Real Or Nearly Real?

by Gerdie van Wingerden

Real or nearly real?

Silk flowers or real flowers? Sometimes you can find yourself looking at flowers, wondering if they’re real or fake. I have found myself touching a plant, its vibrant colours had to be fake and those little leaves were all the same size and unblemished, but then a leaf came off easily so I wavered. The branches looked so well-made... when I asked the waitress, it turned out the plant was real! Having bright colours and all the leaves looking perfect doesn’t necessarily mean they’re silk flowers...

The opposite happens as well. People smell a beautiful-looking flower, only to find out it’s made of silk! Even my mother-in-law, who is a real plant whiz and who loves flowers commented about my gorgeous roses. And my hanging plant in the kitchen was looking green and succulent... cough cough...I’m sure you’ve guessed it by now…

Silk flowers and fakes

Many people can’t stand silk flowers. They prefer real, scented, living flowers. It might have something to do with the awful fake, plastic-looking flowers people used to have. The kind found on mobile home windowsills, covered in dust. Put there because they were convenient and brightened up the place. Or those flowers whose colours had been bleached by sunlight. Silk flowers nowadays are a totally different matter. They’re so wellmade, it’s hard to tell them apart from real flowers.

Caring for silk flowers

People often ask me how to keep their silk flowers looking good. It’s quite simple, actually. Take the whole bunch just outside and use the hairdryer or simply blow whilst tapping the flowers. Most of the dust will have gone. Or use a static duster, it will collect the dust. It’s better not to dunk it in a tub with soapy water like we used to do with old-fashioned plastic flowers.

If you feel you’d like to clean them more thoroughly, add a cup of salt to a plastic bag. Put the flowers in and keep hold of the stems. Hold tight to the bag opening, and shake for ten, fifteen minutes. Afterwards, give the flowers a very good shake.

They will look brighter as well, as the dust will have gone. I find that simply giving them a good blowing off and a gentle tapping is all mine need.

Shaking up your silk flowers

You can put your flowers away now and then, like at the end of the summer. If you get a few different bouquets, you can freshen up your rooms by rotating the flowers. Another good idea is to have a few bouquets with general greens, like eucalyptus. You only need to add a few seasonal flowers to spruce up that dull corner in your lounge. Especially now, March is often such a cold, grim month, but Spring is definitely on its way. Adding a few fresh-looking Spring flowers to your home makes it feel warmer already. Bring in those sunny colours and enjoy!

There is more about silk flowers and other helpful ideas on my blog, https:// www.no34.nl/interieur/zijden-bloemen/ and you’re welcome to ask me any question you might have about silk flowers.

Gerdie van Wingerden is a Dutch blogger and mother of four children. She loves to share her passion for homemaking and interior design. Gerdie works in a Home and Giftshop as a stylist, as well offering her services as advisor on her website, No34.nl, where her blogs are regularly posted as well.