Spruce up your winter garden with fake foliage. As we’re heading towards winter, your garden will likely look a little worse for wear. However, there are a few things you can do for your winter garden, such as adding garden accessories to uplift the mood. Modern fake winter foliage is far removed from the tacky greenery and foliage of old. Now, they’re pretty enough to make your garden green quickly. Using fake foliage in winter is a stellar idea and Modern Gardens writer Sarah Wilson has the inside scoop on all the best artificial green foliage.
Sarah insists that dense green leaves of artificial plants, trees and hedging panels “are so lifelike, you will be hard pushed to tell it from the real deal”. This is due to the improvements made by manufacturers. In fact, fake garden foliage is available in more colours and styles than ever before, boasting “realistic texture and attention to detail.” Add some colour to your winter garden or add decorative interest to garden walls.
The best fake foliage at a glance:
• Best faux rose: Outsunny Artificial Rose Tree – View on Amazon UK
• Best faux foliage outdoor sofa: Two Seater Artificial Grass Sofa – View on Evergreen Direct
• Best artificial living wall: Deluxe Botanical Artificial Living Wall – View on Evergreen Direct
Colour livens up a garden and if you’re looking to bring a pop to your winter garden, why not invest in some artificial blooms on spikes? Here, you can push them into the ground with little effort. Sarah says, “These look great when added to a mix of real plants in beds and borders.” There are classic, contemporary and realistic-looking fake flowers to pick.
Faux green plants and grass have come a long way. Follow our ideas on how to fake it and no one will ever know. We’ve put together a guide to outdoor artificial foliage to add green to your garden. And if you're feeling festive, there's a wonderful assortment of outdoor artificial Christmas trees to bring some cheer.
Best fake foliage
Best doorstep artificial foliage
www.wayfair.co.uk
Start at your front door and choose a tall pair of potted bay trees for a classic yet contemporary look. This realistic pair from Wayfair has a gradient in their foliage. The colour is darker towards the centre of the tree, "while the tips are lighter and lusher to replicate new growth", which makes it more authentic for sure says, Sarah. The foliage has a vein pattern running through the leaf, just like a real Bay. With a couple of Potted Faux Bay Trees, your front door will always look stylish and well-tended. And there’ll be no need to keep checking on whether they need pruning or watering.
Customer review: "Just received my Bay Trees and am very much impressed they really look real."
Pros
- No maintenance
- Sold as a pair
Cons
- Some reviews comment that they look fake
Best faux rose
Get a pop of permanent colour with Outsunny Artificial Rose Tree. Plus, even better, you don’t have to worry about watering it and it will stand the test of time. Why not go all out and fill flower beds with faux plants too, leaving you more time to sit back and relax? Simply pop the pots in gravel for weed-free, low-effort borders.
Customer review: "Gorgeous artificial rose tree that looks genuinely real. A friend didn’t realise it was fake and went to smell it. Excellent quality and detail. Sturdy base and a striking white colour."
Pros
- Realistic
- Zero maintenance
- Generally very well reviewed
Cons
- Some customers received broken pots
Best freestanding artificial topiary
www.evergreendirect.co.uk
If you like the idea of twisty topiary to complement your doorway, Sarah suggests trying “a pair of box spirals”. Perhaps it’s time to go artificial with Artificial Topiary Buxus Spiral on your patio. According to Sarah, smart topiary “can transform a dull porch instantly and add real ‘welcome home’ appeal.”
Pros
- Range of attractive planters to choose from
- 2 year guarantee on the foliage
Cons
- No review
Best artificial hanging basket pair
Or if you fancy a pop of colour, try this hanging basket set from Amazon UK. It has built-in solar lights for convenience, and the shimmering silk flowers are dense, life-like foliage, which will certainly add a vibrant splash of colour on even the darkest days of winter. Plus, it’s lightweight and moveable.
Customer review: "I bought two pairs of these baskets for my shop front, they look wonderful and very realistic."
