Gardening has always been a passion for Pratibha Chatterjee, but ever since she moved to her new home in Bangalore, it has been but a dream. With no space available for gardening, the homemaker is now nurturing her passion by decorating her house with artificial plants.
Like Chatterjee, you too can turn that little corner in your house into a green patch. The concept of decorating one’s home with artificial plants is not new. However, with less open space and time available for tending potted plants and gardens, artificial plants, as a viable option for home beautification, is gaining popularity. Even corporate offices, hotels and institutions use artificial plants.
Now, if you are thinking that artificial plants are some garish plastic plants, think again. “These plants are mostly made of fabrics and are supported by plastics and iron. Sometimes, natural stems are also used to give it a more authentic look,” says Nethravathi, showroom manager of Bangalore-based Kushal Indoor Gardens.
Available in bamboo, ficus, palms, dissenbachia, maples, crotons and many more, the prices depend on the height and fabrics used. While a 3-ft plant will cost between Rs 700 and Rs 800, the price of an 8-10 feet plant will range between Rs 15,000 and Rs 20,000. “The advantage of using artificial plants is that they are easy to maintain and last longer. All that is required is washing and drying,” Nethravathi adds. “These plants last for up to 20 years,” she says.
If you are not keen on artificial plants, you could try natural, dried plants. Available in pinecones, bellcups (flowers made of shells of wood apple), sola flowers (hand-made flowers made of sola wood), curly ting ting (yes, they are natural dried plants – coconut brooms curled on the top!).
“Maintenance of these natural dried plants are easier than you think – though not washable, you can blow-dry them,” says Rajani Ramkumar, owner of Casa Flora.
Sourced from Kolkata, these plants sell between Rs 10 and Rs 30 apiece. Used as wall hangings or as corner decors in living rooms or in your
bedroom, these plants give a glamorous look to the room. In fact, artificial flowers and plants are now an important decor item and are growing in popularity.