Should I Buy Faux Plants?

Nearly Natural Flowers and Plants

Before now, most interior designers usually railed against using fake plants. However, a lot has changed in the last few years, with influencers and designers now increasingly preferring artificial plants. These fake plants are no longer regarded as second grade plants, but they now just as good as their real counterparts and in a growing number of uses they are even preferred.

Are you wondering whether to buy faux plants or not? There are so many great reasons to own faux plants. For people who do not have the ability or patience to keep and maintain real plants, faux plants are a great alternative. Artificial Plants are no longer seen only in dusty building foyers or old shopping malls. They’ve come a very long way in terms of quality. Long gone are the days of seeing those horrible looking, flouro green, dusty things stashed in a corner at your grandmothers place. When you look through our extensive range, you’ll find that many of them don’t just look real, they also feel real!

They've come a long way and people are using them in a variety spaces and purposes, like adding beauty and colour to office spaces, cafe’s and of course, homes. We all like the look of potted plants and even vertical gardens. However, living plants have drawbacks you might want to avoid.

Choosing real ones are typically expensive and it takes a while for them to grow and flourish. Their survival isn’t a guarantee either, they might survive, they might not… irrespective of the level of care and attention that you give them.

Why Buy Artificial Plants?

As stated earlier, there are different reasons why you should consider artificial plants. These plants instantly revitalise your outdoor or indoor spaces, especially if you don't have the time to care for real plants. Artificial plants make it a lot easier, and you can instantly have your own, zero maintenance garden with these plants.

The plants you’ll find here all look like the real deal - ultra lifelike. As an example, take faux fiddle leaf plant. Like many of our trees, they come with real timber trunks and beautifully detailed leaves just as you would find one a real one. What’s more is that they don’t need any maintenance, no need to place them in good soil or avoid dark areas, or even use fertilisers.

With so many artificial plants sellers in the market today it can be hard to make a decision on which company to buy from. To help, we’ve put together a list of the things to look for...

What to Look Out for When Buying Fake Plants

Before making a decision, it’s important to know what to look for when buying fake plants. Here are some of the most important things to look for when purchasing artificial plants.

Fire Resistant

Not every faux plant is resistant to fire, but if you want further safety in your home, you may want to consider an artificial plant that is resistant to fire. These are typically much more expensive that non fire-retardant plants so think carefully about whether this is something you need.

Looks Real

Even though they are fake plants, you’ll find some that are a perfect replicas. When buying an artificial plant, it is vital to ensure they are as close as possible to the real thing. Choose a plant with realistic artificial soil and moss at the base, leaves with veins, accurate and varying colour shades, stems, or trunks that are real timber.

You’ll also want to make sure there are some natural variations in the leaves and flowers. It’s a dead giveaway if all the leaves are exactly the same shape, exactly the same colour. We specialise in only offering artificial plants of high quality, making it very difficult to tell if they are real or fake. Remember, you’ll be looking at your artificial plant every singly day so make sure it looks amazing… there is nothing worse than seeing a below average plant on your table every day, just to save a few bucks.

Buy Good Quality

Looking real is the first part, buy high quality is also really important. This will ensure they last for a long time and won’t need replacing on a regular basis. Top quality products, like the ones we have, can last for years. If you see a cheap artificial plant that looks lifelike, pay close attention to how it is made… cheaper glues and plant construction will cost you in the long run.

UV Protection

If keeping them outdoors, you cannot ignore the importance of UV protection for artificial plants. When buying these plants, you'll want to ensure that they have UV protection. Without this, the plant won’t be able to withstand the harsh Australian sun, and as such, the foliage will gradually fade or change colour.

The goal is to buy a plant that will last longer, and with UV protection, you can achieve this. While ensuring UV protection for the plant you buy, it is essential to note that there are different options available. Here are some of the options you'll find:

UV Protection Within the Foliage

This is the best option to get if you want your fake plant to be protected from the sun. In these types of plants, UV protection is embedded within the green walls of the plant. This is why it is better at handling the sun's rays and protecting the plant from cracking or fading.

One fantastic thing about this option is that you can’t tell the plant has UV protection technology. When buying your artificial plant, always ask the seller about the type of UV protection it has. If you’re exposing them to the sun and you don’t have any protection, in a short space of time they can change colour, which is irreversible.

