Ornamental Plants

Ornamental Plants

Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorating purpose in garden and landscape design projects like house plants, cut flowers, etc...

Ornamental plants are grown for decoration, rather than food or other by-products. They may be grown in a flowerbed, shaped into a hedge, or placed in a sunny apartment window. While they are most often intentionally planted for aesthetic appeal, a plant that occurs naturally and enhances the landscape could also be considered an ornamental plant. Besides visual effect, they serve a few less obvious purposes.

Types of ornamental plants

• Rose flower
• Tulip flower
• Bamboo flower
• Petunia
• Hibiscus flower

Importance of ornamental plants

• Some ornamental plants serve as windbreaks
• They beautify the environment
• Source of employment for youth and revenue for the government
• Used to express love between friends and family members
• Used for fencing an area
• Used as a source of compost materials
• Used as herbal medicine
• Some plants are a source of livestock feed
• Well-ornamented gardens serve as tourist attraction centers
• Leguminous ornamental plants help fix nitrogen into the soil
• Some ornamental plants are used in teaching and learning purposes
• Leaves of the plants increase soil fertility when they decompose

Floriculture

Floriculture is defined as the production and management of ornamental plants (trees, shrubs, and flowers). It involves the growth, care, use, and marketing of ornamental plants. The person who grows and sells flowers is called a florist.

Sources of ornamental plants

• Private horticultural gardens
• Botanical gardens in higher institutions
• Imported planting materials
• Private houses and offices
• Resorts or recreational centers
• Government-owned horticultural centers

Cultivation of ornamental plants

• Choice of site
• Planting material
• Method of cultivation
  • Planting or sowing in prepared beds
  • Direct sowing into soil
  • Use of nylon
  • Use of pots
• Mulching
• Provision of shade
• Use of loamy soil and organic manure
• Watering
• Weeding