As a young horticulturalist starting out, I clearly remember saving my retail nursery pay for weeks and weeks to buy a pair of felco secateurs. With a pair of felcos in a pouch on your side you had truly arrived in the ‘Nursery Industry’ and people took you seriously. Fast forward 40 plus years and [...]
Plant people LOVE plants and nature. Plant people have a thirst for knowledge. They wear many hats – they are creative, qualified, problem solvers, tolerant and most importantly, despite all the challenges of running a business, they enjoy the many health benefits and solving the complexities that plants bring! Let’s look at the unique story [...]
When is a tree not a tree? When it is a palm tree! Despite appearances and name, the biology of palm trees is sufficiently different from its woody counterparts. Interior plantscapers seeking to establish palm trees indoors should be familiar with these differences if their palms are to thrive. The Arecaceae, or palm family, is [...]
In a few clicks, you can start connecting and growing your business. Yet, I can hear you say YES BUT…’That takes time and we don’t have any spare time in our day to worry about Social Media!’ Unfortunately, whether we like it or not social media is here to stay! But few plantscapers are on [...]
Recently a group of Victorian IPA members met for coffee with IPA Management Committee members Michael Casey and myself, IPA President Cameron Iddles. The aim was social, to have a great cup of coffee and to chat about issues that affect us all. In such trying times it helps to talk to those who have [...]
Researching suitable N-P-K ratios for indoor plants recently, I was reminded that product labelling is not always consistent across the globe. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are three essential elements required by plants to support their growth and it is essential that interior plantscapers understand just how much they are applying to their plants. Deficiency of [...]
With green walls gaining not only in popularity but also height, maintaining interior plantscapes in our high-rise buildings may soon be the domain of a team of so-called Spider-Men and Spider-Women. As interior plantscapers, you have all probably heard of the Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum). This plant is a popular choice in many an indoor [...]
Hello and Welcome to Interior Plantscape Association (IPA) monthly newsletter. It’s the beginning of winter and in Melbourne it is the time of year when you leave for work in the dark and get home in the dark and the most important item in your plantscaping kit is a warm, waterproof coat, followed by a [...]
Where do you go to recruit new employees to work in your interior plantscape business? Would you consider using Facebook? Perusing social media recently trying to stay abreast of horticultural news, I came upon yet another post lamenting the difficulty in this industry of recruiting workers. Despite reading this ‘complaint’ on Facebook, I wonder whether [...]
Coming off the back of the successful IPA Advocates Program started by our CEO Elaine Tunn, the 2021 Management Committee is looking to establishing a group of IPA Mentors, people with particular skills who are willing to share with other IPA Members. This program is specifically designed to add value to your IPA membership, plus [...]
