DECORATING : Fresh, Dried or Faux, Flowers Crop Up

The beauty and aroma of fresh-cut flowers are unsurpassed, and thriving potted plants add oxygen to any room. But gardeners, florists and interior designers pay homage to the next-best things.

Barbara Milo Ohrbach, who gardens and writes in Millbrook, N.Y., devotes an entire book, “The Scented Room” (Clarkson Potter), to dried flowers and potpourri.

In her latest book, “Simply Flowers” (Clarkson Potter), she addresses artificial flowers with a forthright first paragraph:

“Artificial flowers are often subject to controversy. People either love them or dislike them intensely. Part of the problem, I think, is that those who are averse to artificial flowers make the mistake of comparing them to live flowers and then finding them wanting.”

Ohrbach notes that artificial flowers have been around for centuries. The concept of botanically correct painted silk flowers stems from 18th century England. Other early blossoms were made of beading, straw, paper or porcelain.

No matter the material you opt for today, Ohrbach cautions to buy the best you can afford because you’ll be living with them for a long time.

As with dried flowers, she says, artificial flowers should be dusted and kept away from direct sunlight to prevent fading. When blooms start to look faded, they should be replaced.

Paul Frederick, creative designer for (800) FLOWERS in Westbury, N.Y., advocates adding interesting textures to cut flowers. Depending on the season, he suggests arrangements accented with seashells and starfish, dried fruits or waxed flowers.

Artificial and dried flowers may be bought by the stem in crafts and flower shops. In addition, Cut & Dried, a specialty shop in New York, has a mail-order catalog with 36 varieties of flowers, many of them kiln-dried and imported from the Netherlands. Look for blue globe thistle, safflower, oregano, ambrosinia, delphinium, roses, lavender, and yellow and lilac yarrow.