As we close the door on the dog days of August our best laid plans for container pots to enhance our landscaping may be looking sad if they have not received the attention with watering and fertilizing throughout the stressed heat. No green thumb? or your schedule just is too hectic to care for real plants? No worries. Here are some fabulous faux plants for your home . It is a great time to throw out those container plants that didn’t thrive and replace them with something more carefree. If you love the idea of green or natural plant accents around your exterior entry, on a balcony, or on your deck or patio, but are realizing your schedule is too busy to take care of live plants, here is the solution.
Faux Window Box Greenery
Window boxes on a balcony can create amazing curb appeal. The problem with live plants in a window box is they need to be tended to and watered daily. Some are more accessible than others. I once had window boxes on every window in the front of my house. Some were not accessible from the outside. They were too high. I never thought about the fact that I rarely opened the windows in the heat of summer and it became a real pain to care for them. With faux greenery you can decorate, set, and forget knowing that they will maintain the look throughout the year.
Today there are so many great options in faux plants. Here are just a few of my picks for greenery suitable for window boxes-you can’t go wrong with these.
Faux Exterior Topiary Trees
I struggled for years trying to find the right plants or annuals for my exterior entry. The house faces the south, has trees everywhere, and it just does not get any sun! Everyone had a suggestion for my dilemma and I tried them all. Ferns didn’t work, mandeville vines didn’t grow, and even begonias withered and died. A faux topiary solved the problem. Below is an example of two spiral boxwoods that frame a black door with a harlequin pattern on the stone entry floor. I think the boxwoods are the perfect compliment to this home. The great thing about these is they are really 4 season plants. They work equally well in spring, summer, fall, and winter. I have used them in both protected areas and non protected areas. Some are more weather friendly than others with options like UV protection and waterproof materials. It is a good idea to check the manufacturers recommendations as some are meant only for use under covered spaces. If you choose those that are approved for exterior use they are extremely durable and long lasting. I have had mine for years.
Here are some great topiary options that will create a welcoming entry.
Where To Buy
- Faux Spiral Boxwood Topiaries
- Faux Boxwood Topiary Ball
- Faux Topiary Cedar Trees
- Faux Cypress Triple Topiary Tree
- Faux Hedyotis Triple Topiary Tree
A Living Wall Can Be Faux Too
If you have a need for more privacy or just like the idea of looking out on a wall of green instead of wood, iron, or concrete, screens made of faux ivy might be the perfect fix.
This is a photo I took in New York a few years back. Faux plants and a water feature in a rooftop garden provide a haven from city noise.
I took this photo when passing through the Denver airport this summer. I am still not sure if it was living or faux but the effect is the same. That is probably the most important thing to take away. Faux plants can provide the same benefits that real plants do.
Don’t forget that placing green plants around your home is one way to connect more with nature too. The good news is they don’t have to be real to provide some real benefit.
Studies focused upon the health benefits of Biophilic Design confirm that faux nature and even images of nature work too. We all want our homes to be a haven from our workday stress and plants, even faux can do a lot to help improve our well being…and they are beautiful!
Faux plants have come a long way from the plastic looking greenery that I can remember was a definite “No No” in home decor just a few short years ago. Today’s faux is realistic in look and to the touch. You will love it!
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