Mar 5, 2012

Posted in Home

Pros and Cons of Using Synthetic Plants at Home

Leaf lamina. The leaf architecture probably ar...

Image via Wikipedia

Many people like having plants in their living space, which leads to the question, synthetic or real? There are many advantages to each, but it really comes down to the taste of the decorator. Here are a few pros and cons of decorating with synthetic plants that will help you decide which to use in your home.

Pros of Synthetic Plants

1. Same Visual Appeal, Less Work:

  • Artificial plants provide the enjoyment that comes with the sight of greenery in the home without all the maintenance hassles that come with real plants.
  • Synthetic plants are a favourite for people who don’t posses a green thumb, or for those wishing to spruce up a large office building or workspace.
  • Real plants need TLC. They need just the right amount of water, sunlight, pruning and fertiliser to stay alive and the level of care is different for every plant.
  • What matters the most for some people is the visual appeal and the appearance of nature, making synthetics a great choice.

2. Easily Moved and Stored:

  • Having artificial plants means that you don’t have to stress over them when you are away on holiday or when you are moving.
  • Often, synthetics are smaller, lighter and, of course, don’t need sunlight or water, so can stay in storage for as long as you need.
  • All they will need is a light dusting and they will be ready for displaying once more.

3. They Go Where Real Plants Can’t:

  • Real plants require a lot of sunlight if you want to see growth or blossoming flowers.
  • Some rooms in your home may not be suitable for living plants.
  • Artificial plants may help a lot in sprucing up an otherwise dark space.

Cons of Synthetic Plants

1. No Health Benefits:

  • Having plants in the home is great for the aesthetic appeal, but real plants have something that fake plants don’t, the ability to produce oxygen.
  • Having real plants in your home will significantly raise the amount of oxygen, and can also act to remove airborne pollutions that are floating around.
  • Basically, they are effective air purifiers; something that synthetic plants definitely can’t do.

2. May Look Unnatural:

  • The biggest complement that can be given to an artificial plant is when someone asks if it is real.
  • Unfortunately, not all synthetic plants look real unless you stand away from them and squint.
  • Although this may not bother you, others might find themselves paying high prices for a better quality fake plant.

3. Less Satisfaction:

  • People who feel immense satisfaction in watching a plant grow and a flower bloom will probably be bored and uninterested by synthetic plants.
  • They add colour and texture to a room, but they don’t give the same good vibe as something that is living and growing.

4. Less Environmentally Friendly:

  • There isn’t really anything environmentally “unfriendly” about real plants.
  • Even if you accidentally let them die, they can still be composted.
  • Artificial plants, on the other hand, not only take thousands of years to decompose in the landfill, but they are also petroleum products which come with a history of environmental damage.