UNDERGRADUATE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
230 Interior Plantscaping, Fall Semester 2005
Instructor:
Mr. Richard J. Ott
1204 Kenesaw Ave., Suite AC
Knoxville, TN 37919
Phone: 523-7472
e-mail: dott@symbiot.biz
Office Hours: Daily, by appointment only.
Lecture:
Monday 5:45 p.m. - 8:35 p.m.
Location:
Greenhouse 11
Text Recommended: The Healthy Indoor Plant. Charles Powell & Rosemarie Rossetti.
2000
Waveland Press.
Suggested Reading: Guide To Interior Landscape Specifications. Associated
Landscape Contractors of America, 2003.
Interior Landscaping. Tok Furuta. 1983 Reston Publishing.
Purpose:
The objective of this course is to have students learn up-to-date,
commercially used “hows” and “whys” of Interior Plantscaping. History, plant
identification, foliage production techniques, installations, and maintenance techniques
will be taught. Fundamentals will be presented in lecture, workshops, and field trips.
Lecture
Topics
* history of the interior plantscaping industry
* current status of the industry
* plant identification of commercially valued foliage
* propagation of foliage plants
* growing media & foliage production techniques in the nursery
* interior plant nutrition in the nursery and in the interior plantscape
* interior plant watering practices
* pests and diseases--in the nursery and in the plantscape
* pesticide use and integrated pest management (IPM)
* containers and planters
* installations to include offices, atriums, and malls
* four seasons management of the interior environment (light, water,
temperature, humidity, nutrition)
*current maintenance techniques and practices
Expected Student Outcome After completing this course students will have practical
and useful knowledge of the interior plant industry. They can expect to be able to do the
following:
* identify 90 commercially valuable interior plants by their botanical and
common names
* discuss the cultural requirements of 90 commercially valuable plants
* explain and demonstrate how to properly water interior plants
* diagnose plant problems and recommended suitable solutions
* recommend one or more suitable growing medias for interior plants
* recommend suitable containers in which to grow interior plants
* successfully propagate different interior foliage plants
* install basic interior plantscapes
* explain the principles of IPM
Student
Evaluation:
Plant I.D. & Lecture Tests A total of 5 plant identification and lecture tests each worth
150 points will be given. Each test will contain 10-15 plants which have been covered in
class along with lecture material. The tests will be cumulative. All tests are required to
be taken. No make-up tests will be given. Only 4 test scores will be counted towards
your grade. However, the 5th and final test must be taken, and will be counted. In
other words, you are allowed to drop one test, but not the final 5th test.
Final Test:
A final comprehensive exam on everything but plant I.D. will be given at
the end of the semester. It will be worth 150 points towards the total class
grade.
NOTE: No make-up tests will be given.
Project:
One project worth 150 points will be assigned to each student--either
installation or maintenance. Each student will present their project to the
class.
Oral Presentation: Students will be assigned 3 interior plants to investigate and report
on to the class--just a five to ten minute presentation worth 50 points each.
Readings:
Each student will be required to read and summarize 1 article from various
interior plant/foliage/house plant periodicals. The summation is worth 50
points.
Grades:
4/5 I.D. & lecture tests @ 150 points each = 600 points
55%
1 final lecture test @150 points
= 150 points
14%
1 project @ 150 points
= 150 points
14%
3 oral/written presentations @ 50 points
= 150 points
14%
1 article summation @ 50 points
= 50 points
4%
Total Points:
1100 points
100%
Field Trips: Two to three field trips during class time may be taken in the Knoxville
area. We will try to visit a mall and have a walking tour with its interior
plantscape technician. We will also try to watch an ongoing installation
by a professional interior plantscape business to observe their techniques,
including safety considerations and/or visit a local interior plantscape
company.