Fake Flowers vs Real - Same benefits???
Having flowers in an interior space can make it feel more welcoming and have positive benefits on our mental, physical and emotional well-being. This has been scientifically proven. What I’m asked many times is, ‘Will fake flowers have the same benefits as real flowers?’. The short answer is no. And here’s why….
The fake flowers made nowadays can look very authentic. High quality materials are used, and they’re so botanically correct, that sometimes it’s hard to believe they aren’t real. They can ‘look’ the part, but that’s all. The reason they don’t have the same impact as real flowers is because they don’t engage as many of our senses. Here’s a comparison between fake and real flowers with each of our five senses:
Sight: While fake flowers can add beauty to a room, they lack the true, vibrant colours that real flowers have. And because fake flowers can be displayed for a very long time, the look gets stale. Real flowers give a space a new look and create a new ‘pop’ for our eyes, every time they are replaced.
Smell: No competition here at all! A vase brimming with garden roses, a bunch of fresh picked lavender, a handful of sweet peas that have just bloomed - all of these fragrances in fresh flowers are heavenly, but it hasn’t yet been figured out how to make fake flowers smell as good as the real thing.
Taste: This is pretty straight forward. No one is going to eat a flower made from silk or any other man-made material. And in the culinary world it’s a big faux-pas to put anything on the plate that you can’t eat - no matter how pretty it may be. Edible flowers on the other hand, make a great addition to a multitude of sweet and savory dishes, turning what perhaps is something rather ordinary into something extraordinary.
Hearing: Fake and real are pretty even here. This is the one sense of ours not engaged by flowers. Interesting though is the fact that there’s research suggesting that flowers can' ‘hear’ the buzz of passing bees, and when that happens, they produce sweeter nectar in response to it.
Touch: Even though some fake flowers look realistic, all you need to do is touch them to confirm they aren’t. Fake flowers are very uniform, lacking the variety of textures real flowers have.
So the bottom line is, while some may think not having to replace fresh flowers every time they wilt is a dream come true, it really is worth the effort. Nothing compares to the freshness, true colour, and idyllic fragrance of the real deal.
Quick tip: To give your fresh flowers a longer vase life, make sure they have clean, clear water. I change the water for my flowers every second day.
