Being in business for 40-plus years means a lot of changes, nearly always for the better. Looking back on some of our projects is a little like looking back through photos of yourself and cringing at some of the clothes you were wearing. They seemed SO cool at the time. Although my famous mullet haircut still has a whole lot of fans.
Artificial plants fall in this category. If you’re old enough, or you’ve binge watched a few good 1980s situation comedies, remember the artificial silk plants and flowers that used to be popular? People used to stuff the fake plants on top of their kitchen cabinets in the space between the cabinet top and the ceiling. No one would have mistaken them for the real thing. Frequently you could even see the ragged edge of the cloth on the fake leaves. The other tell tale sign: the inch of dust on them and the spider webs everywhere.
Big Improvements in Replica Plant Quality and Choices
We couldn’t have imagined how good replica plants would look back in the 1970s and 1980s when Good Earth Plant Company first worked with them.
Fast-forward 30 years. Working with our Plantscaping clients to add nature in the form of plants to their indoor environments, there were situations where living plants weren’t feasible due to poor lighting, drafts, or sensitive electronics. So Good Earth Plant Company used professional, high quality silk plants. Sometimes called “permanent botanical replicas,” these were not the silk plants of the past. They added the look of nature without the growing requirements, care and maintenance that comes with live plants.
In many cases, Good Earth Plant Company creates a combination of silk and living plants, blended to create stunning displays that produce the illusion of live plants throughout the indoor environment. These plants are hand crafted and custom installed. Nothing from the dollar store!
As our living wall business has grown, we still run into the problem of poor growing conditions or maintenance challenges. A living wall indoors still needs the right amount of light, irrigation, and the right temperature and humidity to provide optimal growing conditions.
Replica Plants Make Beverly Hills Wall Come to Life
Even when we’re working outdoors, in some cases living plants aren’t the best choice. Growing conditions can make it nearly impossible to keep the wall healthy. In other cases, the owner has to be honest with themselves and admit they do not have the time or skill (or budget) to maintain a living wall to keep it looking its best and preserve the investment.
This living wall project for a Beverly Hills homeowner is made entirely from replica plants created for outdoor use. Photo: Good Earth Plant Company
Not to worry! High quality UV protected replica plants make a living wall work. Let me show you this recent example. Our client, a Beverly Hills homeowner, wanted to add a living wall to his home. Great idea! But he didn’t want to wait the three to four months it takes to fully grow the plants so the wall infrastructure is covered.
Voila – we used replica plants instead! No waiting period and we could create the look the client wanted. No irrigation will be needed, another plus in Southern California. This south facing wall, painted black, was hellishly hot and a challenge to install for our team. They were also delayed a day by a freak lightning and thunderstorm. In Southern California??
Artificial plants and flowers that are professionally manufactured from quality materials, well chosen, properly displayed AND frequently cleaned and maintained are WAY better than sick or dying real plants. If your plants lead to water damage to furniture, floors, or computers, what’s the point?
Sometimes Mother Nature Needs a Hand with the Next Best Thing
We prefer to work with living plants when possible, but today’s high qualify replica plants are the next best thing. Photo: Good Earth Plant Company
Good Earth Plant Company always prefers to work with living plants. There are way too many benefits to your health and well being: cleaner air, stress relief, and proven increases in productivity and attitude. The next best thing: replica plants. They can’t clean the air, but studies show the realistic replicas still provide many of the same stress relief and behavioral benefits.
Artificial plants aren’t made out of the cheap silks anymore. Commercial grade artificial plants like the replica succulents we used for our Beverly Hills wall look and even feel like they are real. One type of replica plant is made from molded foam core, and the design is an actual digital photo image or a real plant transferred to the surface. These are so good; a lot of them fool the pros. There are also actual live plants chemically treated and preserved. The most expensive choices are so durable they can stand up to outdoor conditions, like our Beverly Hills wall.
We’re enjoying the challenge of finding the best ways to work with replica plants for our clients, like this project at a downtown San Diego restaurant. Photo: Kimberly Braddy, Good Earth Plant Company
Good Earth Plant Company works with these replicas just like real plants. They need to be arranged and designed, trimmed and fitted. Our clients who decide to go with replicas are amazed at the results. And the best part: their potted plants don’t suffer too much over an extra-long weekend break from work.
If you’ve avoided adding plants to your workplace or home because your growing conditions are poor, but you couldn’t stand the thought of living with fakes, get in touch with Good Earth Plant Company and let us show you what we can offer. We bet you’ll change your mind about replica plants.
