaps resting it against a fence or shed. You can anchor it with a few stones to prevent it from blowing away.

Add Material: To make the fort even better, pile some leaves or branches around the base to create a dense, warm entrance for the rabbit.

Long-Term Use: The tree provides shelter throughout the winter and spring. It can then be chipped for mulch or left to decompose naturally, enriching the soil.

Your old Christmas tree is not trash; it's a vital, temporary habitat. Give your holidays a meaningful second life by providing a windproof castle for the vulnerable wildlife in your neighborhood.

12/11/2025

When winter settles in, that “untidy” corner of your garden turns into a crucial life raft for wildlife.
What may look like clutter to us becomes heated shelter, food storage, and safe hiding space for countless small creatures. Keep these areas intact — their survival depends on them.

1) Brush Piles
Loose stacks of branches create perfect hideouts for mice, voles, chipmunks, and rabbits.
The air pockets between twigs act like natural insulation, forming a warmer micro-environment.
During blizzards or sudden temperature drops, these piles become emergency shelters.

2) Leaf Litter
Fallen leaves form a cushioned, insulating layer where shrews and other ground-dwelling mammals can stay warm.
The leaf layer also protects insects — a key food source during winter scarcity.
The thicker and less disturbed the pile, the safer it is for the creatures beneath it.

3) Hollow Logs & Downed Wood
Decaying logs serve as ready-made dens for chipmunks, voles, squirrels, and even small predators like weasels.

As the wood breaks down, it maintains steady, warmer temperatures compared to open ground.
These microhabitats also supply winter food, including fungi and overwintering insects.

4) Tall Grasses & Dense Perennials
Rodents carve tunnels through dry stems, staying hidden from predators.
Standing grasses buffer against harsh winds and help conserve heat near the soil surface.
Seed heads left intact offer vital nutrition for birds and small mammals throughout the cold months.

Address

16886 Turner Road
Lansing, MI
48906

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+15173271059

Website

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Our Story

Let us show you how living plants can add beauty to your environment while increasing productivity, creativity and morale. Your clients and staff will appreciate the difference plants and flowers make indoors. Fresher air, vibrant greens, bright colors and textures are all part of the experience. Our experience is deep, yet we are always learning new techniques and adding options.