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sarina_gw

Faux plants

Sarina
9 years ago

Are fake house plants out now days?

Comments (33)

  • gyr_falcon
    9 years ago

    I have no idea where they stand trend wise, but personally, fake plants are always out. What is it you want them to do for your home that cannot be achieved with live plants or interesting dried material?

  • violetwest
    9 years ago

    Well, live plants are always preferable, for they add color, live, and health to a room, so if at all possible go for live.

    but I do think there are instances where faux plants are a good solution if used with a light touch; e.g., a dark or inaccessible corner; a solution for a person who is unable to care for them for one reason or another; a location where it's necessary to avoid the potential for water damage

    however, please do not put out fake flowers in your yard -- that's one of the tackiest things I've ever seen

  • sjhockeyfan325
    9 years ago

    I would never ever put fake flowers in my yard, but inside the house I never have live plants - I'm a notorious plant killer. I have some beautiful decorative fake flowers.

  • LE
    9 years ago

    I think so. I hope so.

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago

    Not in my house...they are still "in". I have live plants, dried flower arrangements and "everlasting" arrangements. I keep the live plants by windows and the everlasting in dark or less used spaces in the house. I enjoy selecting the flowers, the containers, and arranging them. I enjoy the color, softness and warmth they bring to dark spaces. I also enjoy that they are low care.

    'everlasting' dogwood in my guest bath (interior room, zero light).

    'everlasting' wreath over cooktop which echoes the colors and the theme in the back splash mural

  • lucillle
    9 years ago

    Annie your kitchen is gorgeous and I love the arrangement.
    I like seeing good quality arrangements in homes, and I think high quality 'fake' plants can help soften an office or workplace where many live plants can't survive.

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    9 years ago

    I doubt you will ever get consensus on this question. It has been asked before and opinions (!) vary greatly. I am one of those who really dislikes fake flowers or greenery including wreaths for each season. I use cut flowers in those dark areas and that is a splurge I allow myself weekly if DH doesn't get them. (disclaimer: DH usually buys plenty of flowers each week, so I have them in the bathrooms and throughout the house -yes, he is a sweetie and I am spoiled).

    It is really not something anyone else can decide for you, nor should anyone judge you on your choice. Do whatever makes you smile.

  • kswl2
    9 years ago

    NDI flower arrangements are fabulous. Pricey, but fantastic and in some cases perceived as real even AFTER they have been touched.

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    Fake plants and flowers have improved enormously from the old hideous plastic technicolor stuff. I think they make great decorations now.

  • tinam61
    9 years ago

    I'll just move over to Cyn's team. I agree with everything she said. Not something I want in our home. You could go with preserved boxwood, moss, etc. for some greenery if you can't do live plants. Fresh flowers in other areas if you want some color. There are so many plants that take low light and are easy to care for - why not try a few?

    However, I also agree with Cyn that it is your home and your choice. That said, if you go with faux, please use something realistic and seasonal. For instance, a bouquet of cherry blossoms or tulips, used year round would be a dead give away.

    Also, instead of plants or blooms, there are other things such as willow, various branches, etc. that can also be used.

    tina

  • Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
    9 years ago

    Love ndi. I intermingle throughout the house fresh seasonal arrangements from my yard and faux flower arrangements. My friends always ask, "Is this real?' because they never know! This happened last week with an azalea/fragrant abelia arrangement, but, yes, it was real.

    However, I do not like fake greenery. There are too many options for real greenery that are super easy to maintain so fake always seems questionable and particularly when it is placed in areas where real would never grow.
    Ivy is moderately difficult at best and on top of furniture? No! Never.

  • teacats
    9 years ago

    Hi.

    My name is Teacats and I have fake plants.

    Yes.

    In most rooms -- and in the odd corner -- changed with the seasons or for different reasons.

    LOVE the herbs in pots currently around shops like TJ Maxx ....

    And YES -- I DO have them on my back patio. Because the summer sun fries any other living thing during the afternoons and early evenings. So I have a few fake ferns to fill in a couple of pots.

  • Sarina
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for all the answers . I have real plants in the house and we had in other house a few fake ones where did not want to risk water damage. Moved in to a new house new neighborhood . I saw a few people selling older plants on a neighborhood Facebook page and it got me to thinking out or in. Thanks for all the answers ! I can see now it for sure a thing if you like you like if you do not you do not . That is good:)

  • violetwest
    9 years ago

    never heard of ndi -- looked them up -- holy smokes, that stuff is expensive! $700 for a fake flower arrangement? uh . . . Hobby Lobby here I come

  • peony4
    9 years ago

    I do not have fake plants, but I have had good luck with drying many plants from my yard and gardens. I only recently discovered how nicely boxwood dries. I clipped some in December for holiday decor, and its still green and pretty.

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago

    I have a dried flower arrangement, a gift from a friend, a focal point for the enfilade.

  • patricianat
    9 years ago

    There are some that are very pretty. There was once a place in South Alabama, that had the most beautiful faux plants. They were very, very expensive. A small arrangement ran 100s up to several hundred. It was worth it to buy the high end because of its great real-life like look. Michael's, Hobby Lobby? Hmmmm.... not so much.

  • Oakley
    9 years ago

    I don't think they're out at all. It depends on what you buy and how to use them. I'd never pay top dollar for silk flowers because as Tib says, they've come a long way and you can get beautiful silks at decent prices.

