Landscape Your Concrete? “Say, Whaat?”

in Why Plantscaping

Potted Plants for Pavement…the cure for the common sidewalk.

The hardscape. Every building has it. It is of course, a functional necessity. Driveways, sidewalks, pavers, etc – all described as the hardscape.

There’s one big problem with hardscape. It’s hard! Live plants fix that problem. Our live plants are specifically designed to thrive on the concrete jungle. It’s what we call, “Plants and Planters, Guaranteed Gorgeous.”

If you’ve been reading our articles, you know that we continually stress the importance of:

creating a stunning sense of arrival, and
developing beautiful spaces throughout your establishment.

These are the spaces that ‘breathe’ ambiance into your surroundings.

Sense of Arrival

One of the most effective, yet most overlooked, ways to build a stunning sense of arrival is by developing the sidewalk spaces around your establishment.

I say ‘around’ because this isn’t always limited to the front-face of your business. Some of the best sidewalk scaping can be done along the side-faces of your building if you have such spaces available to you, and can actually draw visitors into your establishment by the sheer attraction of curiosity… ‘Hey, what is that awesome looking place over there?’

Beautiful Spaces

You can also develop other concrete areas in and around your establishment to WOW your clientele… areas such as patios, verandas, pool areas, and the like.

In fact, it’s amazing the difference that plants can make to these strategic areas within a facility. Unadorned, a concrete patio can be one of the drabbest spots in the building. – Add the magic of gorgeous plants in exquisite containers, artfully ensembled and strategically placed, and ‘presto-chango’, you’ve just created a beautiful retreat brimming with ambiance!

So, how do we ‘develop’ our concrete spaces to WOW our clientele? – Here are a few guidelines to stimulate your thinking.

How Much is Enough

Sidewalk and patio scaping doesn’t have to be exorbitantly expensive. Investing in outdoor furniture (benches, small chairs/tables, etc.) isn’t necessary to create a stunning sense of arrival or a beautiful space… though these can be nice additions if the budget will allow for it.

What delivers the WOW-factor is the strategic use of gorgeous plants in exquisite containers… and enough plants to create the proper effect. Now, don’t get me wrong… I’m not talking about creating a tropical rainforest on your sidewalk. My point is that you shouldn’t be thinking that 1 or 2 potted plants put out front is going to WOW your clientele. You need to utilize enough plants to create the effect.

So, how much is ‘enough’? That depends on the aesthetics of the building, sidewalk, and patio space. For an attractive façade, a handful of elegant, strategically-placed plants can be more effective than a whole greenhouse deposited on the sidewalk.

On the other hand, if the sidewalk space isn’t very attractive on its own merits, then you’ll have to inject a bit more beauty into the space via the use of additional plants.

Plant Selection & Design

Once you’ve determined the general approach to scaping your sidewalks and patio areas, you’ll need to think about what plants to use… and how to use them.

Probably the most challenging piece of the project is choosing appropriate plants for the task at hand. It is supremely important to select plants that will thrive on your particular sidewalks and patios.

We always create an environmental profile for each sidewalk or patio space that we plan to Plantscape. Here are some of the questions we’re always asking:

How much sun versus shade will the plants be exposed to?
How much natural moisture will the plants receive… i.e. is there an awning or overhanging roof covering the area?
Can the plants be left outdoors when the establishment is closed, or do they need to spend a certain percentage of time indoors?
How much wind does the area receive? – Some locations are inherent wind tunnels, making the use of more delicate plants inadvisable.
Are there any other unusual factors that could affect the health and well-being of the plants?

Once we’ve profiled each space for environmental factors, we’re ready to select the types of plants that will thrive in those spaces. We combine this information with an artistic view as to which types of plants will:

be visually appealing in the space,
match the style of the establishment
portray the mood you’re attempting to create,
and those that will deliver the most WOW-factor.

That selection process is also dependent on how we plan to use the plants… i.e. how we plan to ensemble them and place them within the space, and what containers you will use.

A Word About Containers

Container selection is a topic unto itself. Suffice it to say that the success of your sidewalk or patio scaping project will be largely dependent upon the type, size, and quality of containers chosen. A gorgeous, thriving plant adorned with a sub-par cheap container makes a very negative statement to your patrons. – You want live, lush plants in EXQUISITE containers to deliver the WOW-factor you’re looking for. — Remember, we’re trying to create an effect that will absolutely WOW! your patrons.

Here are some examples of great Sidewalk Scapes: