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robynpa_gw

Artificial flower - yea or nay?

robynpa
16 years ago

What are your thought on fake flowers? I have some in the attic that I have used before but I just don't think I like them no matter how real they look.

Of course I love, love, love real flowers but they are just too expensive where I live to buy for everyday display.

Comments (47)

  • teacats
    16 years ago

    Yes, yes, and YES.

    Got them in nearly every room here. Love flowers and greenery -- but it always dies around here. And if the cats eat them ----------- welll ------ it ain't pretty!

    Even have a HUGE basket of faux spring flowers hanging by the front door.

    Gasp. Shock and Horror.

    For inspiration take a look at the link ....... and then click on their catalogues ......

    Jan

    Here is a link that might be useful: NDI.com -- expensive faux floral arranagements

  • squirrelheaven
    16 years ago

    If you don't like them, that's your answer. So then don't use them : ) Are there any low maintenance greens you could do -- ivies, umbrella tree, snake plant, flowering Peace Plant even I think is pretty doable for a lot of people. What about dried arrangements. They have a totally different feel, imo, than faux flowers.

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  • les917
    16 years ago

    Considering I am a silk floral designer, my answer would be yes. I have had plenty of times when people have come up and smelled the arrangements, thinking they were real, so quality silks well done can truly be an asset in sa space (and when you own kitties, eh Teacats? LOL)

    There are plenty of people who will hold the opposite opinion. I love real flowers, but as you say, most of us cannot afford a number of fresh floral arrangements replaced once a week or more.

    In the end, you have to do what you think works.

  • Sheeisback_GW
    16 years ago

    i think there is a great difference between nice silk flowers and tacky looking ones. I have a couple arrangements i just LOVE. now if i can just find a place for them! It goes back to if you like it :)

  • squirrelheaven
    16 years ago

    I was kind of getting at live greenery and then flowers in textiles or artwork : )

  • robynpa
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    I think my issue with the ones that I have is I know that they are not real so they seem static to me. Whereas real flowers change and only last for a short time so you need to change and add to the arrangement.

    I have some artificial ones in my bathroom and I notice that I don't "notice" them (does that make sense?) because they are always the same. If I have a real bouquet I love to look at it and get so much joy from it.

    I guess this was more a question in line with the one concerning wallpaper borders. When I watch the real estate shows on tv the real estate "experts" always say get rid of the wallpaper and border and get rid of the artificial flowers.

    That being said the arrangement in the link provided by teacat are stunning. Although most are way too formal for my humble house. My favorite arrangement are the ones from my small garden

  • shaun
    16 years ago

    I agree with sheesharee, there is a huge difference in nice silk flowers and tacky silk flowers.

    I have a vase of silk flowers that was a gift to me, I have no idea what kind they are but they are gorgeous! Everyone who has seen them asks if they're real, and they really do look real.

    I just took this picture of the flowers and maybe someone here knows what type they are supposed to be?

    {{!gwi}}

    And here are some yellow silk roses that are constantly mistaken for real.

    {{!gwi}}

  • decorpas
    16 years ago

    This comes down to personal taste, you know? I second Squirrel's live plant ideas, because I feel like they give a vitality to a room that faux's may not. But these are gorgeous pics of silks, and I can definitely understand the budget thing.

    I like to bring in stuff from my yard to use. In the winter I bring in and arrange pine branches, right now i've got some dogwood branches, bamboo branches, etc. But that fits my style and may not work for you!

  • allison0704
    16 years ago

    Shaun, those are amaryllis. They are large bulbs, each bulb has three blooms and come in numerous colors.

    Here is a link that might be useful: amaryllis

  • spy10021
    16 years ago

    Definately Nay, Nay, Nay...(no offense to the "yea" voters!!)

    Faux plants/flowers (even high end) just give me a outdated "1970-80's" vibe.

  • shaun
    16 years ago

    Ahh amaryllis. Thanks Allison!

    Spy, the 70's 80's were really a fun time weren't they? hahaha!

  • redbazel
    16 years ago

    I have a couple of silk arrangements that I bought from a local place that is huge, and takes silk flower design to new heights of beauty. Love them.

