Interior Planting Site Survey

    A canopy needs a place to grow and a route for care. Survey each proposed planting location before specifying: what it should do, what the light record establishes, what fits and what the owner needs to resolve.

    Download blank survey workbook (.xlsx)Download one-page field sheet (.pdf)

    Free, manufacturer-neutral · No sign-in · For architects, interiorscape professionals and facility managers · November 11, 2026

    One location, one stable ID

    The blank Locations tab provides LOC-001 through LOC-030. Keep each ID after readings are recorded—even if you sort the rows. Add unique IDs as the survey grows. In Light Readings, use that same ID for every timestamped observation; two readings at one location are two rows, not two locations.

    Copy the ID unchanged into Commercial Interior Planter Schedule → Planter tag. Carry the location description, drawing reference and unresolved items with it. A readiness decision moves the location into coordination; it does not approve a species, container fit or purchase.

    Five decisions on the site walk

    1. 1. What is the design purpose of planting here?

      Name the view, seating edge or spatial boundary the planting supports. Record the plan reference and the seat from which it will be seen. A purpose is a design intention, not an observed plant benefit.

    2. 2. What is known about light at the foliage position?

      Measure at the proposed foliage height, not only at the floor or desk. Record date, time, time zone, unit, instrument or method, measurement height and its unit, blinds, sky conditions and electric lights. Add repeat readings under the same location ID; record operating hours separately as reported or verified.

    3. 3. Is there room for growth, views and access?

      Draw the mature canopy and vessel footprint. Check the seated view, circulation, door swings, delivery and servicing routes against project requirements. Record actual dimensions and their units; no universal clearance is assumed.

    4. 4. How will water, protection and replacement work?

      Identify the water source, drain or removal method, containment assembly, floor protection and inspection access. Name the care provider and the route used to remove the plant and liner. Hold the location if the service arrangement is unresolved.

    5. 5. What happens next, who owns it and when?

      Separate observed facts, reported operations and awaiting-verification items. Choose a manual next-step status, record the decision owner and actual due date, and attach supporting notes. Ready for scheduling is not species, fit or procurement approval.

    Light: a record, not a score

    University of Minnesota Extension advises assessing the quality and hours of available light before matching a plant’s requirements. Light reaching the foliage changes with distance from the source, obstructions and operating conditions. Its guidance also notes that lower light can slow growth and reduce water use. Source: Lighting for indoor plants — University of Minnesota Extension.

    Take readings at the proposed foliage position, record the measurement height and repeat under representative blind and electric-light settings. Record season, sky, local time and time zone. Identify who supplied operating hours and whether they have been checked. These recording steps are field-coordination guidance, not a universal testing protocol.

    Keep native units: lux or foot-candles describe illuminance; PPFD describes plant-relevant photon flux density at a surface. Do not apply a universal lux-to-PPFD conversion. Record the instrument or method and its limitations; a phone estimate is not an independently verified meter reading. No universal score, average threshold or single-reading species approval is calculated.

    Leave unmeasured numbers blank. A blank is unknown; zero is a recorded value. Use the existing low-light guide for the next lighting discussion, and have the horticultural consultant review the complete evidence for the proposed palette.

    Water and service can hold a location

    Minnesota Extension advises checking soil moisture, using a growing medium with drainage and emptying saucers so roots are not sitting in water. Its spring-care guidance also notes that watering needs change with growth and light. Source: Spring houseplant care — University of Minnesota Extension.

    For a commercial assembly, agree how drainage or excess water is managed without wetting the floor. Record who supplies and inspects containment, protects finishes and removes the planting for replacement. An unresolved service route or watering responsibility remains a hold even if light evidence is promising. Do not infer that a sealed outer vessel eliminates the need for drainage management.

    Illustrative hotel lobby: three different next steps

    All locations, readings, review conditions and due dates below are hypothetical teaching inputs, not a documented hotel or measured evidence. No species is selected. The complete narrative is also in Worked Example; the project tabs remain blank.

