Artificial Plants for Restaurants, Bars & Cafés

Where planting earns its place in food and drink venues

Floor space in a restaurant is revenue space, so planting usually goes up or to the edges: trailing plants from ceiling rails, shelves and bar gantries; slim trees in corners; screening between tables; and a statement tree or pair at the entrance. Artificial planting suits these positions because they are hard to reach for watering, often dark, and close to diners, where dropped leaves and soil are a hygiene problem.

• Overhead and gantry planting: hanging and trailing plants from around 20cm to 200cm long. Measure the drop you want and allow for head height over tables and walkways. Bare-stem trailing lines can be fixed into troughs or hung from rails; potted lines sit on shelves.
• Garlands and runs: long garlands such as the 180cm trailing monstera cover beams and bar backs quickly.
• Screens and dividers: bamboo and slim trees in troughs break up a room without blocking light.
• Mediterranean and terrace looks: olive trees and lemon trees suit Italian, Greek and Spanish concepts indoors. None of the olive range is UV-stabilised, so use them inside.
• Tables and counters: small potted plants and flower arrangements in glass vases, chosen low enough not to block sight lines across a table.

Kitchens, heat and fire

Restaurants combine the two things planting must be kept away from: heat and naked flame. Keep all planting clear of cooking equipment, pass lights, heaters, table candles, burners and open fires, whatever it is made from. For public areas and escape routes where your fire risk assessment calls for it, use the lines flagged fire-retardant. Fifteen of our hanging trailing lines are both fire-retardant and UV-stabilised, including the 75cm string of pearls and the 75cm Boston fern, which makes them the usual choice where the same planting runs from inside to a terrace. The full fire-retardant range is in the fire-retardant finder.

Our fire-retardant lines are made from fully tested fire-retardant materials. Testing is carried out at material level to EN 13501-1 (reaction to fire, classification B-s2, d0) and NFPA 701, and the same tested material is used across the range's styles. Test reports are available to trade customers on request, and your venue's fire risk assessment decides what is acceptable in a given location. Only lines flagged fire-retardant carry this material. Whatever you specify, keep all planting clear of heaters, candles, cooking equipment and naked flames.

Hygiene and cleaning

Artificial planting has no soil, no standing water and no pollen, which is why it suits food areas, but it does collect dust and cooking grease. Plan for cleaning when you specify:

• Choose lines you can reach, or that can be unhooked, for cleaning. Planting that is out of reach becomes planting that is never cleaned.
• Dust weekly with a soft brush or a vacuum on low suction; in areas near kitchens, wipe leaves with warm water and a little washing-up liquid when a film builds up, then let them dry.
• Avoid solvents and bleach, which can mark leaves and fade colour.
• Keep planting away from food preparation surfaces and out of anything that is cleaned with food-safe chemicals.

Terraces and pavement areas

Outside, use only UV-stabilised lines: topiary pairs either side of the door, buxus balls and spirals, bay, cypress, yuccas and grasses in troughs.

UV-stabilised lines contain UV inhibitors that slow colour fade in bright and outdoor positions. All artificial foliage fades gradually in prolonged direct sun; UV-stabilised stock fades far more slowly than untreated stock. We don't publish a lifespan, so plan to inspect exposed pieces each season and rotate or replace them when the colour drops.

Every outdoor tree needs weighting or ballast against wind, and anything on a public pavement should be checked with your landlord and local authority. See commercial outdoor planting.

Quantities for a fit-out

Count trailing plants by the metre: decide the spacing along a rail or shelf (every 30 to 50cm gives a full look for most trailing lines) and divide the run by it. Then use the stock filter in the finder to shortlist lines with 50 or 100 or more units, so a group of venues can share one specification. Hanging and trailing plants are sold singly. We do not reserve stock, so order the full quantity for a site in one go where you can.

Register online, log in to see trade prices. The minimum order is £150 ex VAT and UK mainland delivery is free on orders of £300 ex VAT or more; full terms are on ordering and delivery. Register online to see trade prices, or email sales@leafdesignwholesale.co.uk to book a visit to our Louth trade showroom (by appointment).