    But I do mostly live plants everywhere. I occasionally buy a few real flowers from Trader Joes for about $5-6 per bouquet, but that's mostly for company dinner stuff. I like African violets a lot for here and there on a shelf or a table, snake plant is almost unkillable (unless you are addicted to over-watering!) and looks awesome in baskets, or large pots in dark corners.
    I have some of the Devil's Ivy (Pothos) on a shelf in the bathroom and a baker's rack in the dining room. Peace Lily has a flower, and if you put it in the right spot, keep it moist, (maybe twice a week water) it will get bigger and bigger and shoot up more and more flowers.
    I think there's a perfect place for artificials and a perfect place for real in almost every home. People that want to Rule Out one or the other just irritate me.

    Common Objections to Real:
    I kill all plants!
    (Find the right light and pay attention to instructions on watering.)
    They take too much time!
    (Find a low-maintenance plant like Snake or Dracena and spend 1 minute watering maybe once a week.)
    The dog eats them!
    (Put a nice little succulent in the kitchen window. If you let your dog into the window, you have bigger problems than I can address on Garden Web!)

    Common objections to artificial:
    Artificial flowers are just tacky looking!
    (if you can't even tell they are fake, how can they look tacky?)
    No one who is anyone likes fake flowers anymore!
    (Have you seen some of the monstrosity's the decorators on t.v. palm off on some unsuspecting homeowner? Are you really going to listen to them? And meet Les917! She's a floral designer for goodness sakes! She also displays wonderful taste, unless, of course, she's disagreeing with Red!)
    My mom had plastic flowers and I hated them!
    (O.K. Let's think about this a bit. Your mom was Donna Reed in the 60's and the flowers were plastic. Yuk. Have you SEEN the new silks?)

    Red

    Here is a link that might be useful: Snake Plant, Peace Lily, Pothos

  • kalinka_2007
    16 years ago

    Robin
    I have the same feeling about artificial flowers and plants as you do. They look OK but I know that they are not real so they bother me. Some one gave me a very real looking silk orchid. It looks fine but it lacks the energy that comes from something alive. It never changes, it does not grow and it does not die.

    I often have either fern leaves or huge Philodendron leaves in vases in the house. The Philodendron will last for months in water. I have one that is in my living room that I cut on New Years Eve and its still alive. I can feel the live things, they add vibrancy to the room.

    In florida very few people seem to have live plants in the home because they do so much better outside and they can be there all yr round. There is a huge market down here for expensive silk plants and trees, they look pretty but I decided that they did not work for me.

    I often buy potted flowers for the house and then I eventually plant them outside so I can bring cut ones in. I only really have flowers that are bought cut if I get them for my birthday or some other kind of occasion.

    Kalinka

  • moonshadow
    16 years ago

    I used to do silk floral designs and contracted out with a couple local boutiques. There is a big difference between low end and high end silks. (There is one distributor whose name escapes me and it's driving me batty trying to remember it, but they had top o' the line goods, and cost a purdy penny ;) Lower end look fake (think plastic). The higher up on the quality chain, the more realistic they look. As Les said, some look quite lifelike. It's hard to find the quality distributors at larger retailers, but I have seen some higher end distributors on occasion at Hobby Lobby. Typically I see them at specialty boutiques and nicer florist/gift shops.

    I love flowers, they bring me joy. In summer I have an abundance to pick from my gardens. In winter, I'll treat myself now and then but it's too costly on a regular basis to have fresh. So I make my own silk arrangments. And enjoy them. ;D

  • paint_chips
    16 years ago

    Dusty flowers and ones that are growing cobwebs are completely tacky. Just because they don't need water doesn't mean they don't need maintenance.

    More is not better. I keep thinking the house that Reno just bought that was filled to the gills with fakes. Maybe some of it was convincing in real life, but when the room was filled to the brim with arrangements it cheapened the effect.

    I have been fooled as well. They weren't your Wal-mart floral department flowers, but top quality.

    The previous owner planted many rose bushes around the old house that I take cut flowers from weekly when they are in bloom. Everything is more dreary when their time to flower is over. I am not embarrassed that I fill in the gap with a little something happy.

