Site of the Month for August 2011 is concerned with Florist Directory. Directory Florist supplies useful links to electronic flowers, fresh cut, weddings, dried, preserved, florists by region, theme arrangements around the world.

People have been recreating flowers with a myriad of materials for centuries. The earliest artificial flowers were crafted in ancient China. First using cloth, “silk” flowers began to catch on in the United States in the 1800s, but early efforts produced silk flower arrangements and silk florals that bore little resemblance to their living counterparts. Yet today dust resistant, realistic, low maintenance silk floral arrangements can be found if a consumer is willing to look. Artificial flower arranging took a giant leap forward in the early 1970s with the use of plastics and high-quality synthetic fibers. As technology and manufacturing techniques improved, these materials enabled manufacturers to create silk flower arrangements with greater botanical accuracy than ever before. Though the commonly accepted term is “silk flowers”, it is something of a misnomer, as modern flowers are rarely made of silk.

Today’s silk flower arrangements have continued to get better and more realistic. From the delicate veins running through the leaves, to the way the stem seamlessly meets blossom, today’s silk flowers are often so realistic, they have to be touched to be believed. It’s not uncommon to find that even the leaves feel like they have “fuzz” growing on them, adding that realistic finishing touch. The creation of artificial flowers and artificial foliage is an exacting process and one that requires creativity, keen senses and a commitment to the production of quality silk floral arrangements. Today’s consumers are demanding in their desire for realistic artificial flower arrangements. Dust resistance, realism, and easy to clean are just some of the required characteristics that go into creating the finest items possible.