Plantscaping is the process of designing an interior plant space through placement, plant selection and maintenance. In other words, it is interior design for plants.
At Walls of Plants, we know all about it.
The benefits of plantscaping
Indoor plants improve air quality
Plants, however, act as natural air purifiers. Through a process known as phytoremediation, they absorb harmful substances like volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and release oxygen into the air. This not only reduces pollution but also increases oxygen levels, creating a healthier and more comfortable indoor space.
However, the species of plants you choose, their positioning and the volume of plants will all impact how effective this process is.
This is where plantscaping comes on. Plantscapers are plant whisperers, and they know which plants are the best at purifying the air, and how to arrange them in a way that looks beautiful in your office.
Natural stress relief
It is well known that being amongst nature has a naturally calming effect, and this extends to indoor spaces too.
Plantscapers will be well versed in the concept of biophilic design: a style of design that recognises the fact that humans have adapted to respond to the natural world rather than man made products. This is why we still crave the appearance of real wooden furniture in our homes.
The aim of biophilic design is to create spaces that incorporate living plants into interior design to boost mental health, productivity and a feeling of connection.
With this in mind, plantscapers are able to create plant features that emanate our natural requirement to be close to nature whilst generating a beautiful display.
For more information, take a look at our blog: 5 Health Benefits of Plants in Your Office.
Tailored to your space
Plantscaping takes into account the space that you have to work with. It looks at the size of your space, the orientation of the room, points of light and the function of the room to determine:
- The best position for your plants
- Which plants are most suitable in the lighting available
- Visibility of plants in relation to where you spend most of your time
- Which plants are most suitably grown together
- How plants will impact the acoustics of your space
- Which colours would work best with your interior design
In contrast to simply choosing a plant that you like and positioning it on an empty shelf, plantscaping takes a more advanced approach to create a personalised display that is cohesive with the room you have available.
Beautified interior design
Unless you made the direct decision to have a large plant display in your home, office or commercial building, plant placement might not have been at the forefront of your mind when you designed the space.
Unfortunately, plants are often an afterthought and a luxury when they should be a necessity in any interior design process.
Because, even disregarding their health benefits, plant features designed and installed by plantscapers can transform a room into something truly beautiful. A place you love to relax in. A place you love to work in. A place you can’t wait to be in.
That’s the true beauty in plantscaping.
Key considerations in plantscaping
If you are taking on an interior plantscaping project then there are several things you need to consider when it comes to the design and selection of your plants.
1. The size of the plants
The size of the plants is a crucial consideration when plotting your interior design.
If your room is fairly small then larger plants can make it feel cramped. Likewise, large, open plan spaces would benefit from a more significant display like a plant wall or a large standing plant like a lemon tree.
You must also consider the possibility that the plants will grow. Most plants that are sold in plant shops are in the nursery stage of their life, meaning they still have a lot of growing to do, and might not be appropriate in the space for very long.
2. The availability of light
Typically, plants respond to three different light conditions:
Direct light: As the name suggests, direct light is a spot where light from the sun will directly touch the leaves of the plant. This could be right next to a window, or any place that the light touches for at least a few hours throughout the day.
Indirect light: Indirect light, or medium light conditions, are bright areas that the sun does not directly touch.
Low light: Low light conditions are ones that a small amount of sun reaches but are not considered shady or cut off from light. Enclosed shelf spaces, corners and any area that is far from a window would work well, as long as there is a small presence of natural light during the day. For example, cupboards would not count as low light.
When you’ve settled on a location for your plant display, you will need to consider which of the listed light conditions most apply to the space.
Conduct research into plants to find species that thrive in those conditions.
Alternatively, you could select a few species that you love and find a space in the house with the right lighting conditions for those plants.
3. The air conditions of the space
Some plants will prefer dry conditions and others will be better adapted to humidity.
This one can be trickier to figure out than light conditions, but it is equally as important. Desert plants like cactuses and succulents for example will not thrive in humid conditions as they require very little contact with water.
Other plants, like rainforest plants, would be better suited to bathrooms where the humidity is naturally high throughout the day.
If you’re decorating an office or shop, you’re likely to have an air conditioning unit. Therefore you should consider plants that live in dry conditions. However, it is possible to replicate humidity with regular misting.
4. The colour of your chosen plants
In plantscaping, you need to take the colour of plants into consideration.
Many people like to opt for an all green display. If not, it is important to coordinate the plant colour with the rest of the interior design.
When decorating shops and restaurants, the wrong colours or clashing colours can create a disorganised appearance that makes a bad first impression.
Accenting using a single or dual colour scheme can give a professional and modern look to your establishment.
5. Repetition vs variety
Repeating plants is a common plantscaping technique found in commercial interior design because it creates a cohesive feel across the brand.
Repetition can likewise encourage movement through the space and a symmetrical image that is satisfying to the human eye.
If you opt for a plant wall as your plantscaping feature then plant grouping is a common technique used. This involves using a variety of plants to create one large display. It is an effective way of developing a space that is pleasing to look at due to the repetition in colour, but not so much repetition that it becomes samey or boring.
6. The quality of plants
Select healthy plants from reputable retailers. If buying plants from a physical shop, inspect the plants before you bring them home to check for signs of ill health or pest infestations before bringing them home.
If you’re buying from an online shop, make sure you check the reviews to make sure other people are happy with their plants.
At Walls of Plants, we source our plants from reputable buyers and will only supply you with the highest quality of plants.
Which spaces benefit from plantscaping?
Any space that is large enough to accommodate plants can benefit from plantscaping. The advantages of having greenery in interior design are often not recognised until you are surrounded by nature on a regular basis, and we cannot overstate how beneficial it is to both humanity and the planet to reintroduce nature to living.
Large plantscaping displays look exceptional in:
- Offices
- Open plan homes
- Restaurants, cafes and bars
- Meeting rooms
- Receptions
- Hotels
If you’re seeking a stunning indoor plant display to elevate your home or office, Walls of Plants is happy to help. Whether you aim to bring a touch of intimacy to a smaller home, or further develop your property by capturing the essence of exterior spaces within, our GreenWalls vertical stacking system is designed to create breathtaking living walls to the interior of your property. Equipped with auto-feed water tank systems and the added option of personalised plant selection, we allow you the freedom to explore indoor planting in a way you’ve never seen before.