  • phyl345
    16 years ago

    personally, i don't get it ... who *says* silk floral designs are displayed to try to *fool* anybody? ... quality, high-end florals are a wonderful way to pull together all the colors of a room, ... a beautiful, decorative accessory, filling the same role a ANY OTHER accessory in a room i.m.o ...

    i sincerely don't think anybody has silk arrangements with the idea in mind that they are hoping to fool anybody!!

    i can't understand this particular prejudice ... it is just a *choice* ... is a picture of a flower *fake*? ... no more or less than a silk flower ...

    just my humble thoughts, phyl

  • oceanna
    16 years ago

    Okay, so how do you all clean your fakes?

  • moonshadow
    16 years ago

    I do a couple different things. (Oh, and keeping them out of direct sunlight is a good idea, they can fade and/or become brittle depending on what they're made of.) Vacuum with brush attachment (lightly). Swiffer. Spray outside with compressed air. When I used to do designs I'd use a product called Silk Renu. I got it from my suppliers but have seen it in the craft section of Walmart and some other stores. It blows the dust off but 'freshens' them up a bit, too. (Sprayed that outside always.)

  • shaun
    16 years ago

    I use the vacuum w/the little brush attachment to clean mine.

    I also wanted to say that sometimes I'll buy fresh cut flowers and if the bouquet is on the skimpy side, I'll stick a few fake flowers in with the real ones to bulk it up and make it look bigger. No one ever knows!

  • brutuses
    16 years ago

    I put mine under the spray nozzle in the sink. Of course I don't have very expensive silks either. Mine are just silk greens.

  • oceanna
    16 years ago

    Haha Brutuses, I'm glad you said that. I toss mine in the shower. At least that way we know they get clean, eh? Mine have held up just fine to it.

  • neetsiepie
    16 years ago

    Ahhh...I think the reason I have never been fond of silk flowers is that 'real life' thing. I've seen some gorgeous arrangements, but they just don't call out to me.

    Do any of you have a farmers or growers market, or even Costco nearby? Come May, when our FM opens up, I get two bouquets every other week, one for my office and one for home. I'm sooo lucky because you can get a very lovely bouquet for $7! I've even got a guy who will sell a huge bouquet of this one flower (naturally the name escapes..aretemesia?) that lasts for ages for $4. The rest of the year, I can get them at Costco for under $15.

    I figure it's a lot cheaper than therapy, and they make me smile. Only problem I have now is my cat loves to eat my flowers. He's got a fondness for roses.

  • debbie_2008
    16 years ago

    I like greenery tucked here or there. I can't go the cheap off color/bright green stuff.

  • moonshadow
    16 years ago

    I should clarify, I used either one or the other of those cleaning methods I mentioned above. Kind of reads like I've done that whole routine at once ;)

  • squirrelheaven
    16 years ago

    Live plants and flowers are lifting! Dr. Andrew Weil* recommends bringing live flowers into the home for health reasons. I've read live greens are also good for cleaning the air and for allergies (although think I came across something on the bad side recently too.)

    So, if the faux flowers simply bother you, that's not such a good idea. I'd just get live ones when you can -- they can be found inexpensively, as mentioned. Maybe even have a cutting garden. Life is too short not to enjoy things that bring you joy and pleasure! And simply treating oneself to something like that is a very good thing. I agree, not many can afford real flowers like Oprah, but you can do something less extravagant. It's really not a waste of money at all.

    If you have pets, though, research the plants for poisons.

    Totally understand the 'static' thing. I think that's one thing that bothers me, too, about them. I do have a big basket of beautiful, happy flowers I got on a vacation in California, though, and still love looking at it. I see and feel where I was though, so it's not really so much about just having picked out some flowers for there.

    There are dried arrangements. I guess some people don't like looking at dead plants either, as someone mentioned in another thread. I hadn't thought of it that way, though, and think dried hydrangeas, for example, make for beautiful accessories, as do pods and other interesting plants. Branches, as decorpas mentioned, and those with berries, pussywillows, or forced blooms, could all be things you could also try to bring the outdoors in.

    If you don't garden, gardening and planting flowers that you can see from indoors is an amazing experience and beauty to bring into your home and days!