Pros
- Illuminates at night
- Realistic
- Stable
Cons
- Mixed reviews
Best artificial plant for a conservatory
www.dunelm.com
For a top artificial plant pick, Dunelm has a great-looking Artificial Bamboo Tree to add a fresh-looking injection of green just where you need it. "Crisp white paint on raised beds looks effortlessly cool matched with deep green faux grass," recommends Sarah.
Customer review: "So realistic, a delightful addition to my outdoor room."
Pros
- Very realistic
- Good quality
- Well reviewed
Cons
- Not for outdoor use
Best faux ornamental grass
www.dunelm.com
Fill the Fibrecotta trough with ornamental feathery reed grass like this Dunelm Artificial Pampas Grass in Woven Pot, which is natural looking. It “has been made using the most innovative techniques to make the long fluffy plumes look real and each plant is firmly anchored in a pot”.
Customer review: "Very realistic looking. I have this in my entrance (low sunlight and I'd forget to water it). This is just perfect for a casual, homely rustic touch."
Pros
- Very realistic
- Great for a small corner
- No maintenance
Cons
- Straight out of the box, grass may be flat and twisted
Best artificial window box
www.evergreendirect.co.uk
These Evergreen Direct artificial flowers will be a doddle to look after. The Artificial Heather And Dracaena Window Box is a dream if you’re short on time and looking for low maintenance. Featuring heather and yucca, this deep-purple and vibrant-green arrangement will add instant appeal to your windowsill. If you want to replace your beloved window box stick to the season, choose "a mix of faux evergreens and flowers that are right for the season such as heathers, pansies and hellebores,” says Sarah, “Nothing says fake more than out-of-place looking geraniums or petunias in winter."
Pros
- UV protected
- High quality
- Available in different colours and lengths
Cons
- No reviews
Best artificial sprig
www.evergreendirect.co.uk
If you’re looking to spruce up your potted plants, transform ‘dull’ fences, refresh your lawn and restore hedges, then you’re guaranteed alternatives all year round, which are in bloom in an instant. Another faux foliage specimen from Evergreen Direct, this Artificial Rosemary Bush is botanically accurate and UV stable. Place it in amongst other plants to add more detail to the display, without the hassle of upkeep.
Pros
- Place it anywhere
- UV stable
- Botanically accurate
Cons
- No reviews
Best artificial heath plant
www.evergreendirect.co.uk
Plant a quick colour pop with this Artificial Heath Plant that accurately resembles heather with texture and form. Choose from green or purple or mix and match to create a textured planting feature that evokes the Highlands... and is just as hardy. Some advice when ‘planting’, push the spikes into the ground well to ensure they’re secure and won’t blow away. and then cover the base with soil or bark to ‘landscape’ them in.
Pros
- Realistic
- Textured
- Maintenance-free
Cons
- No reviews
Keep hedges green all year
With fake foliage like hedging, you can disguise ugly walls and fences or add privacy to your garden.
Sarah says, “Unlike with real options, there’s no need to wait for small shrubs to grow or spend a fortune on fully grown ones.” Artificial hedging is available either on an extendable lattice framework in varying sizes or comes in sections planted in a trough and can be used for dividing garden spaces.
Best artificial living wall
www.evergreendirect.co.uk
For a luscious, fancy-looking artificial green wall, this Deluxe Botanical Artificial Living Wall will transform your outdoor space. Isn’t it stunning? Plus, it’s guaranteed for three years. Sarah says that the “leaves are arranged on a panel by hand in a random style that mimics natural growth and consists of a mix of grasses, ferns, laurel, cedar and white flowers.”
Pros
- Features 11 botanically accurate plants
- 3 year UV stable guarantee
- Flame retardant
Cons
- No review
Best artificial hedging
www.evergreendirect.co.uk
Sarah suggests buying fake boxwood matting that is clipped together to create a continuous sheet to make a hedge that looks and feels real. This Basic Artificial Boxwood Panel is from Evergreen Direct and 16 panels make up 1m2.
Pros
- UV stable
- Versatile
Cons
- No reviews
Best faux foliage outdoor sofa
www.evergreendirect.co.uk
Handcrafted using the finest faux turf and top-grade timber, faux grass furniture is the latest trend. This Two seater Artificial Grass Sofa is rainproof. It's a bespoke handcrafted and upholstered sofa that can be built to your requirements.
