60 lines
3.0 KiB
Plaintext
60 lines
3.0 KiB
Plaintext
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REAL PHONY HOUSE PLANTS
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Few people react adversely to the calming presence of tropical foliage
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indoors. There is a quality of benign serenity to a green leafy plant near a
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window or sitting in its pot unobtrusively in a corner of the living room.
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Psychological studies have shown, in fact, that the presence of indoor plants
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in homes and offices tends to improve human relationships and even worker
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productivity.
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"The biggest problem with indoor plants," according to Harley Smithers, a
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horticulturist and foliage researcher based in Fort Myers, Fla., "is that they
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almost always begin a slow death upon reaching their indoor habitat. Most begin
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to look ratty within weeks."
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In response to the problem of caring for indoor plants, many firms market
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plastic or silk replicas of popular foliage plants. These fake plants have no
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need of water, light, temperature control or care -- other than occasional
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dusting. But, according to Ethyl Freeman, an interior designer, "everyone knows
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a fake plant is phony. Silks and plastics just don't do the job for people."
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Says horticulturist Smithers: "Our controlled studies, in which identical
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environments, differing only in that one was decorated with living plants and
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the other with fakes -- very good fakes at that -- showed that, aside from
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decorative values, the habitat with fake plants provided none of the human
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benefits -- such as increased productivity -- that the habitat with live plants
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did."
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Now a company based in southern California has introduced "Real Phonies," a
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line of 'live' fake plants which undulate in air currents, require periodic
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watering with an electrolyte solution (to recharge batteries), and grow!
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"Our phonies are so realistic relative to the environment that people tend to
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react to them as they would real, living, natural plants. The only difference
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is cost," says a company spokesman.
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Real Phonies look like very good fake plants. Most people have to take a
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second look to determine that, in truth, they are not living plants. Hidden in
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the pot, however, are controls which move the foliage, alter its appearance
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according to a pre-programmed set of rules based on time between watering or
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temperature changes. Some Real Phonies can be programmed to react adversely to
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loud noises; others can be made to simulate growth by means of air-pressure
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controls on telescoping branches.
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Are Real Phonies a potential panacea for procrastinating plant lovers?
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Not yet.
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"We have yet to crack the price barrier," mentions the company spokesman.
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"Real Phonies start out at $4950 per plant."
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"That's about a hundred times the average cost of a live plant," says Harley
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Smithers. "About fifty times the cost of a good fake," says Ethyl Freeman.
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"But, when averaged over their useful 'life,'" says Real Phonies' company
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spokesman, "they are actually competitive."
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Still, they have to be watered AND dusted.
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Call The Works BBS - 1600+ Textfiles! - [914]/238-8195 - 300/1200 - Always Open
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