    _____
    * For those who haven't seen him around -- A Harvard MD and researcher who also does New Age and Eastern medicine, books, and shows on PBS.

  • blue_velvet_elvis
    16 years ago

    As has been said before there are artificial flowes and then there are artificial flowerss. My mom had some nasty stinky plastic flowers in blue. Completely and utterly devoid of life and of taste. (sorry Mom) They were nothing like what you can buy now. I think patricia had a picture up of some her DH bought her that were amazing, as was the price. I think you get what you pay for.

  • leahcate
    16 years ago

    I have lusted after wonderfully designed arrangements of gorgeous silk ( I suppose) flowers.....and yet I cannot bring myself to imagine them in place day after day. I do feel they would very quickly become stale to MY eye. I abhor the thought of dusty leaves and petals. I do have a tall pitcher filled with fake forsythia away in a corner. It's brightness reminds me of Spring in Va. In summer I fill it with other stems, and switch them out several times. Not arranged, just stems, all of the same flower. This works best for me. Designers like les are artists. Not being tactful here; I do truly admire and lust after their work. Just not for my home. It's all in the mind . I wish I could throw a switch and forget they are not real and enjoy them. I think that's the difference between the haves and have- nots re. 'fake flowers' :>)

  • squirrelheaven
    16 years ago

    I've been trying to figure this out, too, as I do enjoy the well-done flowers and arrangements. I think when visiting they're pretty accessories and colorful additions to a room, but day-to-day is the glitch for me. I think I could rotate something in off and on when busy, broke, lazy, or off-season.

  • les917
    16 years ago

    I respect how everyone feels, but I don't get the day-to-day stale thing. How is that any different from photos or art on the wall or a statue or vase on a shelf or the furniture in the room? It is all man-made, it is all 'dead' not living, and in the case of photographs, it is a stagnant representation of a real thing.

    Not being critical, just trying to understand the viewpoint. I find that very interesting, and as a floral designer, that would help me as I create and work with customers.

  • demifloyd
    16 years ago

    The quality of artificial flowers has improved so much over the years; the only ones I was familiar with when I was a child were the plastic ones my grandmother and I used to make arrangements for the cemetery!

    I personally do not care for artificial trees or flowers in homes, but the reality is it gets expensive replacing ficus trees, palms, etc. every few months. I did have an 8' artificial mango tree in my home for about twelve years, but it is in the storage unit now, I am over it, it doesn't feel right in this home.

    I did give in and found these artificial branches/flowers of a tulip tree because the area just needed height. I also have an arrangement of silk agapantha blooms in a silver gallery tray on the dining table, but it's going to go as soon as something more suitable comes to mind.

    We have a rose garden so during the growing season there are fresh roses in most of the rooms. I try to buy fresh flowers every week to ten days for a vase in the kitchen--usually alstromeria or other long lasting flowers--from the supermarket or Sam's Club.

    My opinion is it is like most decorating, whether it is "right," or "wrong" who cares? We should all do what we want and what makes us smile. For me, I will stick to the branches, dried arrangements, berries, etc, if nothing else because those silk petals get too dusty for me!

  • auburn27
    16 years ago

    Where can you buy the real looking silks? The NDI.com site has some beautiful wreaths...but they sell only to trade. I've looked at michaels, homegoods but they have the not so nice "fakes".

  • redbazel
    16 years ago

    Les, I think it's kind of like the art reproduction thread this past week. Some folks feel that buying something that is obviously a reproduction of a famous artist, like Starry Night or The Kiss, just feels tacky. Everyone's gonna know it's not the real thing, so why have it in your house? Or people who hate antique reproductions because they are not truly old, just pieces designed to look old........
    Some people think that real plants are the only way to go, with vases of gorgeous real stems in places to bring joy and beauty. I get that. I do. And since I can occasionally afford a few flowers, or a potted plant to use as a centerpiece, I do that when I can. I am a "plant person" and have no trouble with live plants in almost every room of my house. But not everybody knows how to water right or can fit the plant to the light. So I do see a place for silk trees and flowers. If it bothers someone to see a fake Monet on the mantel, then, they should only display original art. If it bothers someone to see my repro Queen Anne dining chairs with my antique dining table, then, I'm sorry for them, 'cause my chairs are pretty dang comfortable and they are very sturdy. And if the neat silk topiary tree on my sideboard bugs my friend with the great rose garden, then, bring me some roses and I will throw them in a vase. (The tree will be back out there, though, when the roses keel over. Sorry.)

