DA FAUX

Design and InstallationGarden Caregarden TriviaIndoor plantsLighting and IrrigationPlant Health CareUncategorized
Written By Peter Morris

 Nope - not writing about the brilliant actor Willem Dafoe - but about faux plants - or "artificial" as some people used to call them! 

Why now

 The use of permanent botanicals is currently in fashion mostly because of the amazing realistic presentation of the different plants themselves.  We have all stood close to a plant and wondered - is this real ? 

Realistic Sanseveria as a room divider

 

History

 In researching this topic it seems artificial plants and particularly flowers have been around for a long time.  The Egyptians and Romans made them, as did the Chinese - whom made them out of silk!The French started in earnest making silk flowers in the 1300's and it peaked during the Victorian era.  It was all labor intensive, hand made and very expensive.  It wasn't until the invention of plastic in the 1920's that the industry became more competitive.Once plastic fibers like polyester became available and the inexpensive use of moldable plastics reached production lines  - the industry expanded.  It had a big spurt of  growth by the 1990s.

Indoor planters above file cabinets - no water please !

 

Why use them?

 Plants and flowers are inherently welcoming, but the real thing often comes with the commitment to watering, repotting, pruning, and fertilizing when necessary. This can be also be very impractical to do sometimes.  Especially if they are out of reach or otherwise remotely located. 

Impossible to get to Juliette balcony

 Some locations have insufficient or no light available for a plant to grow.  Many times we want to block machinery or rooftop ac units.  Live plants tend not to survive with hot air blowing on them all year round.  Replacing all of them on twice a year basis can also become extraordinarily expensive. 

Faux junipers block an ac unit where nothing survives long term

 

Who sells what

 The high-quality artificial plants and stems that some companies produce have to be actually handled and felt in order to distinguish them from real plants.  Many have real wooden stems and branches on to which leaves are attached.Of course not all look the same and the market splits into those that mimic plants at the lowest possible price and those that try to emulate the real thing!  The difference in pricing is quite apparent. 

A privacy enclosure made of faux boxwood panels

 For us, purchasing and using faux plants will depend on the manufacturers ability to perfectly mimic a particular plant type or species.  Some do better than others in their quest to obtain the most realistic looking ones. 

Looking quite real today !

Credit: Ninetyninegroup (IG: @t99g) x Brown Jordan (IG: @brownjordan1945 )

 Because of this, you need to actually see samples of various brands to select the best looking one.  Its a "touchy feely" activity and we recommend to actual go to a store and see up close and feel the material before you commit to the purchase. 

A no access terrace with faux boxwood hedge !

 

Materials

 Other materials used in the making of artificial flowers can include cotton, paper, sateen, rubber, parchment, latex, and even feathers. For stems, many manufacturers use real wood to make a plant look hyper realistic. 

Privacy hedge made with potted faux grasses

 Some companies are providing solutions as preserved real plants.  These are live plants that have been treated chemically to "stay put" as they were at that moment.  Although realistic they are not usable for outdoors situations.  Even in indoors - they are also sometimes difficult to clean due to their fragile nature. 

The Future

 We at Plant Specialists have moved with the times and are incorporating them in our installations both indoor and outdoor.  In general, we are offering our customers a solution that is less complex and expensive that providing live plants when the situation to do just that is unreasonable ! 

We offer both living lawn as well as synthetic when the light is too low

 Faux plants are a very good alternative to certain situations and locations.  Especially  when the total cost of plants and plant care service are compared. 

Lovely moss, stone and faux bonsai room centerpiece

 

We love plants! - and will never loose our fascination with this wonderful companion in our lives - but sometimes for practical reasons you need another solution in a garden.  Hence DA FAUX !

 

If you have spot where plants perish because of no light, or access - or some other reason -

CALL PLANT SPECIALISTS TODAY!

We can offer a Faux solution we are certain you will be happy with.

 

PLANT SPECIALISTS

GREENING NEW YORK FOR OVER 52 YEARS !

  Article written by our Staff Horticulturist, Peter B Morris, BSc, MSc, MBAAll photographs used with permission from our customers gardens and indoor spaces !

Peter Morris

Peter was born and raised on a beautiful green island in the midst of a tropical rainforest. He was introduced into the world of plants at the age of six when his grandmother, an avid Spanish gardener herself, asked him to help her grow seeds for her pepper garden. He was hooked! By the time he was a teen, he had his own rose and orchid collection numbering in the hundreds. Botany was in his blood, and that is what he set out to study.

His passion brought him to NY in the late seventies to further his education. His tenacity allowed him to work full time at Plant Specialists while he completed a MS in Plant Biology. As a manager at the time he felt unsatisfied with his knowledge of business and business processes. Peter felt compelled to learn, so he then pursued and completed an MBA in Quality Management within a few short years.

Peter’s other passion is teaching. His natural ability is quickly consumed by our staff in all subjects in Botany, Horticulture, and Landscaping. He created an immense reference library of more than 3,500 plants providing an invaluable resource for our staff.

Peter’s breadth of knowledge and wisdom allows him to effectively diagnose the needs of plants. Sometimes just by walking into a garden he can create a prescription that fixes even the hardest issue. He is our Staff Botanist, Diagnostician, and all around Mentor. Recently, he has put his immense knowledge and skills into developing a new department that focuses on Plant Healthcare. As he puts it, “Magic through Science”. The PHC staff that surround him have avidly consumed his teachings. Substantially developing their own plant wisdom, many have taken on difficult plant health issues with spectacular results.

Plant Healthcare has been an instant success with customers! The proper treatment of insects and diseases including Organic methods has made pest control a necessity for every plant. Correcting hormonal imbalances caused by planting in containers or refurbishing soils leached of nutrients by irrigation systems are big challenges PHC has become quite comfortable addressing. The scientific approach to the complex demands of keeping plants healthy in our harsh city environment has made many a customer say WOW!

Previous

Big and Beautiful !
Next

Phlox - as American as apple pie !