Plantscaping is the science and art of designing with plants indoors and sometimes out. This is far more than adding a few potted snake plants. By using shade, texture, plant variety, color, height, containers, and even installations like living walls, plantscaping can make commercial spaces look, feel and function better with design.
Founded in 1980, we are Arkansas’ largest plantscaping company, providing services in both Central and Northwest Arkansas. Over the years we have seen all sorts of trends for commercial space come and go, from neon and maximalism to sleek white minimalism. But plants have been there all along, no matter the aesthetic your business has.
So whether you’re running a boutique, an office manager in a corporate HQ, a restauranteur or someone else planning to refresh your corporate space, here is a guide for how and why to approach adding plants to your workspace.
Why Plants are Essential for Modern Work and Commercial Spaces
The growing emphasis on having nature indoors in commercial spaces comes from lifestyle shifts in the 21st century:
- More people are living and working in urban and suburban areas with less nature outdoors
- Stress is higher at work and home because things are moving faster
- Most people spend about a third of our adult lives at work, often inside, without fresh air and good natural light
All this means that designing a workspace with nature in mind has the potential for creating a positive impact on people’s lives. That’s because of biophilia, human’s inherent draw towards plants and nature. Biophilic design really does affect how people feel, and can improve the experience of employees, guests, clients, patients, interviewees, shoppers and much more.
Industries and Commercial Locations That Benefit from Plantscaping
Offices can be harsh environments: climate controlled, impersonal and lacking a great view for every desk. That means greenery can make a big impact even in small doses. One study showed that plants in offices improve job satisfaction and even how happy people are with their coworkers.
Healthcare settings can benefit from the relaxing, restorative and calming effect on indoor spaces. Plants can reduce stress in hospital waiting rooms and broadly improve the experience of patients, family and staff in healthcare settings.
Retail environments can see multiple benefits from biophilic design. Plants can set your store apart, and they can appeal to both customers and staff to make your environment more enjoyable and relaxing, leading to happier employees and priming visitors to spend. Greenery can increase pleasure and lower stress in shoppers, according to one study.
Restaurants can create better dining experiences through décor, and plant design plays a major role in how guests perceive their experience and options. One study found that when presented with a restaurant environment with or without plants, customers preferred those with plants and plants had a positive impact on their shopping decisions.
Apartment buildings and hotels stand to significantly improve communal spaces through plant design, which can change how visitors and residents feel in their space. This can impact willingness to spend and positive sentiments: plants in lobbies raised pleasure responses in guests according to one study, and attitudes towards hotels were more positive for those where biophilic design was used according to another.
What Does Commercial Plantscaping Include?
Plantscaping isn’t gardening, landscaping or interior design. It’s a unique blend of horticulture and plant design that requires expertise in multiple areas. Here are the main offerings you are likely to find from a commercial plantscaping service (although exact services may vary).
Interior Plant Design
Interior plant designs are custom installations for commercial spaces that help improve the look and feel of your business, and create a better environment for everyone who passes through. This service is suitable for any indoor space, whether it is still being furnished or “fully finished”, and applies across a wide variety of industries, including those listed above.
Interior plant designs include things like potted plants, but also creative designs like moss walls and even rotational blooms services and holiday arrangements. Many providers, including Leafscape, give you the option to lease or buy plants as part of the design and installation process.
Plant installation
After your design is finalized, your plantscaping partner should offer a fully professional plant installation service. There are a few steps to installation. First, they should have high-quality plants, containers and other materials ready to execute your design. Sometimes specialty items need time to procure, but a reputable service will have good commercial connections and their own facility to prepare plants for delivery.
Then, they should make sure your space is prepared. For smaller designs, this may be a minimal step but for projects that may require things like irrigation, this can require advance work. Finally, they should provide expert load-in with minimal disruptions. Most designs take a couple of days to install, although larger and more ambitious projects like big living walls may require more time.
Ongoing plant maintenance
A good plantscaper is one that doesn’t just make things look good on day one, but year one and beyond. Regular care is necessary as plants grow, change and react to their environment, from pruning to pest control. Look for a plant replacement guarantee to make sure your investment is fully covered and will always be at its best.
Plantscaping isn’t just about interior décor, many plantscaping companies also offer exterior services for designing and styling with container plants and existing architectural elements (e.g. raised beds). Plant selections may be annual, perennial, or a mix depending on your preferences, budget, and your partner’s recommendations.
Exterior plantscaping is a compliment to and doesn’t replace a landscaping service that takes care of things like tree trimming and lawn mowing or weeding. Rather, it’s about adding a focal interest with plants, especially to places like patios, walkways, entryways, decks and rooftops where traditional landscaping is not an option.
Commercial Plant Maintenance Programs
We’ve just advised you to look for a plantscaping partner who can provide maintenance. That’s in part because we’ve worked with many commercial partners in Arkansas and speak to a lot of business owners who are worried about upkeep. We get it –– you put a lot of time and money into your plant design as an overall investment for your business. Which means you want long-term results.
To ensure our clients see lift from their designs year after year, we offer a commercial plant maintenance program that we have developed from 45 years of horticultural experience in Arkansas. We come at regular intervals, about every two weeks, and run through a checklist designed to head off problems, proactively maintain designs and delight our clients. We keep plants healthy and happy, but in the rare case something needs to be replaced, we take care of it promptly.
If you are in Central or Northwest Arkansas and interested in plantscaping for your commercial space, including plant rentals, plant maintenance and indoor or outdoor designs, contact us today.
FAQ
- What is plantscaping?
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- Plantscaping is plant designing for in- and exterior projects. Unlike landscaping, it involves containers and does not focus on planting in-ground.
- How much does commercial plant service cost?
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- The cost of commercial plantscaping can range widely depending on the scope and aims of your project, and other factors such as whether you rent or buy your plants. We are always happy to discuss projects and quote with no obligation, contact us to find out more.
- What plants work best in offices?
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- Ultimately, this depends on your office, including whether you have sunlight, the temperature, and more. We are happy to go over plant options that actually suit you and will thrive in your space as a part of a design consultation.
- Do plant services include maintenance?
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- For Leafscape, we offer maintenance to all of our clients, and, in some cases, can maintain your existing plants.
- Can I rent plants for my office long-term?
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- Yes, long-term plant rentals are a standard plantscaping offering, and Leafscape can walk you through whether renting or buying is right for you.
- Is a commercial plantscaping program right for my small business?
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- Yes, plantscaping isn’t limited to big corporate offices or national retail chains. Leafscape can work to maximize your budget and improve your space as a small business.
- What areas do you service?
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- We do work all over Northwest and Central Arkansas, including Little Rock, North Little Rock, Conway, Searcy, Hot Springs, Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, and Bentonville.