    I REALLY think that what bothers people, are Bad fake flowers. Bad fakes annoy me too. Good silks are lovely.

    Red

  • leahcate
    16 years ago

    les, re. photos, I believe it's because they they ARE photos and never meant to emulate a live person. One would never go up and touch a photo to see if it was living. On the other hand, faux arrangements are meant to fool the eye, IMO. As for art and furniture, it is and was always inanimate. Bottom line, it's simply a matter of personal taste. I will add this: IMO nothing can dress a home, and "hide a world of sin" ( my granny's expression) like fresh flowers. Numerous vases throughout the house ( too many is funeral looking, however) are delightful, whereas the same number of vases of faux flowers lend a stuffy feel. Again IMO! As for enlivening, my livingroom can look a bit sterile from under use. I placed a vase there with narcissus and looking into the room the following day was amazed at the alive, fresh feeling they imparted to the whole space...one small vase on the coffee table.

  • neetsiepie
    16 years ago

    I adore beautiful faux branches and greenery, on a small scale. I have touches here and there, but for me, an arrangement that is intended to look like a bouquet doesn't work for me. Even with quality silks, it's just not my thing.

    I think for me, it's that flowers are a seasonal thing, and it's not right to have tulips in September.

  • amylville
    16 years ago

    I don't mind them as long as they are not dusty and full of spider webs. Here is an idea for cleaning them if you are afraid of washing them. This only works for small items. Put the plants in a plastic garbage bag and pour in like 1/2 box salt. Shake gently. I was shocked when I opened the bag after to see a very clean plant and a bag of black salt! This also works for "soft sculpture" items as well. Yes, I did have a bowl of soft sculpture fruit and veggies in the 80s

  • love-my-lilhome
    16 years ago

    I just went into my dining room and looked at the floral
    arrangement and I don't think its tacky.
    I went through my house and looked at all my fake greenery.
    I don't think its tacky.

    Now , that being said , years ago I owned a florist and kept fresh flowers
    in my home all the time.
    I didn't have animals then either.

    IMO it just comes down to how its done.
    You can take ANYTHING and tacky it up.

    You can take an original Monet, put it in a plastic frame and hang it on the wall with an
    extension cord and noone would think it was real.

    I think anything can be a picture of art if it is staged right . Even silk flowers.

  • nanmeade
    16 years ago

    auburn27, I would like to know the same thing. Some of the NDI arrangements are sold on ebay just for your info.

    I would love to put this in my office:

    {{!gwi}}

  • allison0704
    16 years ago

    I've bought several faux orchids from a locally owned home store. They are in nice containers which makes a difference in making them look more real than faux.

    I have a large container of three orchids I bought in "bulb" form, planted in a terra cotta pot that was my great grandmothers (peeled paint patina going), used real dirt and people are all the time asking me how I'm so lucky to grow such gorgeous orchids. lol They are similar to the picture linked below - which was the perfect thing for this MBR corner - but this one came already "planted."

    Les, I think along the same lines as you - the better faux plants/flowers are no different than the better quality reproduction furniture or artwork. I don't get the "day to day stale thing" either.

    I also agree with Demifloyd, what matters is that you like them.

    I've learned what real or faux flowers/plants/berries/ etc I can have in my house due to my youngest cat. After having a houseful of real plants for over 20 years, I was ready to scale back to only having them outside on a regular basis - flowers from DH excluded.

    Here is a link that might be useful:

  • squirrelheaven
    16 years ago

    Having a plant that never changes is just odd. It's something that's usually alive and you take care of too. I think I tune the faux ones out. Then they get dusty, lol.

    There will always be a market for beautiful faux pieces. A lot of people do like to be reminded of nature when indoors. Although most would probably prefer the real thing, a house full of real flowers and plants is not practical or even affordable for most people, anyway. Some even think 'bugs.' I'm not sure how many people off the 'decorating board' are really that fussy about it, outside of poor quality ones, that is. You see them all the time.

