Living plants are the most beautiful accessories that nature has to offer for brightening up both indoor and outdoor spaces. While they leave a beautiful and charming impression, real plants require a great deal of maintenance and attention.
Luckily, artificial plants and fake plants have grown in quality and popularity as an incredibly lifelike alternative to natural plants for those of us without the time to develop our green thumb.
Both faux plants and preserved plants seem to be the perfect solution for all your needs if you want to bring a fresh and welcoming vibe to your space without spending a lot of time on upkeep.
So which one do you pick for your space?
Keep on reading as we explore the alternative greenery solutions for your space.
What are Artificial Plants?
What comes to mind when you imagine an artificial plant?
You probably are most familiar with the thick, shiny fake flowers sold cheaply at gift shops. Yet, artificial plants have come a long way since then.
Many fake plants and artificial flowers on the market today can appear to be more realistic than actual live plants because there’s no chance of an artificial plant developing a wrinkled leaf or browned flowers.
Generally, artificial plants are made from 2 common materials
plastic
silk coupled with other organic materials
The best fake plants are made from the latter type, usually leading to a lifelike quality and, as a result, a larger price tag. Furthermore, if you don’t want your fake plant to be outed as an impostor, the larger it is, the more quality matters.
What are Preserved Plants?
All preserved plants begin with a real plant.
They are the result of a one-of-a-kind plant preservation procedure in which the natural sap of real plants is replaced with a specific solution that will keep their appearance and freshness for years without the need for soil, water, or sunshine.
Mosses and the leaves of real plants are harvested at the peak of their life cycle when they are at their most beautiful. Only high-quality plants are carefully selected to enter a stabilisation room with precise levels of humidity, heat, and light that creates a microenvironment.
These conditions are closely checked at all times. The plants are placed in containers that are filled with a liquid glycerine base, water, and colouring. The plant’s sap evaporates during this process and is replaced by this new mixture.
This produces preserved plants that look just like the real ones, without the maintenance.
What are the Benefits of Preserved and Artificial Plants?
Artificial plants and preserved plants generally share the same advantages:
Low Maintenance
Both preserved and artificial plants are ideal for today’s hectic world.
They don’t require any maintenance and aren’t subject to the climatic stresses that come with being indoors (lack of direct sunlight, climate shock from the constant air conditioning), making it possible to have high-quality plants all year in a closed environment.
These plants are also more energy-efficient than real plants due to their longevity and low energy consumption as it does not need water irrigation, specific light, trimming, pruning nor do they attract pests.
Cost-Effective
Artificial plants and trees are never affected by season or weather changes. Unlike their real counterparts, they do not shed and neither will they change in colour or appearance.
You also won’t have to worry about your imitation plant outgrowing the space you bought it to occupy, no matter where you put it. You won’t have to worry about buying more soil or a bigger pot as required with real plants.
Produces Therapeutic Effects
Humans have an innate and natural desire to connect with nature.
With biophilic design, preserved and artificial plants can bridge this connection, allowing you to reap the therapeutic effects of biophilia without the hassle and maintenance of a real plant.
Studies found that having plants in your house or office can increase feelings of well-being among people with mental health conditions while making you feel more soothed, comfortable, and natural.
Boosts Productivity
Research shows that people who work with plants in the room have a higher productivity level and take fewer sick days than those who work without plants.
Another study found that students worked 12% faster and were significantly less stressed when a plant was nearby.
Hypoallergenic
With an artificial plant, you already know that you won’t have to worry about the pollen, pests, or maintenance that come with the real thing.
But did you know that preserved plants are safe for people allergic to pollen too?
As preserved plants are no longer living, they do not produce any more pollen. So if you’ve been looking for greenery to beautify your space, preserved plants may be the very solution you’re looking for.
What is the Difference Between Fake Plants and Preserved Plants?
Variety
Unless they are out of stock, a large variety of artificial plants are accessible for most people nowadays. This allows you to experiment with indoor green scapes without having to think too hard about it.
Meanwhile, as preserved plants are sustainably made from real plants, they come in stock seasonally. Something that caught your eye last February may not be able for purchase in July. However, this also means you get to come up with creative solutions for your project.
Longevity
Artificial plants practically last forever indoors, especially if you dust them once a month to maintain prime aesthetics. When used outdoors, Singapore’s harsh sunlight allows artificial plants to last only 3 years.
Meanwhile, preserved plants retain their peak beauty and texture for up to 3 years regardless of where you store them. Singapore’s heat and humidity are not exactly kind to its durability.
But not to worry!
That means you can refresh your installation every now and then with our latest seasonal collections.
Which is Better for My Space?
At the end of the day, planning your green space is up to your personal taste.
Both preserved and faux plants are a great solution for all your greenery purposes, whether you plan to use plants to decorate your balcony or want to add a cheery touch to your office décor.
These types of non-living plants make sense in a time when people are busier than ever.
In fact, you don’t have to choose between artificial or preserved plants! GreenTurf has unique and intuitive green solutions that combine preserved and artificial plants to create lifelike and long-lasting biophilic greenscapes.
Exploring Preserved and Artificial Plants with GreenTurf
Want to learn more about artificial plants and preserved plants?
Request for our catalogue and no-obligation consultation with us today!
GreenTurf brings urbanites closer to nature so that they can work, play and live better.
Find out how you can get your very own green space here.
