I’ve got a secret – a guilty pleasure, if you will.  I love decorating with artificial flowers and greenery.  Call them what you want – artificial, fake, faux – I don’t care, because I love them (the good ones, anyway).  I know, I know – they generally have a negative reputation, and, for a long time, this reputation was not without reason.  But here’s the thing:  nowadays, artificial (fake) plants have come a long, long way.  Now, the level of quality amongst companies is not the same – I mean, you can’t just walk into your local dollar store and buy some generic polyester/plastic bush and call it a day.  But the good ones are out there, I promise.

In this post, I’m going to share a few reasons why I decorate with artificial over the real thing, as well as a list of shops that sell quality artificial flowers and plants (most of these stores also offer dried greenery as well) that are my go-to sources for all things faux.

Artificial flowers last forever with zero maintenance

Choosing to buy artificial flowers and greenery over the real thing means you’ll get to enjoy that purchase forever.  While they’re usually slightly more expensive than living plants at the time of purchase, artificial flowers are the cheaper investment in the long run.  Unlike the fresh-cut daisies you pick up at your local farmer’s market, faux plants will last more than five days.  The leaves never wilt, and the petals never brown.  Faux flowers – the good ones at least – look as fresh as the day you purchased them a whole two months (or two years) later.

Not only do they last longer, artificial flowers require zero maintenance!  I don’t know about you, but I for one have killed (RIP to my old Audrey Ficus) a plant or two in my day.  And let me tell you – some of these plants were expensive.  Killing a living thing makes me feel bad, and the cost of replacing the dang plant starts to really add up.  So, for those of you out there who can’t seem to keep a plant alive, artificial flowers and greenery are a great option.

They’re a safe alternative for pets

My cat, Ruby Sue, cannot handle living plants:  no matter what I do or where I position them, she finds her way to feast on the fresh leaves and flowers.  Then, invariably, she gets sick and I go into hyper-anxiety mode and Google whether she’s going to live (my mind goes straight to the worst case scenario, I know).  FYI, there are a ton of plants that are poisonous or at the very least toxic to cats (dogs too). The end result is a disaster – I have half-eaten flowers and a cat with a tummy ache.

But, here’s the key – she is completely uninterested in my artificial flowers and plants.  Couldn’t care less.  And, that, above all else, is the reason I invest in the fake variety.  Faux flowers and plants are generally made from silk and plastic – two ingredients that, while not the greatest, won’t put your pet in the ER if ingested.  I worry about my cat incessantly, and if I can buy a little piece of mind through a pretty faux floral stem, you better believe I’m game.

Best places to buy artificial flowers

So, where do you get these glorious fakes?  Well, below is a list of my top places to source artificial flowers, greenery, and plants:

• Afloral

• Hobby Lobby

• Artiplanto

• Terrain

• Etsy - The Poppy Shed

• Etsy - Hi Rustic Reach

Images (from top left) via Afloral, Hobby Lobby, Artiplanto, Terrain, The Poppy Shed (etsy), and Hi Rustic Reach (etsy).

There you have it, and remember:  fake it ‘til you make it!