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Age is a funny thing. If you’re lucky it teaches you tolerance and acceptance. For example I used to think I would NEVER have faux houseplants. I figured if I couldn’t have real I didn’t want to bother.
The twisted juniper on the mantle below are preserved evergreen.
{Kelly Harmon Designs}
A few years ago I discovered that there are now some very real-looking houseplants available, and some are actually “preserved” plants that were once real.
I’ll be honest, I’m certain that working full time has tempered my sentences that used to start with the words, “I’ll never…”. Actually, I’m happy about this because I did find that faux plants, when mixed with live indoor plants, can look very real and make life a whole lot easier for those of us with minimal hours to tend to them. I still love English ivy and topiary of all kinds.
Tone on Tone shared the vast array of their houseplants, including these lovelies below…
Another option for indoor houseplants can be found in some “outdoor” plant sections, like this creeping fig (below)…
My favorite fake plant right now is the preserved boxwoods. I really like the topiary in various sizes, the wreath and the globe shapes they come in.
I also feel that if you need a “plant” for a certain space, using something like willow-like branches can be effective.
{Ralph Lauren}
My go-to fresh plant of choice is English ivy. I’ve had pretty good luck with the ivy plants I’ve purchased and as long as I water them by soaking them in a bath of 2″ of fresh water when they get thirsty, they will last for 6 months to a year, or longer. Ivy seems to like to absorb the water rather than be watered from the top.
Alison over at The Polohouse recently posted about her Kitchen Hutch…the array of houseplants made for a lovely vignette. I believe she has preserved boxwood, real English ivy and a moss ball in the display below…
Trader Joe’s has a beautiful selection of blooming house plants that are so inexpensive that I’ll often buy them and once they begin to look sad I’ll move them to a sheltered space outdoors and see if they come back and re-bloom. They also carry great orchids in a variety of sizes. Their blooms sometimes stay intact up to 3 months. I don’t have luck making them re-bloom but my daughter-in-law in Austin does!
There are other faux options such as dried hydrangea (which you can do yourself) and reindeer moss, which provides you with the green while not requiring any water
{Haus Design}
There’s another option that I’ve used for table settings…live annual plants. They won’t last forever indoors, but they are so pretty!
So I say, if you have a tough spot, maybe not enough light gets to the place you’d like to have a plant, search for something that mirrors a live plant, if you love it, no one will every know.
Do you have strong feelings one way or another where live vs. real houseplants are concerned? I love your comments.
I’m linking to: Savvy Southern Style::Wow us Wednesdays
Garden, Home & Party 
debby said:
I do have some faux topiaries. I have absolutely no green thumb – nada. I kill cactus. So faux is the only option for me. Love that boxwood wreath – wonder if it’s faux? I would snatch that up in a second! xo
Karen B. said:
Debby, I wondered whether the wreath was real or not. Trader Joe’s sold boxwood wreath’s this past Christmas and they looked identical to the wreath in theimage, but I’ve seenthe preservedboxwood w reaths in stores…they are a little pricey. Wish I knew how to make them! xo, Karen
Victoria Elizabeth Barnes said:
Ummm… as you know, I have nine-million things to do today. But I am STUCK on that giant garden urn brought inside and filled with moss. I’m stuck on it because I have a pair like that. And I’d actually petitioned Paul to let me bring them in and flank the dining room windows with them. (You would love them, seriously.) But at the time I didn’t really have a firm plan, I just liked them so much I didn’t want to put them outside… but they are pretty large, and our dining room is not… so he was like, um… no. Let’s just put them outside where they belong.
I think I need to revisit that… although I have never once had any luck getting moss to grow. Especially on a surface that large. I do have a grow-moss tutorial pinned on my garden board, but I’ve never actually tried it.
I also love the terracotta cloche in the first photo!
Karen B. said:
Victoria, Silly girl, you can buy reindeer moss and a variety of other suitable mosses for lovely rusty urns at a lot of hobby stores. If your local Hobby Lobby, or whatever, don’t carry it, the manufacturer that has “real moss” preserved in affordable bags is Super Moss. http://www.supermoss.com Check it out. I could totally see urns in your home, flanking a window or door or something! Valentine’s day is coming, I’m sure Paul will allow this tinsy weensy decorative project to go forward for you. 🙂
Victoria Elizabeth Barnes said:
Stunned silence.
