All Natural Preserved Gardens & Moss Walls versus Petroleum-Based Faux Plants & Artificial Greenery. Chemistry Matters!

In the quest to bring nature indoors, designers and facility managers face a critical choice that extends far beyond aesthetics. While the desire to incorporate greenery (mostly in the forms of green walls, potted plants, moss walls, preserved gardens and even draping foliage) into commercial spaces is universal, the methods for achieving this goal vary dramatically - and so do their impacts on human health, environmental sustainability, and long-term value. Today's discerning design professionals are increasingly recognizing the profound differences between all-natural preserved foliage and petroleum-based artificial alternatives.

‍

The Science of Human Connection to Nature

Our innate connection to nature, known as biophilia, represents millions of years of evolutionary programming. When we encounter natural elements, our brains respond with measurable changes: reduced cortisol levels, increased serotonin production, and enhanced cognitive function. However, emerging research reveals a startling truth: our sophisticated neural systems can distinguish between authentic natural elements and synthetic imitations, even at subconscious levels.

‍

Recent studies in neuroaesthetics demonstrate that while artificial plants are used to mimic nature, our brains are adept at distinguishing genuine nature elements from fake elements. Our conscious (and unconscious) mind does not get fooled with these fake elements. These fake plastic greenery (that are mistakenly used to associate with Biophilia) fail to trigger the same beneficial neurological responses as genuine natural materials. This distinction becomes crucial when considering the long-term impact of design choices on occupant wellbeing and productivity.

‍

The Petroleum Problem: Understanding Artificial Greenery

Almost all commercial artificial plants and faux greenery are manufactured from petroleum-based materials including polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), plastic, polyester, polypropylene (PP), and various synthetic rubbers which are all byproduct of petrochemical process. These materials, derived from fossil fuel extraction and processing, represent the antithesis of sustainable design principles.

‍

Environmental concerns extend beyond the origins of faux plants and artificial greenery. Artificial plants act as "dust magnets" due to their electrostatic properties, collecting airborne particles and requiring frequent cleaning with chemical products. Over time, typically within six months to a year, this dust accumulation creates an unappealing, lifeless appearance that undermines the very aesthetic goals these products were meant to achieve. One can see thick layer of dust on any sort of faux plants and artificial greenery in any designed space. 

‍

Perhaps most concerning is the potential for volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from these synthetic materials. Studies have shown that plastic, PVC, PE, and PP products which these faux plants are made of, can leach complex mixtures of chemicals that may contribute to poor indoor air quality and associated health issues including headaches, respiratory problems, and cognitive impacts.

‍

The Preserved Nature Alternative: Authenticity Without Compromise

All-natural preserved gardens, plantscapes, and moss walls offer a compelling solution that bridges the gap between living plants and artificial alternatives. These installations utilize real plants that have undergone specialized preservation processes, maintaining their organic textures, natural color variations, and cellular structures that our brains recognize as genuinely natural.

‍

The preservation process, especially for the moss wall and preserved garden providers with proven chemistry by 3^rd party testing, involves replacing plant sap with biodegradable, plant-based solutions that effectively "freeze" the botanical materials in time. This maintains the fractal patterns, organic shapes, and subtle color variations that trigger positive neurological responses while eliminating the maintenance challenges of living systems.

‍

Garden on the Wall^® has pioneered this approach with industry-leading preservation technique and high quality moss and foliage that maintain material integrity for over a decade. Their comprehensive third-party testing ensures that preserved installations meet the strictest standards for indoor air quality, including compliance with California Department of Public Health VOC standards—a level of material health transparency unmatched in the preserved garden industry.

‍

The Aesthetic Advantage: Craftsmanship Versus Mass Production

The visual quality differences between preserved foliage and artificial greenery become apparent upon close examination. High-quality preserved gardens and moss walls, when expertly crafted by expert providers (like Garden on the Wall^®), create seamless, carpet-like surfaces where individual elements blend naturally together. This artisanal approach requires skilled fabrication techniques that weave preserved moss sheets into continuous canvases, mimicking the organic growth patterns found in nature.

‍

In contrast, artificial greenery often displays the telltale signs of mass production: visible seams, repetitive patterns, and uniform coloring that lacks nature's inherent variability. Over time, these synthetic materials may fade, become brittle, or develop an artificial sheen that further distances them from their natural inspiration.

‍

Garden on the Wall^®'s team of graphic designers and horticultural specialists creates custom plant art installations & plantscapes that capture the essence of natural landscapes. With over 1,850 successful projects spanning 178,000+ square feet, their expertise in achieving seamless integration has earned recognition through three Interior Design Best of Year Awards and eight Architizer A+ Awards, establishing new benchmarks for preserved garden, planter insert, draping foliage, and moss wall aesthetics.

