Interior Plants online course - Do you want to work in a Nursery, Plant Hire or Interiorscaping Business?

This is a course equally applicable to the professional interior plantscaper or the home owner (or interior decorator) who aspires to achieve the very best results with their indoor plants.

• Learn about the main family groups indoor plants fall into, the cultural requirements and general characteristics of each of those groups, and from there develop the ability to select the right plant for the right situation.
• Many types of growing methods are covered (in pots, baskets, hydroponics, terrariums, greenhouses), as well as soil mixes, propagation, pest control, feeding and lots more. 

Lesson Structure

There are 8 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction
   • Plant Naming and pronunciation
   • Review of indoor plant families
   • Resources
2. Indoor Plant Culture - Part A
   • Understanding interior environments
   • Plants for different light conditions
   • Problems with indoor plants
   • Potting Media
   • Potting up
   • Container selection
   • Managing plant nutrition
   • Pruning indoor plants
   • Propagation and caring for young indoor plants
3. Indoor Plant Culture - Part B
   • Acclimatizing indoor plants
   • Helping plants survive neglect
   • Managing plant health indoors
4. Foliage Plants
   • Growing palms inside
   • Review of palm genera
   • Selecing and Growing Ferns inside
   • Review of other foliage plant genera
5. Flowering Plants
   • Orchids
   • African violets
   • Poinsettia
   • Other genera grown for flowers indoors.
6. Other Indoor Plants
   • Herbs
   • Vines and Climbers
7. Making The Best Use Of Indoor Plants
   • Deciding where to place an indoor plant
   • Managing colour
   • Using mirrors
   • Plants in baskets
   • Hydroponics indoors
   • Miniature gardens
8. The Interior Plantscaping Industry
   • Interior Plantscaping Business
   • Growing in Greenhouses
   • Environmental control

Aims

• Distinguish between different types of indoor plants
• Describe the cultural methods used for growing various indoor plants
• Evaluate a range of plants not commonly grown indoors for their suitability for interior plantscaping.
• Select appropriate plants for different interior plantscaping situations.
• Develop innovative ways of presenting plants for indoor situations.
• Explain the interior plantscaping industry, including its nature and scope.

Interiorscaping has developed into big business

European countries such as Germany, Holland, Scandinavia and England have been using interiorscaping in their commercial buildings to create calm and attractive work environments since the 1950s.

The United States followed this trend in the early 1960s. Since the 1980s interiorscaping has grown from an industry primarily started by farmers and backyard plant growers - supplying plants from the back of vans - to the multi-billion dollar industry it is today. Today’s interiorscaping business is more likely to be run by horticulturists who may also have some qualifications in interior design, or visa versa.

Industry Associations
As a consequence of the huge international growth in this industry, the U.S.A., Canada, U.K, Australia, Holland, New Zealand and South Africa all now have Interior Plantscaping Associations. These associations are an invaluable source of information for those working or contemplating work in the interior plantscaping industry:

1. Interior Plantscaper’s Association of South Africa.
2. National Interior Plantscaper’s Association: Australia and New Zealand.
3. Plantscape Industry Association: U.S.A.
4. Associated Landscape Industry of America – includes plantscaping professionals as well.
5. British Association of Landscape Industries U.K. – includes plantscaping under its umbrella.

Indoor Plant Businesses

Businesses range from small one person operations - through to large multi-million dollar businesses. Services offered differ too - from plant watering services through to the design and maintenance of large indoor garden environments (that may even include quite large trees).

The following are just some of the services offered by these businesses:

1. Plant and indoor garden maintenance using skilled staff.
2. Rotating plants i.e. bringing in flowering plants in season.
3. Floral arrangements.
4. Unusual or unique plants i.e. foliage and flowers.
5. Seasonal displays – using a creative and innovative approach.
6. Design and consultation services.

Where this course fits in

Are you looking to expand your flower business, or are you looking to start a business in interior plantscaping? Maybe you are an interior designer looking to improve or increase on the scope of your services? Or you might be a homeowner looking to develop and show your passion for flowers by improving your knowledge on what to grow, how to grow it, and where to site it.

Our Interior Plants course will provide knowledge for all of these purposes. Studying the course will develop your understanding plant selection, maintenance and much more.

You can enrol today

Our courses are available to start at any time - just go to the top of the page and select your study method.

If you have any questions or want to know more, then contact our specialist Horticulture tutors today.