Whaaat?! A shamelessly crunchy, all natural and wannabe hippy mom like myself is advocating fake plants?! HEAR ME OUT!!!!
Some of you know that I have blogged before about the importance of having plants in every room of your house. I am still in the process of getting greenery into every possible nook and cranny of my home, and I will go on record as saying that live plants are better than fake plants when you can afford / manage / nurture them.
But therein lies the big problem. If you have a room that doesn’t have enough sunlight, a ledge that is out of reach, or a hot spot where your cats like to dig in your plants soil, what do you do?! Have a plant-less room? I say NO!
Consider this recent University of Michigan study which showed that both artificial and live plants interchangeably increased:
- Concentration and Memory. Being around plants helps people concentrate better in the home and workplace. Studies show that tasks performed while under the calming influence of plants are performed better and with greater accuracy, yielding a higher quality result. Moreover, being in a natural environment can improve memory performance and attention span by twenty percent.
- Happiness. Having plants around the home and office greatly improves people’s moods and reduces the likelihood of stress-related depression. Flowers and ornamental plants increase levels of positive energy and help people feel secure and relaxed.
- Perceived Quality of Life. People associate beautifully landscaped areas with a higher quality of life.
Even if you have an uber green thumb, real plants can be traitorous foes that like to make you look bad if you don’t succumb to all their demands. They wilt and fade and die if you don’t cater to their every needs, revealing to everyone that maybe you haven’t got this whole “adulthood” thing as sorted as you’d like them to think. Which is why sometimes, artificial plants are the best fake friends you’ll ever have.
The two biggest perk to faux plants? You do not have to water the plants. You do not need access to natural light. If you don’t expose real plants to sunlight or water them properly, they punish you by slowly dying in front of you.
Bottom line is, high quality artificial plants and flowers (well chosen, properly displayed and frequently dusted) are way better than sick or dying real plants.
Now I don’t have a brown thumb, but if I added up the cost of indoor plants I inadvertently murdered, because I could not provide ample sunlight or water (or my cats thought it was edible, and / or a litter box), I could afford to outfit my whole house in high quality faux plants. And trust me, it is all about quality when it comes to artificial plants. Nothing looks tackier than a painfully obvious fake plant.
I have slowly been working on my office these past few weeks, and this is one of my challenging rooms in regards to adding greenery. The shelves are all filled with books, which makes watering a bit tricky (and treacherous).. the one window is small and a tree outside the window blocks natural light most of the day.. and the room is tiny to boot! If any room is a prime candidate for artificial plants, it is this one.
So I was super thrilled to receive this 5.5 foot Artificial Ficus Tree from HedgeScapes (CLICK HERE TO VIEW!).
Founded in 1974, HedgeScapes is the #1 company in its industry. They are the makers of high-quality, artificial hedges, allowing you to create simple to elaborate landscapes. They boast Permaleaf® and Thermaleaf® technology making their products ideal for both indoor and outdoor use and most importantly, making them fire retardant. (And all the mothers of pyro toddlers said halleluiah!)
With inexpensive artificial greenery and regular deals on their website, these faux plants offer you the best deal and top quality products. Whether you are looking to add glamor to your home or gifting it to someone, realistic artificial plants are sure to impress.
I love this tree with an awkward amount of passion. It took me awhile to realize why. I was staring lovingly at the convincing leaves when it hit me… I love this tree because it reminds me of an identical ficus tree I used to curl up next to at Artworks, an old coffee shop in Hanford, California (my hometown). I have spent so many hours in that dumb old coffeeshop (which has been closed for close to a decade now) where I used to buy redunkulous amounts of coffee and read a redunkulous amounts of books, all in the presence of that simple little ficus tree that brightened up my reading corner.. and now I have one brightening up my office and reading room!
I am planning on filling up my bookshelves with some more artificial greenery for this particular room, and will be bringing more into my bedroom to complement the succulents and greens that I am managing to keep alive in these lower lit rooms.
Ooh! Plants I can’t kill!!
Hahaha, right?! 😉
Also mom, I think I am going to get you some fake plants for Christmas, haha… perfect unkillable present, right?!
I have both…artificial plants can look really nice too.
I think doing an artful blend of both is the ticket!
I love real plants .. but they don’t really like me 🙂 So, artificial ones for me!
Try succulents.. those are pretty tough to murder, lol!
I’m more of real plant kinda girl but I admit I have fake flowers as real ones just die too quickly!
XoXo,
Tamara – LoveofMode.com
Same here!! <3
Great post and photos 🙂 I cannot have plants in my apartament because my cat is eating them 😀
Yeah, we have six indoor cats, and they think all green things are food! haha!
;D
Gosto dos dois!
Ótima quinta!
Beijo! ^^
Thanks for stopping by Amanda! <3
How about a mix of both … it often works well.
All the best Jan
Yup, that is my current formula, and it is working out swimmingly in the Freeman home! <3 <3
I have a mix of both, well one artificial left. My now passed cat ate plants. And even without him eating them now I have a black thumb. A nice fake plant can do wonders, I even have them mixed – real and fake – in the same pot.
My cats dont eat plants anymore, so much as they think the soil is their personal literbox…. yeeeeah, talk about a stinker…
I’ve just got 2 great big asparagus ferns. live ones! and this post is a good reminder that they need to move on back inside this weekend.
and for that, they thank you!
I LOVE asparagus ferns!!! They are seriously one of my favorites, so good for the air too! <3
This is so interesting! I prefer live plants, but with two kitties, I usually opt for fake 🙂
Hahaha, I totally feel you! I have SIX cats! 😉
Of course I want real plants and have them, but there’s nothing wrong with padding out dark spaces with artificial ones. You just need to remember not to water them!
Hahaha, that is something that even I could forget to not do. 😉
I have a green thumb as long as we’re outside. Inside, not so much. Fake plants have their place for sure.
See, I live in the Central Valley of California.. its pretty much a desert here, haha. I kill outdoor plants far more often than indoor…
I can totally relate to having fake plants, especially if you travel a lot. I must say I prefer the real live things but they can be hard work. Nice to meet you 🙂
Ohhhh yeah.. I have had WAY too many plants die while on vacation.. even after having house sitters *watch* them…
Personally, I prefer artificial plants as I’m allergic to insects. Nice sharing, dear! xoxo
Ohhh, I didnt even think of that aspect! thanks for sharing!
I have both. Artificial plants can be quite pretty too.
Cheers,
Rosa
Yes, especially when they are made well!
I own ZERO plants.. Faux or otherwise.. I’ve taken to decorating my space with my clothes, lol ?
LOL…. origami your clothes into flower shapes…?? 😉
que bonitas, y estas no se mueren
Thanks for stopping by! <3