I happen to like silk flowers.  They are pretty, and they are very realistic looking.  Better than that, they never need watering and if they get knocked over there is no mess of a pile of dirt you have to clean up!  And even better, the cats don’t eat the silk flowers and then puke them up on the sofa twenty minutes later!  A while ago I was watching a decorating show on HGTV and the designer was saying that no matter how pretty the silk flowers are, artificial flowers are always tacky.  Well, I disagree completely!  I think they are wonderful!