I’ve literally snuck over to my neighbor’s curb area on a rainy night and dug up a piece of their moss. Technically this is not stealing, as curb is township property here… but I think your solution is way better.
Karen B. said:
I can see the headlines, “blogger caught stealing neighbor’s moss!” Karen
Stacey said:
I definitely don’t have faux plants everywhere like we all used to. I do have some beautiful and carefully chosen ones though. My husband doesn’t even know they are fake..cracks me up! I love real plants but have terrible luck indoors and my cat tries to eat them. I do keep trying.
Karen B. said:
Hi Stacey, I had to laugh…husband’s can be so clueless when it comes to our little touches. I am happy that the manufacturers are getting clever in the production of fake plants. Thanks for stopping by. Karen
trouverlesoleil said:
That first image is so pretty .. such a warm, cozy room. Loi’s topiary are amazing. I have to stick with ivy here in the pacific northwest (for most of the year). Mixing faux and fresh works best for me and then I add fresh flowers when I can. Boxwood balls look perfect on the top of a trophy or vase (like Allison’s vignette) ~ great look!
xxL
Karen B. said:
Leslie, My friend that lives in Washington state has the most amazing English ivy. She’s the one that taught me to water them by setting them in water until the top soil is moist (usually 4 hours or so). It has really helped my ivy stay healthy longer. I really like the boxwood ball that Alison used in her hutch vignette. Fresh flowers liven up the room best. Karen
Loi Tone on Tone said:
Hi, Karen – Thank you for including my little green friends 🙂 In my shop, I do have a couple of faux plants in a very dark corner. Nothing else will grow or thrive there. I don’t mind them. I also love dried flowers: hydrangeas, roses, etc. I like the faded colors….goes nicely with the Scandinavian color palette.
Cheers from very, very cold DC,
Loi
Karen B. said:
Loi,
I agree, the dried hydrangea are so beautiful, I almost like the colors when they’ve dried better than when they’re fresh (well, maybe not, but I really like the colors they change to).
I also like a few of the moss pieces I’ve seen…especially the preserved moss.
Sorry you guys are freezing…we had very, very cold weather from Christmas until the 2nd week of January…then we had a few days of spring. Now they’re predicting rain. Stay warm.
xo,
Karen
Linda Coble said:
Karen,
I am firmly in the camp of real plants mixed with realistic-looking faux plants. Once we moved to Bainbridge, I didn’t have nearly as much natural light as I had in California and many plants that I’d been able to grow with ease would just die on me! Ballard Design came to my rescue with lovely and very realistic topiaries and other plants. I have them in several areas of my home and people always think they’re real.
I still haven’t given up on live plants . . . I’ve recently discovered peperomia which does really well on my kitchen windowsills and is easy to care for. English ivy does well also but it’s so hard to find up here. Most nurseries in our area no longer carry it since it isn’t indigenous to the area. Dumb!
Loved the photos in this post — especially those topiaries from Tone on Tone.
Linda
Karen B. said:
Linda, Yes, your ivy always looks amazing. I’m sorry you aren’t able to find it as easily as you used to. I just bought a 4″ one from Home Depot…have you ever checked there? I love the topiaries and if you can find faux, so much better. I forgot to check Ballard for this post. Great idea. Karen
Ann said:
Oh Karen…this is a toughy…as much as I would like to succumb to faux plants I can’t. I buy plants at Home Depot because they have a one year guarantee – note to people with no green thumb. Keep your receipt. I have green plants in select areas and I’m big on orchids from Trader Joes – for $12.99 (I never water mine and consider them a bust at the end of the month) – it’s cheaper than buying fresh flowers weekly which I am known to do. I have them in my bathroom, mantle, in urns,etc. I also use herbs from Vons and Traders and put them in various pots in my kitchen – for $3.97 they are cheaper than flowers and i water them until they die on their own or some bug kills them. I put them on my chopping block – I have three pots of various sizes and rotate the types of herbs – love doing Thyme, mint, basil, parsley, etc. I haven’t been able to do the faux thing yet – I agree on the boxwoods – if they are in the distance. I still love fresh plants and my new thing is cutting greenery from outside and putting them in vases all over the house. There are subtle ways you can introduce greens without needing a green thumb.