UV Protection Sprays

Another option is to buy plants that are treated with UV protection spray - or spray them yourself. The protection is only applied to the external surface of the plant, meaning it is temporary, so the spray can be reapplied every now and then. This is our preferred option as not all plants have the option of built in UV protection. Choosing to spray your plants means you can choose any plant you like, rather than be limited by the few that have protection built in to the materials.

Non-UV Treated Plants

Unfortunately there are some sellers who offer plants that claim to have UV protection, but in the true sense, they don’t. So it’s important that before you purchase, get in contact with the business and ask them specifically… if their customer service isn’t great or doesn’t give you confidence, it’s a good idea to shop elsewhere. Here we’re happy to answer any and all questions you have. Feel free to give us a call or send us an email any time.

Benefits of UV Treated Fake Plants

If keeping them outdoors, a UV-treated plant is worth the cost because of the benefits they offer…

• In addition to protecting the plant from the sun's harshness, some UV protection is also designed to help reduce dust from the plant.
• UV protection helps in preventing cracks that can result from excessive heat.
• It will prevent your plant from fading or losing its colour.
• Reduces colour changes due to UV damage.
• UV protection will help your plant remain green all year round.

Tips for Styling Fake Plants

People buy faux plants to introduce more colour and greenery into their environment. However, it goes beyond just purchasing the plant and placing it in your garden or anywhere.

It is important to note that even a high quality artificial plant can look below average if styled incorrectly. When going artificial here are two things that really make or break the look… the quality and the styling. The bottom line is that styling is key to ensuring that the artificial plant looks completely natural. Here are a few tips to help you style yours:

• Consider using a hair dryer or heat gun (on a low heat setting). Gradually warming the leaves and branches will make them more pliable so you can manipulate them far easier than when they are cold.
• Start at the base and work your way up the plant, thinking about how they look in nature as you go.
• Cheat: if you purchased them from us look at the photo on our website and style the plant to look exactly the same.
• Use live mosses to create a realistic feel and look. You can add the mosses to the edge of the potted plants.
• Take into account the space you’re putting it in. If you’re placing a large tree in a corner you may want to leave the back part of the tree unstyled. This will mean it can be placed closer to the walls giving you more space within the room.

Fabric Plants Vs. Plastic Plants

A lot has changed in the manufacturing of artificial plants today. Whether you buy a fabric plant or a plastic plant, they all look a lot like their natural counterparts. As you may have seen from our products, plants are now designed with super accurate colours and textures so they even blend perfectly with natural plants.

Todays manufacturing methods means that many plants have a mixture of high grade plastic, fabric and in some cases silk and latex. If you see a solely plastic plant, they tend to be on the cheaper end of the spectrum while fabric plants and multi-material options are typically priced higher and are more lifelike.

How to Clean and Take Care of Faux Plants

Fake plants and silk flowers are beautiful, and they don't require much commitment compared to natural plants. These plants can take care of themselves, and you won't have to go through much stress. However, dust is something you're likely to deal with after buying an artificial plant. Fortunately, cleaning artificial plants is simple.

Even though the process is simple, you’ll need to do it the right way. Remember that these plants are not indestructible, and as such, using the wrong disinfectant or cleaner can cause damage to the plant.

Here are a few ways to take care of your faux plants:

The first thing to remember is that faux plants are of different types and made from different materials. The materials are also of different qualities, including cheap, premium-made, and high-quality materials. Dust remains the biggest maintenance task for faux plants, and one effective way to get rid of the dust is to use compressed air, feather duster or damp cloth.

These are all effective and will help you remove dust without hassle. However, there are certain precautions you’ll need to take. When using a damp cloth, make sure there are no harsh chemicals on it that will damage your faux plant. We’ve found that just simple water works perfectly fine.

Where to Buy Faux Plants

Faux plants offer so many advantages, they are well worth switching to. You won't have to spend your precious time on upkeep and maintenance. It might seem like a daunting task trying to find the perfect faux plant, but we’re here to help make the process a whole lot easier.

Here at Artificial Plant Shop we have some of the most lifelike faux plants in the world… take a look, we’re sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised and just how lifelike they really are.

As always, if you need some help with selection or installation, we’re only an email or phone call away.

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