You might have your own view about artificial plants and flowers – for example, that they’re a compromise on real flowers, or a little tacky. But artificial flowers have come on such a long way over the past few years and they are now very different from the gaudy offerings you might have found in a bargain bin at B & M. Here are 4 surprising facts that you might not know about artificial plants and flowers.
1. They’re environmentally friendly
You might think that cut flowers would be far more environmentally friendly than artificial flowers but this simply isn’t the case. When you weigh up the carbon emissions involved in bringing just one bunch of fresh flowers to your table from the flower shop each month, vs buying a bunch of artificial flowers that you use for a year, the artificial flowers win time and time again. The process of growing and transporting cut flowers produces a great deal of harmful emissions and many end up on landfill in conditions that don’t support their breakdown (better to send them to the garden compost heap). Find out more here.
2. They’re super low maintenance
House plants take a lot of care – feeding, watering, clipping, pruning – and they often lose their looks over time, or die because it’s hard to keep indoor conditions consistent through the year. A lack of light and dryness from the central heating through the winter months can make for very harsh conditions – and then, as the soil dries out, people overwater the plants and finish them off.
Artificial plants are so easy to take care of – they simply require a little wipe or wash from time to time to remove any dust. They stay vivid and bright year round, offering a beautiful display and fantastic value for money. You can pick up very realistic artificial flowers for the same price as a bouquet of fresh flowers, yet the artificial alternatives last for years. See our inspiration page for examples.
3. They have the same benefits as real plants
People choose house plants because they look nice and because they have psychological benefits but what you may not know is that artificial flowers have exactly the same psychological benefits! The benefits to your mindset come from having the appearance of greenery, not from having a live plant in the room – so go ahead, pick artificial plants with the confidence that they’ll give your mood the same boost you’d get from the real deal.
4. They’re more realistic than ever before
Artificial flowers were once a cheap, tacky alternative to real blooms and even the best were quite far from the real thing. Now you can buy artificial silk flowers that look, feel and even smell like the real thing, such as these beautiful tulips which are gently fragranced and feel real to the touch.
With the environmental benefits, lower maintenance, wonderful choice year round, incredible realism and little cost different, it’s hard to see why anyone would choose to buy real blooms when artificial flowers have so much to offer.
Check out our range of artificial hanging baskets, artificial hedges, artificial topiary balls and more in the shop.
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