Ornamental plants in different contexts that favour sustainability and quality of life

Ornamental plants, include a group of flowering and not flowering plants that are grown, purchased and used in gardens and landscapes projects. House plants for cut flower and specimen display mainly for their aesthetic proprieties primarily decorative and, as such, are appreciated according to their visual characteristics. But beyond this, we need to be concerned of other aspects while making these choices. It is important to move the consideration and the focus while selecting the plants during the process of planting design and landscape horticulture from a largely cosmetic, decorative and functional role, to one that is also central and plays a major role within climate change, ecology and sustainability for the future, taking also in consideration how these have an impact to the quality of our life. We will be exploring work and examples where the key element is an understanding of the ‘horticultural ecology’ of designed plantings and working with ‘plant communities’ that are suited to site conditions, and which mimic the processes in ‘natural’ vegetation. Nowadays, ornamental plants can represent important living components of urban areas, and if appropriate species are used, they can also provide important ecosystem components. It is important to remember that plants provide multiple benefits. Even those that do not excel in one particular ‘service’ may provide other ‘services’ well.