Pros
- Quirky
- Low maintenance
- Year-round colour
Cons
- No product reviews
Best faux foliage outdoor table
www.evergreendirect.co.uk
If you like an early morning coffee... This Artificial Grass Coffee Table makes a perfect addition to your garden. If you have the artificial grass sofa, this is a must-have.
Pros
- Handcrafted and upholstered
- Weather resistant
- Matching sofa
Cons
- No reviews
FAQs: Fake foliage
How to get an evergreen lawn in a day
Let’s just say, that the heatwave was a serious one. Did you water your poor gasping lawn throughout those months? And – have you since been trying your best to revive it to its former glory with no such luck? We bet you’ve even tried some lawn fertiliser. Well, Sarah Wilson has a few tips…
We all know how demanding a lawn can be. Sarah says, "If your lawn was wrecked by a combo of sunshine, drought and lack of TLC and is now a bit boggy, it could be time to go fake.” With an artificial lawn, you should be able to rejuvenate your garden at a fraction of the usual cost.
Artificial grass is designed to drain quickly making it safer to walk on. Sarah adds, “This means mud and pawprints won’t get trekked through the house.” It’s a good idea to get your lawn sorted for winter or spring when summer comes around and you can spend as much time as you like outdoors.
With most artificial plants, it’s best to pay for something a little pricey. Often, these look the most realistic. Though fake grass is getting better, you need to pay a little more. If you’re going to lay down turf yourself, ensure your proper foundation is a sharp, sand base or permeable sub-base. This will need to stop weeds and allow water to go through. Speak to experts first. We recommend buying your grass through Artificial Lawn UK.
Transform your patio in minutes...
Sarah suggests working on your patio, too, “Your patio is what you probably see most of during the winter months, both when looking out of the windows and, weather permitting, as the place you’re most likely to be found when outside.” You could add some Christmas twine to your existing pots, planters and window pieces.
However, Sarah suggests adding some statement planters, for example, following the trend for copper décor. After all, you want to be admired by your guests.
Sarah adds, "As well as making a strong statement displayed as a single plant, these plants can be grouped together to bring alive a dull corner or to screen an area you want to cover up." Mix and match on your patio for a burst of green.
Next, you need to take care of your terracotta.
Sarah says, “If your terracotta has taken a hit in the past due to frost, or you want to avoid moving heavy pots around think carefully about how best to show off your new faux plants. Trough planters always look stylish. Try a tough but lightweight terracotta substitute that looks like the real thing.”
How do I look after my fake foliage?
If you’ve opted for an artificial plant, chances are it’s arrived in a box and needs a little fixing before putting on display, "Bend or reshape it by hand, fluffing it out until you have arrived at the effect you want to achieve,” Sarah advises. Don’t worry if the plant is a little creased.
You should transfer your new fake foliage to a stable planter when it arrives, too. "Keep the starter pot as a base and position your plant in the centre of the planter then fill in around it with earth or sand.” Add some gravel chippings or something a little festive like tinsel.
Another top tip is to check for the level of UV fade resistance before buying. Sarah advises looking for a ‘UVsilx’ label, which means the colours will stay vivid thanks to a special treatment, keeping them protected under those pesky UV rays. Plants are enhanced with a premium-grade polymer designed to protect them from the sun’s rays.
Always go for a premium. Though prices may be a little steeper, the products will be more realistic and better quality, not to mention longer lasting. Check for guarantees and how long they last outdoors. Sarah advises, “You can use indoor-only ones outside and cheat the look for a couple of months, but they will then need to be discarded as they’ll quickly fade and get tatty.”
Just like your indoor houseplants, you need to give your faux plants a little cleaning. We suggest using a dry paintbrush and starting at the top of the plant. It’s the best tool for dusting them off.
What to read next
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Piper Huxley is a Homes, Garden and Wellness Product Writer for Modern Gardens Magazine, an all-rounder. When she’s not writing about houseplants, she’s tending to her own growing collection…