Artificial plants and flowers are manmade, if they are not available naturally but are made from various other materials then they are artificial flowers, or sometimes called silk flowers. Artificial and silk flowers are imitations of real flowers. Artificial flowers and silk flowers can be made from a variety of materials such as porcelain, plastic, soap, paper, silk and believe it or not, leather.
In modern times artificial flower production has advanced to such a high quality standard that is it often hard to differentiate between what is real and what is artificial. There are a number of reasons why you should choose artificial or silk flowers, some of the main advantages are:
- Longetivity – Artificial flowers practically last forever, you can’t kill them
- Low Maintenance – Artificial flowers require no watering of fertiliser, a quick dust once in a while and you are done.
- Appearance – Artificial flowers come in a massive range of colours, more than what would be available naturally. They look very realistic however.
- Practicality – Artificial flowers make great gifts, they are one of a kind and they never cause allergies.
Throughout history people have employed a variety of methods to produce artificial flowers. The Chinese used rice paper, the Italians used silk worm cocoons, Romans used pressed gold and silver, in South America they used the feathers and plumage of highly coloured birds while in Egypt they use painted linen.
In the late 18th century the French perfected the art of creating artificial flowers and became renowned for creating high quality, beautiful artificial flowers. The art of creating artificial flowers was then introduced to the British by the French and soon after that it spread to America.
In modern times the artificial flower industry is a highly specialised field using modern technology. Silk flowers are made from silk or sometimes other materials similar to silk such as a cotton/polyester blend of fabrics. By using silk you can be assured that the colour dyes will hold well. The majority of silk flowers available on the market today are made in South East Asia, particularly Southern China, however there is still come cottage industries based in America creating limited edition handmade productions.
A lot of detail goes into making sure that artificial and silk flowers are created with as much detail as real flowers. The actual process often involves taking apart real flowers to examine the inner details such as stamens, leaves, stems and petals.
At Artistic Greenery we sell a large range of high quality artificial plants, trees, flowers and silk flowers. You can view our range and even shop online. We can arrange delivery to anywhere within Australia and overseas.
