If you’ve decided to enhance the beauty and health of your indoor environment with live plants, congratulations! You’ve taken the first step towards healthier and more productive workers, a more visually appealing workplace, and all the financial benefits that brings.

But there are more decisions to make. You might decide to buy the plants and maintain them yourself, or to hire interior plantscaping professionals to plan, select, place, and care for your indoor garden. There are benefits to both options, and you should take the time to consider a few factors before deciding how to make the best of nature’s gifts in your work environment.

Planning and design

To create a successful plantscape and get the best from your investment, it’s important to thoroughly research and plan your project.

Your design plan should incorporate specific information about the locations and sizes of the plants. If you’re writing your plan yourself, you’ll need to research both functionality and health and safety, and make sure to choose and place plants that won’t be hazardous to people in the workplace because of their size or species. Professional plant designers know what factors to consider, including how the plants will work within certain spaces from an interior design perspective, or within certain environments in terms of temperature control, humidity, light and air quality.

You’ll also need to research the types of plants that will do well in your environment. Not every plant is suitable for every office, and some aren’t suitable for indoor use at all: some are known to cause allergies, and some emit strong aromas that aren’t appropriate for confined areas. In addition, certain potting mixtures and fertilisers shouldn’t be used in interior spaces. It’s very important to the health and safety of your workers and visitors—and an important legal obligation—that they’re not exposed to substances that could make them sick. If you’re in doubt, remember that professional plant designers are experienced in finding reputable sources of plant material; in inspecting plants before buying to ensure they’re healthy, strong and free of disease; and in using safe and appropriate products for potting and fertilising.

Installation

Installing your new plantscape is quite an involved task, and it needs to be planned well if your plants are to fit into and thrive in your work space.

If you’re doing your installation yourself, be prepared that purchasing appropriate containers for your plants will involve a significant financial outlay. The pots are generally more expensive than the plants themselves, and if you don’t choose the right material for the type and size of the plants, they can be at risk of toppling and breaking, or even be detrimental to the health of the plant. You’ll also need storage or disposal solutions for your plant containers for when they’re not being used or when they need to be replaced.

Installing plants yourself will also involve a lot of physical labour, as they can be very heavy and awkward to transport. You’ll need to consider your workplace health and safety regulations to decide whether you’re covered for this type of manual labour. In contrast, plant hire services provide the appropriate containers when they install your plants, and can even have them custom built so they fit perfectly in the space. They will also take care of all the lifting, carrying, and moving at a day and time that is convenient for you.

Maintenance

The maintenance of indoor plants is very important. It can be quite involved, as indoor plants require weekly attention. If you’ll be looking after your own plants, you’ll need to decide who’s responsible for the task, and if you assign that task to an employee, make sure that person has the time and training to do the job right. It goes without saying that dead, dying, and unattractive plants are worse than no plants at all—they’re more of a hindrance to productivity than if you hadn’t used them in the first place.

One of the main benefits of hiring your indoor plants lies in the maintenance. After they’re installed, professional plant maintenance specialists who are dedicated to your workplace will make regular visits to take care of the plants.

During these visits, they will carefully inspect the plants, clean and trim the foliage, and remove any damaged or unhealthy leaves and spent flowers. They will also water and feed the plants according to their individual needs. All their work focuses on making sure your plants remain healthy and attractive. Any plants that do not meet the service’s standards are removed and replaced as part of the service, so there won’t be any trips back to the nursery for you.

Financial considerations

There’s no way around the fact that, whether you’re buying or renting them, indoor plants will cost you money. There will be significant upfront costs if you’re purchasing plants and pots yourself, and you’ll have the ongoing expenses of time and money maintaining them, which can quickly add up if you’re not an expert in how to do it. If you and your employees aren’t capable of looking after your plants, you’re also at risk of wasting everything you’ve outlaid.

But indoor plants offer many advantages, and they’re worth the expense. When you hire indoor plants from a reputable provider, you’re also getting a professional design eye cast over your space, and the expertise that can bring out the unique character and beauty of your building. You’re also getting professional knowledge about how to improve the health of the work environment, which benefits both the health and productivity of your workers.

As with many other business decisions, there are advantages to outsourcing your indoor garden. With Prestigious Plantscapes, your money is well spent: our team of professional plant designers have the experience and skill to tailor the perfect solution for your business, expertly planning, installing and maintaining your beautiful plantscape while you enjoy all the design and health benefits without lifting a finger.

Articles

Indoor plants: Why hiring plants is smarter than buying

Planning and design

Installation

Maintenance

Financial considerations

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