‍

Sustainability: A Clear Choice for Conscious Design

The sustainability comparison between preserved moss, preserved plants and artificial greenery reveals stark differences in environmental impact. While artificial plants contribute to petroleum consumption and eventual plastic waste, preserved gardens offer a more sustainable pathway to biophilic design.

‍

Preserved botanical materials and preserved plantscape foliage maintain their natural biodegradability, supporting circular economy principles when their useful life concludes. Garden on the Wall^®'s commitment to sustainability extends beyond materials to include comprehensive take-back programs and industrial composting of unused materials, ensuring minimal landfill contribution – thus lower methane contribution to eco-system of our planet’s atmosphere.

‍

Garden on the Wall^®'s 100% bio-based carbon content verification with ASTM 6866 test results confirms that preserved gardens contain no fossil-based carbon materials, distinguishing them from petroleum-derived alternatives, and even from other moss wall and preserved garden or green wall providers with no 3rd party testing. This commitment to material transparency is supported by Health Product Declarations (HPD v2.3) that disclose ingredients down to 100 parts per million, and their compliance with CDPH VOC standards providing unprecedented visibility and reliability into product composition.

‍

The Economics of Longevity: True Cost of Ownership

While artificial foliage, faux plants, artificial green walls made by plastic may appear cost-effective initially, their short lifespan and declining appearance create hidden costs that accumulate over time. The electrostatic properties that attract dust mean frequent cleaning requirements, while eventual replacement cycles every few years add ongoing expenses.

‍

Preserved gardens and moss walls provided by expert companies present different economic and value proposition. Garden on the Wall^®'s moss wall, preserved garden, planter insert, and draping foliage installations demonstrate remarkable longevity, maintaining their fresh appearance for 10-12 years under normal display conditions. The proprietary rejuvenation program the company developed can extend lifespans to 20+ years, creating an unmatched value proposition when total cost of ownership is considered.

‍

The extended lifecycle offered by the company for their moss walls, preserved green walls, planter inserts, draping preserved greenery, and the plantscapes eliminates the recurring costs associated with frequent replacements needed for other preserved greenery providers and artificial foliage suppliers, while maintaining consistent aesthetic impact throughout a building's operational life and not wasting natural resources over and over. The seven-year warranty offered by Garden on the Wall^® reflects confidence in product durability that artificial alternatives, or other moss wall or preserved garden providers simply cannot match.

‍

Health and Safety: Material Integrity Matters

Indoor environmental quality has become a paramount concern in commercial design, making material selection crucial for occupant health. Artificial foliage's potential for chemical off-gassing and dust accumulation can negatively impact indoor air quality, while cleaning requirements introduce additional chemical exposures.

‍

Preserved gardens and moss walls, when sourced from providers with rigorous testing protocols, offer superior material health profiles. Garden on the Wall^®'s compliance with Healthy Hospitals Initiative along with their Declare Label and Red List Free denomination ensure that their installations introduce no harmful chemicals into indoor environments.

‍

The Future of Biophilic Design

As our understanding of human-environment interactions deepens, the importance of authentic natural connections becomes increasingly clear. The choice between preserved gardens and artificial alternatives represents more than a design decision—it reflects an organization's commitment to occupant wellbeing, environmental responsibility, and long-term value creation.

‍

Preserved gardens, moss walls, and planter inserts crafted with all-natural preserved foliage provided by material & occupant health compliant companies (like Garden on the Wall^®) offer a pathway to genuine biophilic design that honors both human needs and environmental stewardship. By choosing authentic natural botanical materials such as preserved moss and preserved plants over petroleum-based imitations, design professionals can create spaces that truly nurture the human spirit while supporting broader sustainability goals.

‍

The 20 plus years longevity of Preserved gardens, moss walls, planter inserts, and draping preserved greenery supplied by the expert companies like Garden on the Wall^® offers the lowest cost of ownership (the actual budget criteria for any indoor design element), the most sustainable offering, and cleanest indoor air & environmental quality while the cheap petroleum based artificial greenery becomes costly both for their frequent replacement requirements, with their displeasing look over time, and with their cost to human health.

‍

In an era where wellness and environmental consciousness started driving design decisions (along with the budget considerations), the superiority of preserved nature elements over artificial alternatives becomes undeniable in every aspect they are compared against. The future belongs to spaces that recognize and honor our fundamental connection to the natural world - spaces where authenticity, sustainability, and human wellbeing converge in harmony.

‍

For more information on this subject and other related information, please visit our website: www.gardenonthewall.com