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Are real flowers better than artificial flowers? Instinctively, most people would answer with an emphatic yes. To a degree, they are right, yet artificial flowers can serve a vital role in just about any decorating scheme.

Live flowers are naturally regarded as 'better' than artificial flowers. After all, artificial flowers are merely replicas of live flowers, so why not use the real thing?

• The answer is simple, living flowers don't always cooperate by looking the way you want. For instance, some flowers only bloom once a year. If you want to maintain that bloom year round, your only option may be to use a replica whose blooms never fade.

In the past, artificial flowers looked fake. As such, they were seldom used in home decor. Today, this is no longer the case.

• High quality artificial flowers are now available that look so 'real' that it is nearly impossible to tell the difference. In fact, some silk and latex flowers are so life-like that they even feel real!

Perhaps the single most deciding factor that causes someone to buy artificial flowers is the fact that they are so long lasting. Yet, this is not the only advantage of artificial flowers:

• They require little, if any maintenance. At most, just an occasional dusting.
• They don't attract bugs.
• You don't have to repot them as they 'grow'.
• They don't need water, so you can go away and leave them for months at a time without having to worry about them dying. In addition, because they don't need watering, they can be placed in hard to reach areas.
• They also don't need sunlight, so they can be used to brighten otherwise 'dark' rooms.
• Artificial flowers can be displayed in just about any container. They don't need dirt or water so you don't have to worry about ruining your antique 'planter' or whether or not it has any holes in it.

When comparing live vs. high quality artificial flowers, it can be difficult to see the advantages of live flowers. After all, artificial flowers need no maintenance, they can be kept 'alive' almost indefinitely, and insects seldom bother them.

Nonetheless, live flowers far exceed artificial ones in two main areas.

• Live flowers have aromas! Artificial flowers can be sprayed with scent, but there is nothing like the real thing.
• Live flowers also outweigh artificial flowers in another important area – variety. Live flowers are just that, alive. That means that they are constantly changing, growing, and periodically they bloom.

By far, the biggest drawback of live flowers is that they might die. They also require more care to maintain, and they can be messy due to falling leaves, insects, dirt, and watering spills.

• Another big disadvantage is that live flowers do not always maintain their optimal quality. Just like people, live plants can become ill, which can affect its appearance.