4 Basic Types of Silk Flowers

 

4 Basic Types of Silk Flowers

A Guide for Buying Silk Flowers for Wreaths, Swags and Arrangements

• Single stem flowers
• Bush flowers
• Greenery bushes
• Monument flowers

I remember in the beginning of my business asking a wholesale company that I had viewed online “why are some flowers so inexpensive and others so very expensive?” They all looked pretty much the same on my computer screen. Her answer was “Quality”. As simple as that answer was, that made sense to me, the more expensive the flower is the better the quality. Over the years that has still proven to be an effective scale when purchasing silk flowers.

Let’s take a closer look at each type of silk flower and address the pros and cons of each.

Single Silk Flower Stem

PROS:

Single stem silk flowers are the prettiest, in my opinion, because they are the most realistic looking. They come in all flower types, sizes and colors. They are readily available and even come in some rare varieties like blue bells and scabiosa. If you are wanting a silk flower that looks pretty darn realistic, this is usually the first choice.

CONS:

These stems are the most expensive. When you see a flower and think “Omg, that looks so real”, it will probably have a price tag to match. You will have to decide if it is worth the cost. Not the flower of choice if exposed to any rain or moisture. These will need to have some protection from the elements.

How to use these flowers:

We use these flowers in all of our designs so I strongly feel they are worth the cost. I can easily spend 5-6 hours on any given piece so for me to make them with any other quality just would not make sense. So the time factor is something to take into consideration.

I believe that single stem flowers are a must for indoor flower arrangements, wreaths and swags. These are the only choice in flowers to use indoors where you are much more likely to come into close contact with the piece on a consistent basis and would easily notice a cheaper flower or appreciate a good quality. Even the simplest design is going to look great if you have stunning flowers.

Bush Silk Flowers

PROS:

I am going to venture to say that most people start making bush flowers with bush silk flowers.And for good reason, they are readily available, reasonably priced and some bushes even contain all the elements you would need in your design like berries, greenery and filler flowers. That can save you a lot of time from picking out everything separately. And time has to be considered in the creative process. As the old adage goes, it either costs you time or money.

CONS:

Generally speaking, and there are exceptions, bush flowers are not as high quality as single stem flowers. So they aren’t as natural looking. The price being quite reasonable is worth giving these a try. 

How to use these flowers:

I would be more inclined to use these flowers for front door decor wreaths and swags. They stand up better to any moisture but I would not recommend these if you don’t have at least a front door porch or some type of an overhang. Most manufactured silk flower wreaths are made with bush flowers. Here is a simple tip for using bush flowers: Use them as you filler flowers and use single stem flowers for your main focal point flowers.

GREENERY BUSHES

A bit about greenery bushes. Greenery choices can be puzzling. Today most greenery is made out of some form of pvc simply because is can be quite realistic looking. But their seems to be a fine line between natural looking and plastic. Again let me mention the price because sometimes that is all it takes to see a big difference in quality. But in my opinion, even an expensive bush can look plastic. It seems like the more variegated the color is the more realistic it looks. As in nature things are usually a variety of high and low color variations.

PROS:

Most greenery comes in bushes of all different shapes, varieties and price ranges. So there is a lot out there to choose from. I think that is a huge plus. If you can’t find one that you really like, just keep looking because you are sure to find just what you like. Any kind of greenery made with pvc is going to hold up well either inside or outside. And honestly, they do look a lot more realistic than a flat looking greenery stem that doesn’t have any pvc in it.

CONS:

Like I mentioned above, I really think the only con to these is the fact that their is a very fine line between a really good looking bush and one that has a more plastic look to it. It may take some trial and error especially if you are purchasing from an online store.

How to use these bushes:

Greenery can be used to fill in the spaces between the flowers or it can be the starring attraction.  In more nature inspired designs its fun to use all greenery with a few flowers which really makes the flowers pop. Use wispy greenery and grasses along the edges of a wreath or arrangement to give it a light, wispy look.

MONUMENT FLOWERS BUSHES

Monument flower bushes are basically the ones you see in every craft and dollar store for Memorial Day. They are an inexpensive flower that holds up quite well in direct weather. These are of limited use and not near as popular as any of the other choices. There dis a reason why these flowers are available but I would not recommend them other than for monument work or displaying.