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Presence Examples An article about a different kind of misperception of technology from The
Philadelphia Inquirer By Marty Ross For The Inquirer Friday, Dec. 27, 2002 Sometimes, even for a gardener, artificial flowers may be better than the real thing. And these days, some fakes - also known as "permanent botanicals" - are so realistic you might need the help of a honeybee to tell the difference between what came from nature and what didn't. "Some are better than real," says J.R. Koontz, a Wichita, Kan., florist who carries a hand-picked selection of high-quality permanent botanicals. "Now, there is so much detail, some of these plants even have root structures." Consumers aren't settling for mere approximations of flowers, Koontz says. "They don't just want a rose. They want the thorns, they want the veins in the leaves. They want people to have to go over and touch it just to see if it's real." New techniques and materials make this possible. Silk and other textiles are being widely used, and in the fanciest products, stems are wrapped and colors are applied by hand. Ingeniously manufactured flowering shrubs, potted plants, and hanging baskets can be relied upon to look good anywhere - in a breezeway, on the front stairs, or on the porch. Direct sun will age them prematurely, but the new botanicals are resistant to ultraviolet rays, so a little dappled light is fine. Koontz buys his permanent botanicals from several companies, including Winward Silks in the San Francisco Bay area, which has showrooms across the United States. The company, which does not sell to retail customers, tracks fashions in color and style, and responds with permanent botanicals that keep up with the trends as well as the seasons. Nature is the standard against which artificial flowers, buds, twigs, seed pods, and foliage are measured. The company believes nothing is impossible. Another firm, Permanent Foliage Inc. of New York, designs entire gardens of permanent botanicals. City gardeners especially appreciate the advantages of no-fuss foliage, says the company's Lawton Tootle. "In New York, people have rooftop terraces. They live in wind tunnels," Tootle says. "Plants suffer abuses in the city that they wouldn't in the country. Permanent botanicals are very popular here." Tootle's company makes fancy topiary shrubs, cypress trees, even boxwood hedges, all of plastic. (It, too, does not sell to retail customers.) The company uses spray paint to create naturalistic shadows and grinds up moss to make a paste that ages artificial tree trunks. Birch trees made with PVC pipe are scorched to give the trunks their characteristic black streaks. Occasionally, real grape vines are incorporated into a design. "We do it magically," he says. The cost of permanent foliage plants varies according to the plant, the supplier, and the amount of custom work required. A basic boxwood hedge costs about $25 per square foot - cheaper than the real thing, Tootle says. The price goes up from there. Custom work may cost hundreds of dollars per square foot. Consumers on a budget may want to shop around. Pier One Imports has carried stylish permanent botanicals such as potted daisies, orchids, ivy topiary, tropical banana leaves, and cut flowers priced between $4 and $150. "It all depends on how real you want it to be," Koontz says. Keep in mind that, despite the name, nothing in life is permanent. Artificial plants and flowers need a little bit of attention, too, to make them last. Here are some tips from Koontz: - Keep them out of direct sunlight.
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