This module of our on-line CPD training covers design: how to get the look you want with the right plants, containers and accessories.

In the early days of interior landscaping, the tendency was to go for lots of foliage in plain, purely functional containers. The “jungle” effect was in vogue and there was little design element in the limited range of containers available. The situation is very different today, with as much effort being put into the design of the containers, accessories and the overall “look” as into plant selection. An ever-expanding range of plant varieties and container designs is now available to the interior landscaper and a great deal of imagination is being applied to their use.

This imagination does, of course, have to be accompanied by recognition of the practical limitations to interior landscaping. A customer may decide that the shape, size and form of an Archontophoenix alexandrae, the Alexandra palm, fits perfectly into his vision for a new office, but unless there is a great deal of natural light the plant is unlikely to live for very long. In such situations other palms, such as Howea forsteriana, the Kentia palm might be a better choice, retaining some of the look but having a much better chance of survival. Designing with plants is therefore a blend of the aesthetic and the practical.

This module will take approximately 30 minutes to complete.  At the end, you can test your knowledge with a short quiz and download a certificate of participation that you can print and place in your personal training file.