    One size will never fit all : )

  • mclarke
    16 years ago

    I use silk flowers in my second floor WINDOW BOXES.

    That's right, I put 'em outside. I started doing it about seven years ago, thinking that they might last a season or two, but to my amazement, they're almost indestructible!

  • pharaoh
    16 years ago

    Nay!

    No matter how real they look, once you see they are fake, it is a total turn off...

    We grow flowers at our home all year long. Orchids in the winter and spring, roses in the summer and fall. So we have fresh cut flowers all year long...

    I like to change my flower arrangements every week...

  • Jodi_SoCal
    16 years ago

    I have no choice, due to mold allergies, my doctor had me remove all live plants from our home. Mold spores live in the plant and tree soil. Made a huge difference.

    I don't use a lot of "floral" arrangements around the house, though I do have some. I mostly like silk trees and other decorative sticks and such in vases around the room. Below are two examples. The vase in the living room to the right of the entertainment center had been moved to the library by the time the second photo was shot.

    I grab all of my silk plants and trees out every few months and either take a garden hose to them or put them in the shower to clean off the dust because ... I have dust mite allergies as well. And then there is the dog ... LOL Oh well. :-)

    {{!gwi}}

    Jodi-

  • lorriekay
    16 years ago

    For me .. the silk flowers are a nea, although some are pretty.
    I am considering getting a bunch of dried lavender to hang near the fireplace though.

  • susanlynn2012
    16 years ago

    I love silk flowers when they are high quality and look realistic since live flowers die on me and create mold allergies for me when they are dying. I have started to add silk flowers to my home and it is really adding to the beauty of my rooms. After my busy season, I want to add a silk trea/tall plant for my family room.

    Les, no wonder you are so creative since your job you do for a living is all about having an eye of color and what works to make those gorgeous silk flower arrangements that I adore.

  • housekeeping
    16 years ago

    Nope, I don't use fakes. With all due respect to the artificial flower industry they don't seem right to me because I can't smell them. I'm not talking about the scent of flowers, though I do like sensing that, too; I'm talking about the smell of a living thing that real greens and flowers give off as they respire. It's just a dissonance for me to see gorgeous (and they certainly can be) flowers and greenery and not smell the odor of living plants. One sense perceives flowers and another of my senses perceives something quite different. It's jarring to me, like unexpectedly hearing the recorded voice of a deceased loved-one.

    I was trained as a horticulturist and in the past have owned commercial greenhouses and flower farms, so maybe I'm just spoiled. But I don't think it costs a lot of money to have a few blossoms in your house all the time. Sure, if you want big, hotel lobby-sized arrangements you're definitely going to have to shell out some serious cash. But few people have occasions or houses that need such grandiose displays anyway. Even in the depths of winter a couple of blossoms in a tiny vase on your desk and nightstand will cheer you every day and cost only a few bucks at a time. If you change the water and recut the stems every other day or so, even cheap WalMart blossoms will last surprisingly well. Though if you're not going for the mixed bouquet look, and instead heading for a smaller bijou-type arrangement, you might find a few stems from a good-quality florist give you a better value as they will have been properly handled and conditioned.

    But if you like the look of faux flower arrangements and plants and they don't creep you out like they do me, then I see no problem with them in your house.

    Molly~

  • karenforroses
    16 years ago

    Like teacats, I found that my two cats could hardly wait for a vase of fresh flowers - they not only chewed away on the leaves and often tipped over the vase, but then gagged out the goodies on the carpet (why don't cats ever do this on a washable tile floor instead?). So I've found myself shopping for, a using, a variety of really nice silk flowers and plants that 'feel' real. Housekeeping is right, however, the scent isn't there. In the summer and fall, I still love bringing in lots of fresh roses from the garden, and I've made a wonderful discovery! The cats weren't after the flowers at all, but the greenery. Now when I bring in bouquets from the garden, I remove all the leaves and mass the flowers together in a cluster. The cats ignore them. Yippee!!!

    {{gwi:287478}}

  • nanmeade
    16 years ago

    Here are some pretty arrangements. WARNING-very expensive.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Silk Flower Arrangements