If you love being surrounded by plants, but you don’t have a green thumb, live in a drought zone, or just want to add botanical variety to your garden, try mixing it up with fake and real plants. 

The trick to keeping it classy is to mix the faux greens or flowers in with your live plants. Oh…and to use “species” that grow in your plant hardiness zone!

If (like me) you worry about keeping it things aligned with Feng Shui…faux can work! According to Feng Shui, plants and greenery provide positive energy inside and outside the home. And while living things are always preferred, fake plants can provide visual calming, a sense of beauty, and positive energy. 

What doesn’t work in Feng Shui is dead and dusty. Faux plants will never die…so all  you just need to do is make sure you keep them dust-free. 

Plant Dust Duty: Simply rinse them with a water hose or in the shower…or for added shiny, spritz them with hairspray and then give them a shake. 

Mix it up…fake and real

Here’s an idea I tried in my yard, that makes me smile every time I walk by.

I found a broken large clay pot, put it on its side, and added a drought-tolerant red verbena plant. Then I went to my neighborhood Michael’s and bought some pretty pink and purple fake sprigs to add “life” to the spilled pot appeal. Call me crazy, I’m convinced the red verbena got competitive and started blooming once surrounded by the fake blooms.

  • Real only..
  • With fake pink and purple…the red grew!
It was a work in progress. I knew it was right when the neighbor across the street exclaimed: “It’s beautiful!”

Like anything, it’s all about what brings you joy — and for me, pops of color, make me somersault happy! And knowing I can’t “kill” it makes me even happier! When the color fades, I’ll just run back up to Michael’s and buy some daisies!

You are never too old to mix it up…inside and out.

Mare