Article: If you want a solid pop of color, try filling a pot with just one type and color of a plant. This adds a bright spot to any area while keeping a clean and uniform look. You can also try filling a pot with one single plant, like a fern, which makes a statement without being over-the-top. Using a single type of plant is great in areas where you want to keep symmetry, like on the sides of a front door or along a fence or walkway. If you want some diversity in your pot while still maintaining the same shape and texture, putting in different colors of the same plant can help add variety. Some flowers like petunias, impatiens, or zinnias will even come in multipacks which makes mixing up colors easy. If you want to mix up your own arrangement, try choosing complementary colors like reds and purples, or blues and yellows. You can also choose similar colors like pinks and reds for a clean look. The most striking arrangements have a variety of each type of plant. For example, a tall plant like a dracaena, a bushy plant like a begonia, and a trailing plant like a morning glory. The most common way to put together this arrangement is to place the tall plant in the middle and surround it with both trailing and bushy plants that are similar in height and width.  These arrangements usually contain one focal plant, which could include plants with striking foliage, like a coleus, or trailing plants like the ivy geranium. However, most focal plants should be the largest component in a pot and sit higher than the other plants. Once you’ve chosen your focal plant you can build the rest of the arrangement around it. When mixing up different kinds of plants for one pot, make sure you keep all the plants with similar watering/sunlight needs together. Don’t just mix up the colors, but try to use a variety of foliage as well. Every plant has different leaves with an assortment of textures. Putting together plants with smooth leaves, rough leaves, or even the near artificial look and texture of a rubber plant adds a lot of exciting variation to an arrangement. You can also mix up the sizes of the leaves and the colors.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Use one type of plant. Try a variation of the same plant. Mix up a little bit of everything. Play with textures.
Article: Sometimes a client may be difficult to work with, but in these cases you'll need to remain even more in control of yourself. Losing control of your emotions with a client could ruin your business with that individual, and it could even cost you your job.  Do not give an emotional response to anything your client says or does. Be respectful and remember that the client is always right. Remember the importance of being professional, even in the face of abuse. If you're really struggling to control your emotions, try counting to ten or taking a few deep breaths before saying anything. It's generally a good idea to let a client speak freely, but this is more important than ever when the client is being difficult. Your client may be uncooperative because they feel that they're not being heard, so letting your client do most of the talking in tense moments may help defuse the situation.  You can communicate a great deal with silence. Let your client talk, and respond when appropriate. Ask follow-up questions to reflect on or clarify anything you're not clear about. For example, you might say, "I think I see what you mean, but I'm a little confused about _____; could you clarify what you meant by that?" When a difficult client doesn't feel heard, that client may become more uncooperative. Engaging in small conversational habits to show engagement and concern can help reassure your client and make the situation less tense.  Make eye contact with the client while you're speaking to one another. Use short, small verbal cues to show that you're listening. For example, saying "Mhmm" or "Yes," or even just nodding in agreement, shows that you're engaged. How you say things can be just as important as what's actually being said. When you have a difficult client, it's important to be aware of how you're coming across in your manner of speech. Changing your voice's speed and pitch may help calm an irate client, especially when combined with other conversational techniques.  Slow down the speed of your speech and lower the pitch and volume of your voice. Speaking slowly and softly can have a calming effect on upset or anxious clients. Try to make the shift noticeable so that your client will pick up on it subtly. Sometimes agreeing with a difficult client is the best way to placate a bad attitude. Even if you know the client is wrong, it may be best to avoid challenging a difficult client if there's no other way to calm them down. Voice your concerns if the client is about to make a huge mistake, but remember that the decision is ultimately up to the client to make. If you can't placate a client or meet their demands despite your best efforts, it's best just to let them go. Yes, you will lose their business, but in some cases it may not be worth the headache to keep them.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Stay in control of your emotions. Spend more time listening than speaking. Show that you're engaged. Speak with confidence. Fulfill the client's wishes. Fire a client as a last resort.