Karen B. said:
Hi Ann, You are so right. I think there are so many natural options, but there are those pesky topiaries that are pretty pricey, even when you can find them at Trader Joe’s. I keep thinking I’ll justify the preserved boxwood topiary’s price knowing that amortized over a year I’ll have saved money since they won’t die. LOL! So nice to hear from you…hope you are well. I miss Peggy and Fritz, but understand life sometimes has a different plan for our time. 🙂 Karen
Keri said:
I am really into the preserved boxwood and various mosses. I love using them as well as orchids, ivy and outdoor annuals temporarily placed indoors. Great post!
Keri
Karen B. said:
Thanks, Keri! I think it’s great we have a few quality options for those places that live things struggle, or are too much work to tend to. Moss has come so far from the days when we could only find spagnam and Spanish moss. We have preserved moon moss and reindeer moss here in California. Karen
Gretchen said:
Like so many of your readers I have a mix of faux and real plants. I try to use real plants in most areas and use faux on top of armoires etc. The one thing that I have prioritized since my children moved away is fresh flowers and flowering house plants. They bring me so much pleasure and I think they make a room look so much more inviting. I want to continue to add more topiaries. The photos you included in this post make me realize how versatile they can be.
Karen B. said:
Gretchen, The nice thing is that it seems the markets have caught on to the fact we love our flowers and have made them so affordable. I agree, flowers make me happy. Karen
Sent from my iPad
Splendid Willow said:
Hello Ms. Karen,
Real or preserved for me! (I sold a ton of preserved boxwood wreaths for the Holidays. They are REAL! Just frozen in time!). Plastic I can’t do.
Sadly, I kill most of my houseplants… I have no green thumb whatsoever… But white orchids and I seem to get along. And if I coud I would have a myrtle tree in every room! They are so pretty.
Hugs to you, I am slowly easing myself back to blog land (:
Mon
Karen B. said:
Monika, I’m with you, preserved is so superior to most faux greens. I’m hoping manufacturers will continue to find ways to preserve some other plant materials that can be mixed with live. I hope the new year is a good one for you and your wonderful blog and store! Karen
Ricki Jill Treleaven said:
I like real house plants that help clean the air of toxins since I paint with oil paints in our home. I love the pretty photos in this post…..LOVE the Tone on Tone vignette you shared. Wow!
Karen B. said:
Hi Ricki Jill, Good point, I never thought about how oil painting might make live plants a beautiful necessity. Tone on Tone is such a great blog site. Karen
Christina @ Floridays Mom said:
Its hard for me to comment on this because what I like and prefer its not necessarily what I have going on. Hahaha. I’m not crazy about the fake stuff, but again..I do have it in my house. I’m really trying to transition out of all of it though. I really love dried hydrangeas..never thought about making my own, then again that preserved boxwood is gorgeous. Decisions..decisions! Thanks for sharing all the wonderful options beyond fake.
Karen B. said:
Christina, hahaha, yes, I used to be a strict purist…only real. But some of the well preserved items really look nice. If price is any indication, the preserved boxwoods are pricey…you could almost afford to buy house plants several times over for the price of one of the boxwood. Hope you have a fun weekend. Karen
Dawn said:
Great post. I use a mixture of real and fake. I’d really like to find more of the preserved, but for some reason don’t see much of it or maybe I’m not looking in the right place. I prefer real, but like Karen said, the fake stuff is getting to look really good. Plus I can’t see trying to water ivy way up on the top of my cabinets/hutches. And yes, Loi’s topiaries are gorgeous!
Karen B. said:
Hi Dawn,
So happy you stopped by for a visit. I agree, the preserved greens seem to be less available and when I do find them, they are pretty pricey. I agree, if a plant is on a high shelf makes keeping things amply watered a challenge. lol
Karen
Sally Gillespie said:
I’m intrigued by the fake plant discussion. We’re gone five months out of the year and I love ficus. I have a south-facing window that needs a big bold plant (ficus) in front of it, affording privacy from the catty-cornered neighbors. Does anyone know of a good souce for a superior fake ficus?
Love this blog.
Karen B. said:
Hi Sally,
I have a friend that swears by this place http://www.silkflowers.com/artificial-and-silk-trees/ and I confess they have an English ivy topiary that looks very convincing. The trees seem a little pricey but maybe they’re really good. It might be worth looking into.a
Thanks for stopping by.
Karen