It’s always a pleasure to chat with my fellow interior plantscapers, suppliers and everyone involved in the industry, there is always more to learn and I find plant people are very generous with what they share.

One of the hot topics at the moment is what some consider being the unrealistic expectations of designers, architects and some clients.  In particular planter sizes being too small to sustain the plant between maintenance visits and the difficult location they are to live and be maintained have been raised.  While these concerns are valid I do feel that as an industry we also need to be constantly evolving to meet the changing demands of our clients.

Communicating with architects, designers and directly with our clients is part of the answer but perhaps we also need to be experimenting with our plants and trying new ways of growing and displaying them.  I can hear you now – that’s going to cost us more time and money!  I wonder if instead of simply refusing to consider a difficult client request, we explain the additional work involved and the risks of the plant needing to be changed on a regular basis.  With the client fully informed of the challenges, I think we are in a much better position to justify the higher fees that will have to be charged to meet their brief.  This may result in them asking for your recommendations on a more affordable option or if the budget allows, going with the pricier option in order to get exactly what they wanted in the first place.

You never know, there could also be some pleasant surprises as we see just how resilient and adaptable plants can be.

Until next time…

Nerida Hills

IPA President