Metal benches provide a durable, low maintenance, customized option for landscape architects

People have become familiar with wooden park benches since the first bench was built, but with the advent of contemporary metal benches there are many more options that any landscape designer will appreciate.

Advancements in manufacturing have now transformed metal benches from ugly, rusting sheets of steel to vibrant, super-durable, easy-to-clean benches that are low maintenance and can withstand any type of weather thrown at it.

One of the main reasons why metal benches are a smart choice is due to advances with coated benches. There are coatings out there now, like SealGuard offered by The Park and Facilities Catalog with a 5-year warranty, that are just about bulletproof.

These thick, thermoplastic

One effective break idea is for workers to get out of the office and mingle on outdoor park benches for a few minutes

While many companies can't offer the nap pods, ping pong tables or gourmet chefs offered by Google, there are several inexpensive break room ideas you can use to improve employee morale and boost productivity.

According to experts, the goal behind a break room is not to regard it as a place where employees slack off, but a place where they can relax, recharge and interact with fellow employees.

Employee lockers and break rooms set the tone for how employees are treated

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Break Room Décor - while it is important (and required) that employment legal notices be posted, be sure to make your break room different than the rest of the office or workplace. Paint it a different color. Add plants. Include comfortable chairs. Hang pictures. This lets employees know this is a space that is remove

By adding just a few key site furnishings, apartments can boost curb appeal significantly

In this digital age, because today's renters have a very short attention span, quickly enhance your apartment's curb appeal with a combination of commercial planters, outdoor park benches and picnic tables.

It's a new world out there. Think about how fast Millenials zip through pages on their smartphones and tablets. Now think about how fast they are going to evaluate your apartment community if you don't have the absolute best curb

Research shows sitting on outdoor park benches for a few minutes can recharge worker

Is it possible that adding outdoor park benches near an office building can help workers become more productive? A bunch of scientists think so. And they have the research to back it up.

In a rather simple experiment, 150 college students were asked to participate in a Sustained Attention to Response Task. All they had to do was sit at a computer and watch numbers from 1 to 9 flash on the screen. They were instructed to hit a key on the keyboard for each number fired rapidly at them, unless the number was a 3.

Simple right? But not so easy. Clicking the keys furiously to keep up and then making sure not to hit the wrong key for one particular digit can become difficult and exhausting. (The whole idea behind the test is to monitor the ability to focus and pay attention).

Researchers wanted to test the effect of a "microbreak" on the students. For just 40 seconds, they gave the

Paley Park in NYC is one of the best "pocket parks" around - Photo by Aleksandr Zykov (Flickr

Take a vacant lot and fill it with park benches, a few shade trees and some bright flowers and what do you have? A pocket park!

What is a pocket park? Generally it's any park that is about a quarter of an acre in size. They are typically located in urban areas where open spaces are tight. Sometimes they are referred to as "vest pocket parks."

These small, mini-parks are a perfect solution for any budget-strapped parks and recreation department or to attract customers to a savvy local business.

The concept is catching on and when you think about it, it's a perfect way to expand any park system without a huge expense. Many cities already have plenty of vacant lots. The city of Baltimore,