Guide to Plants Basics

Indoor plants of all kinds will brighten up any room

By M. Krasniak, Freelance Writer/Editor

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Bring the outside indoors with beautiful houseplants

Don't be fooled by the term houseplants. This label refers to any plant species that fares well indoors. Beautify your office with one or more of the countless number of plants available. They tend to be easy to care for and hardy. Be sure to choose the right plant for your office environment. For example, if the temperature is cold and dry, plants that require a warmer, more humid environment won't survive.

I recommend: This video on the VideoJug gives some helpful information on how to choose the right houseplant for your office. Hubpages gives some great tips on how to make plants work for your office decor.

Transport your office to someplace warm by displaying tropical plants

Tropical plants are those plants that come from warm, sunny and even exotic locations. Depending on the type of plant, some tropical plants don't do well in containers, therefore they will not work well in an office. Since these types of garden plants come in many colors, it is a good idea to get a plant whose flowers and foliage will match the look and style of your office.

I recommend: This page from the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences website illustrates the tropical plants basics when it comes to container gardening. Caringforhouseplants.com gives you great tips on how to keep those tropical plants healthy once you bring them to the office.

Have the work done for you by purchasing plants for delivery

One great way to get some plants for your office is to have some delivered. Plants from mail order companies come in many shapes and sizes and often they come in mini gardens with coordinating plants that require the same conditions to survive. The people that work at these sellers can assist you in choosing the right plant for your office. A delivered plant is also a nice sentiment for many different occasions such as the holidays, birthdays or in sympathy.

I recommend: ArticlesBase.com has this informative article on the benefits of choosing an online plant delivery business. Use Locate A Florist to find a local business to deliver and maybe even maintain your office plants.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you don't think you want to invest the money to buy plants for your office, consider renting them. There are many companies that rent both live and artificial plants.

Guide to Buying Plants for Your Commercial Plant Business

Buy plants to grow your commercial plant business supply

By Trisha Schulz

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Offer popular garden plants

To cash in on a budding business, consider offering garden plants from vegetables to outside landscape favorites. In 2007, lawn and garden sales were a deeply rooted business, bringing in more than $35 billion in annual sales.

I recommend: GardenHarvestSupply.com offers a number of ready-to-plant garden items including asparagus, beans and broccoli. Or check out the complete garden landscape options from Spring Hill Nurseries.

Add a sense of adventure with tropical plants

Many of your customers may be looking for a unique landscape design. Incorporating exotic or tropical plants can add that texture and color variety to an otherwise ordinary outdoor area.

I recommend: From orchids and palm trees to tropical fruit plants, find it all at Pacific Tropical Gardens. Check out the tropical vines and other plants offered at Aloha Tropicals.

Stock a variety of house plants for year-round sales

Bringing the outside indoors with a splash of growing green, which your customers will be craving when their gardens are out of season. A house plant can add a lot to an interior, whether it be a home or office environment, and dish gardens are among the most popular delivered plants. You may also consider stocking supplies such as watering cans, fertilizer, insect sprays, foliage cleaner and other products for house plants.

I recommend: Browse through the many house plants supplied by ComeToBuy Inc. Check out the encyclopedia of house plants at Galka Okhapkina and then go to the online store to purchase.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Take climate and weather trends into consideration when planning your outdoor plant offerings. Spotlight plants that are drought-tolerant or those best suited to wet climates. Feature native varieties to promote ecological sustainability.

Guide to Growing Plants - Education and Training

Take advantage of plants education and training to land jobs or start a business

By Andrea Townsley, Owner, Keystone Writing Services

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Earn a degree in horticulture or other plant-related field

If you really want a serious career in horticulture, agriculture or botany, attaining a degree is the best way to go. Those with degrees in these fields may choose to do plant research, plan land use or maintain gardens or arboreta. Having an education in plant biology will help you land more professional types of jobs. For those wishing to start nurseries or flower shops, having this knowledge will give you the foundation you need to provide your customers with quality delivered plants.

I recommend: Use Peterson's to find a college offering agriculture degree programs. Search Universities.com to find horticulture science programs in your area.

Take courses through extension offices and garden plant societies

Attending events, lectures, seminars and classes can provide you with a lot of great information about plants. You should look for gardening societies in your area as well as agriculture extension offices, which are run by local government agencies. Sometimes, large universities have resources available to those in the industry also. These are great options for professionals as well as amateurs.

I recommend: Use the American Horticultural Society to find gardening groups in your area; the society also provides its own information for those in the plant industry. Find an extension office in your county using the map feature at the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service.

Use online guides to learn more about plants of all kinds

The Internet has brought a vast sea of resources to our fingertips. You can find a number of online guides from reputable sources that detail everything from tropical plants to house plants. Learning about the different aspects of plants will ensure that you know your trade inside and out.

I recommend: Learn about invasive plant types at the National Invasive Species Information Center. Take advantage of the free botany resources available at the National Biological Information Infrastructure. Check out the encyclopedia of house plants at PlantCare.com to educate yourself about any particular plant.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you offer plants for delivery as part of your business, make sure you know how to properly transport them. Standard practices will vary between industries; for example, delivering a flower arrangement is much different than transporting 15-gallon fruit trees.

Guide to Plants Key Terms

Grow with these key terms on the main functions and parts of a plant

By Denise Brown

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Cultivars

Cultivars are plants that horticulturists and farmers specifically breed for use. These plants may grow in the wild, but typically people have been using them for a long time as food or fiber. Cultivars have specific genetic qualities that farmers and horticulturists want in crop production.

I recommend: The United States Department of Agriculture provides a definition of cultivars and specific information about them on its website.

Leaf venation

The veins of a plant take nutrients from the soil to the leaves. Different plants have different vein structures or leaf venation.

I recommend: Study the diagrams of leaf venation from Texas A&M University.

Pollination

Different species of plants have different means of reproducing themselves. The most common method is with flower pollination. During a flowering stage of growth, bees and other insects, as well as the wind, work to pollinate the flower so that a fruit or seed can form.

I recommend: Kent County Council has a diagram of the parts of the plant involved in the pollination process.

Germination

When a seed in the ground receives the right amount of moisture, it germinates. The outer hull of the seed splits open and allows the two parts of the seed inside to begin producing roots. The roots grow down into the soil and produce a stem that grows above ground to become a plant.

I recommend: Tooter4Kids has a simple explanation of the germination process.

Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants make sugar that they use as food. The photosynthesis process is also beneficial to humans because it gives us oxygen as a by-product. Photosynthesis gives plants their typical green color as well.

I recommend: There is a detailed description of the photosynthesis process from Maricopa Community College.

Stoma

The plant's stoma controls how much water vapor and other gases, such as oxygen, the plant puts into the air. You can find stomas on the underside of leaves.

I recommend: The University of Washington has a detailed article on the stoma and its development.