    HL-01 · Ready for scheduling

    Courtyard waiting edge

    Give two waiting seats a sheltered edge without hiding the courtyard.

    Observed — illustrative
    Illustrative site record: footprint and mature canopy sketched on L-101; seated courtyard view and service route checked with the team.
    Reported operations — illustrative
    Facilities reports daily blind opening and a staffed morning service route; operating pattern checked in this hypothetical review.
    Awaiting verification
    Final plant palette, grow-pot dimensions, liner and container fit remain for schedule/submittal coordination.
    Light record and reasoning
    Two hypothetical spot readings accompany a wider seasonal/daylight record reviewed by the horticultural consultant. The two numbers alone do not establish suitability.
    Space and sightlines
    Proposed canopy stays outside the project circulation envelope; seated view retained. Dimensions and drawing references to be carried into the schedule.
    Water and service
    In this illustration the owner has agreed containment inspection, drain-down method, floor protection and replacement access with the service provider.
    Next decision
    Copy HL-01 into Planter tag; coordinate the proposed palette, dimensions and liner. No procurement release.
    Owner / hypothetical due date
    Architect with interiorscape consultant · 2026-11-18

    HL-02 · Additional measurements

    Reception-side recess

    Keep foliage visible from the lounge without screening reception.

    Observed — illustrative
    Hypothetical morning and afternoon readings differ with blind position; canopy height is recorded but the seasonal record is incomplete.
    Reported operations — illustrative
    Reception reports blinds are often closed during glare and lights dim after check-in; hours have not been verified.
    Awaiting verification
    Repeat readings with normal blinds and dimming, log operating hours and review seasonal variation.
    Light record and reasoning
    Different blind and electric-light conditions mean these snapshots cannot be treated as a full-day record or averaged into a species approval.
    Space and sightlines
    Sightline is sketched; final canopy spread awaits a light-supported palette.
    Water and service
    Proposed watering route exists; confirm it with the final vessel and planting.
    Next decision
    Log representative light conditions and operating hours before choosing the palette.
    Owner / hypothetical due date
    Interiorscape consultant with reception manager · 2026-11-20

    HL-03 · Hold — operations

    Lift-lobby seating corner

    Soften the edge of a short-stay seating area.

    Observed — illustrative
    Service cart cannot reach the proposed corner while the seating is occupied; no light measurement taken.
    Reported operations — illustrative
    Facilities reports no nearby drain and no agreed out-of-hours service slot.
    Awaiting verification
    Owner must agree a safe watering/removal route, containment and service window; light measurement also remains unknown.
    Light record and reasoning
    Blank numeric reading is unknown, not zero and not evidence of a dark location.
    Space and sightlines
    Replacement access conflicts with seating; test relocation or a revised service route.
    Water and service
    Unresolved service issue. Do not move this location into scheduling merely because a future light reading seems favorable.
    Next decision
    Agree the service arrangement or relocate the planting; then complete the light survey.
    Owner / hypothetical due date
    Owner / facility manager · 2026-11-17
    Invented readings at proposed foliage height. Native units retained; blanks are unknown.
    IDLocal time (UTC−05:00)Value / unitHeightBlinds / electric lights
    HL-012026-11-11 09:00280 lux1.2 m above floorOpen / Normal lobby lights on
    HL-012026-11-11 15:00190 lux1.2 m above floorOpen / Normal lobby lights on
    HL-022026-11-11 09:00160 lux1.4 m above floorOpen / Normal lobby lights on
    HL-022026-11-11 15:0045 lux1.4 m above floorClosed / Dimmed lobby lights
    HL-03Not recordedUnknown — blank in workbookUnknownAwaiting verification

    Carry the next decision forward

    Sources checked 2026-11-11. The survey is a decision record, not a horticultural certification or a replacement for project-specific accessibility and safety review.

    Blank field sheet