    I have a lot of houseplants, and use silks once in a while. My favorite is a red spray of flowers in a white pitcher on my windowsill. Everyone knows they're not real, but the end result is perfect for the room.

  • Elraes Miller
    9 years ago

    The fake always looks good in the store, especially silk, but when I get them home it is a big disappointment. They are fake and no getting around it.

    One thing I do have is fake succulents. They are close to real to me and one grouping works. Hobby Lobby has them, look in the veggie area. By the time they need replacement, the succulent trend will be over.

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    To answer your question directly, I think that, if anything, they're more IN now precisely because they've come such a long way and are so much more attractive. There was a time I wouldn't have even considered it. Now, I love them. I love my fake orchid in my bathroom, and I love that I know I won't kill it, which I would were it a live one. And that I won't have to buy a new one every year just to have it for a few weeks before all the petals fall of of it.

    I also love my cheesy, but pretty, fake pink hydrangeas in their glass bowl with the little shiny rocks in there, in my bedroom. Adds a splash of color in a room I basically want to be serene. And again, they last, they're not subject to my neglect or incompetence...

  • melle_sacto is hot and dry in CA Zone 9/
    9 years ago

    I like dried over artificial. I've two vases on the mantle of sticks and ... curly willow maybe? They look really nice IMHO.

    High quality artificial, if not overdone, seems appropriate. But I've also seen those "air plants" -- tillandsia -- mounted on display and I think I'd choose something like that before totally faux.

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    9 years ago

    >Fake plants and flowers have improved enormously from the old hideous plastic technicolor stuff.

    I'd say they've kind of come full circle. I have no problem at all with good quality silk flowers--my parents' realtor gave them a basket of flowers that you did have to touch to know they weren't real, but I'm finding it's gotten extremely difficult to find good quality silks anymore. They've gotten just as lurid as the old plastic ones were, for the most part.

    Five years ago it was easy to find a good psuedo orchid for the dark bathroom; now all I can find is day-glo colors, like the hideous food-color dyed live orchids (royal blue, glowing aqua) the grocery store sells at Easter around here.

  • chijim
    9 years ago

    The great interior designer Daniel Easton uses faux--the 2 topiaries , so it's fine by me too when they're of superb quality.

    Used in NY apt
    {{!gwi}}

    And in OK getaway:

    {{!gwi}}

    This post was edited by chijim on Fri, Apr 18, 14 at 14:35

  • selcier
    9 years ago

    I use faux flowers. I do love fresh ones, but they aren't always available for the right price. I have found that carnations last forever and are pretty cheep. So, I normally buy those if anything.

    In regards to the fakes though, I do change them out often. Currently, I have the 'spring' (pink) set in some nice, out-of-style apothecary jars. But I really like the way they add color to my white-walls living room (renting). Also, they won't get all nasty in a closed jar.

    During the summer, I have white faux flowers in a simple glass jar. We got married this past August and had pictures taken at out apartment. I have to say, the photographer made them look pretty-spankin' real.

    And, over the winter holidays, I have a flower arrangement of deep purples and pinks to go along with the jewel-tone decorated Christmas tree. I also stick three little purple bulbs in the arrangement to make it more festive feeling.

    All of the flowers came form Michaels. You just need to be really picky about which ones you are buying. They do have some really great ones.

    In the future, I would like to use some of my inspiration pictures of bouquets on pinterest to make some more color-diverse arrangements.

  • selcier
    9 years ago

    ...and the ones currently on the coffee table.

  • peony4
    9 years ago

    Selcier--those are lovely!

  • sjhockeyfan325
    9 years ago

    Can anyone suggest someplace to get great artificial trees (maybe less expensive than NDI)? I need two 7' tall trees, and I don't do real plants, period (other than cut flowers).

  • dakota01
    9 years ago

    I have one faux tree in a dead corner of my family room. I put it in a large decorative pot. I punched it from Overstock and I think it looks pretty good. All my other plants are real and take a lot of time to water, fertilize every week.

  • OllieJane
    9 years ago

    I have been agonizing over this for a few months. In our last house we had live plants and trees, then we got our two kitties and they got into them and made messes everywhere. So, I got rid of the plants before going to new house.

    Now, I'm going crazy not having any plants and trees around, as they add so much to your house, imo. So, I either need to buy some really good quality faux ones, or try my hand at the real ones again, since kitties are now cats.

    I need to do some research about how to keep cats out of plants-or is that even possible??? I looked at the NDI site quickly, but the pot is very important to me also, and I wasn't crazy about some the shiny pots the plants were in.

  • sjhockeyfan325
    9 years ago

    olliesmom, where have you gotten your pots in the past?

  • rgps
    9 years ago

    I stuck black plastic forks in the dirt with tines sticking up about 1 inch. Kitties obeyed after that. At least as far as staying away from the plants. Other naughtiness prevails.

  • OllieJane
    9 years ago

    sjhockeyfan, I just bought pots at various greenhouses and planted the tree or plant in those myself. Nothing against the shiny pots, they just don't go with my house. I did see an agave type plant in a rustic looking pot that wasn't bad on the ndi site. But, looked quickly.

    I have a "ponytail" plant in pot (small, it was my tester in this house to see if cats messed with it) and one of my cats have almost eaten the whole thing. Looks horrible!