Things to Consider Before Buying Artificial Plants for Your Garden

A truly evergreen garden is the ultimate dream, which is why a lot of folks are opting for artificial plants for their garden. But building your artificial garden requires more than just buying a few fake plants and arranging them around your outdoor space!

Your garden needs to be a place that is not only beautiful to look at, it also needs to make sense for how you use your garden. More than that, it needs to reflect your personality and look cohesive with your indoor space too.

If creating a truly aesthetically pleasing artificial garden is what you’re after, there are a few different things to think about. From the best places to purchase artificial plants to how to style your new fake plants, we’re letting you in on the things to consider before buying artificial plants for your garden.

What to Look for When Buying Artificial Plants

The first step to creating a gorgeous artificial garden is, of course, purchasing artificial plants. There are plenty of options in the market, so how do you decide which plants to buy? Well, consider this your artificial plants guide!

1. Quality

One of the first things you need to consider is the quality of the product. Creating the perfect artificial garden serves no purpose if the plants fall apart within a few months! So make sure you do your research to find a manufacturer that is committed to quality.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself while you’re shopping for artificial plants:

• Is the manufacturer transparent about the plants’ materials and how it’s made??
• Does the manufacturer have a warranty for their products?
• Are the artificial plants UV-resistant, and appropriate for outdoor use?

2. Safety

The last thing you want from your artificial garden is for your plants to let off toxic chemicals that could harm wildlife, your pets, or even your children. It’s vital that you opt for non-toxic artificial plants that do not contain chemicals such as lead, mercury, boric acid, heavy metals, cadmium, PBBs, and PBDEs.

If you encounter a manufacturer or seller that refuses (or is unable) to disclose whether or not their products are non-toxic, run the other way! Your evergreen garden should never cost you and your family’s health and safety. At Designer Plants®, we have made sure that all our artificial greenery products are non-toxic and safe for all.

3. UV Protection

We’ve touched on this briefly, but it’s really important to find artificial plants that are UV resistant. The sun can do a lot of damage to artificial plants, with effects that include fading, cracking, and brittle leaves. Safe to say it’s not a good look!

Finding a manufacturer that creates plants that are UV resistant  (like us!) is the best option for your outdoor garden. This means that the plants you purchase are built with UV protection within its materials – it’s essentially protected from solar damage from the inside out.

If you’ve already purchased artificial plants that do not contain UV resistance, don’t panic! Our non-toxic, home-safe UV spray cleaners and protectors can be used on any artificial plant to protect it from further UV damage.

4. Design

At the end of the day, you want to be able to enjoy your garden views, so make sure to choose artificial plants that suit your personal taste.

There is a huge range of plant designs out there, all inspired by their real life counterparts. So have a look at the different landscaping and real plant ideas, and then adjust your own garden design accordingly!

We always recommend sticking to a theme so that your plant choices make sense and blend together really well. You should also consider the hardscaping elements that already exist in your garden, such as pools or fencing.

5. Size & Scale

It’s imperative that you measure out your outdoor space so you know the size limits and requirements for your artificial garden! There’s nothing more disappointing than receiving your brand new artificial plants and realising that they simply won’t fit in your outdoor area.

Don’t just measure floor space – make sure to include vertical space as well! If your artificial garden will be on a balcony or any space with roof coverage, you want to make sure your plants aren’t too tall to fit.

If limited space is a big concern for you, consider installing an artificial vertical garden instead. Not only is this a clever use of limited space, it adds a massive visual statement! There is a range of green wall panels with different foliage to choose from in our online store, but you could also make a custom bespoke vertical garden of your choice.

6. Location

The location of your artificial garden may impact its longevity and durability, so it’s important to consider where you’re placing your plants. Spots with complete or partial shade are best when it comes to avoiding sun damage, but you should also consider placing your fake plants away from harsh winds or heavy rains, as these can also damage your artificial garden plants.

This is just one of the many things to consider when it comes to protecting your artificial outdoor plants, but it’s truly one of the most important factors to your artificial garden’s looks for the long-term. If you still want to place your plants where it might be exposed to sun or harsh weather conditions, you can still boost their longevity by swapping out plants every once in a while.

7. Installation

If you opt for an artificial vertical garden, you need to consider how you’re going to install it. It’s actually really easy to install our green wall panels on existing surfaces, including wood, steel, brick, and even cement – just watch our artificial vertical garden installation videos to see how easy it is!

Of course, if you’d rather have a professional install your vertical garden, we can help! Simply contact us to arrange your installation and we can get our trusted partners to do the hard work for you.

8. Maintenance

It’s low maintenance nature is one of the main reasons most people would opt for an artificial garden, but while infrequent (especially compared to real plants), you will still need to do some form of maintenance for your artificial plants.

Cleaning your artificial plants not only keeps them looking good, it’s also a great opportunity to check on the colour and condition of your plants.

Every few months, simply dust and clean your fake plants with a mild cleaning solution, like our UV Home-Safe Plant Cleaner. Don’t forget to spray on some UV Protection Spray while you’re at it! By doing this, you’re ensuring that your artificial garden looks fresh for years to come.

Plastic Plants vs. Fabric Plants

There are two types of artificial plant materials to choose from, and each has their own pros and cons.

Plastic plants are generally more durable, and are much easier to maintain due to being fairly solid. They do have a sheen to them that sometimes looks, well, a little plastic. This is great for certain leaves and plant types though! For example, plastic fake plants perfectly replicate the look of ivy leaves and boxwood hedges.

Fabric plants are a little more sensitive to solar damage and rough handling, but they are an unbeatable choice if you want certain plants that require a more translucent look to appear realistic. Take, for example, the white aglaonema plant, which features expressive large leaves that are sure to turn heads in any artificial garden.

When it comes to choosing between plastic plants or fabric plants, consider the location and maintenance required for each type. Most importantly, really think about each individual plant and how it will look in your garden. There’s no harm in experimenting with mixing both types of plants, after all!

Tips for Styling Artificial Plants

Finding decorative artificial plants for your garden is the first step. Next, you need to figure out how to use these artificial plants for decoration!

We always recommend starting with plants that you know you love. Popular plants like monstera deliciosa, snake plants, topiaries, palms, and bamboo are all very familiar options that will suit even the beginner DIY garden designer.

From there, look at playing with colours, scale, and size when it comes to complementing these plants. Can you include a couple of artificial tall trees to break up the space? Or perhaps some fake flowering plants might brighten up all that green? Maybe you could even consider hanging plants!

The options are truly endless, so we suggest looking at garden and landscaping inspiration in design magazines and on Pinterest. That way, you can see the different plant styling options out there and adapt it to your own outdoor space.

Where to Buy Fake Plants

Not every artificial plant supplier is created equal, so it’s vital to do your research to find a reliable and trustworthy supplier. When it comes to where to buy artificial plants, the best option is to see the plants in person. You can truly get a feel for the plants and learn more about the company you’re buying from by seeing them in action.

Our massive Designer Plants® warehouse in Moorabbin is home to our vast range of artificial plants and vertical gardens, and it’s the perfect place to start! You’ll not only be able to shop our huge range of artificial greenery, you’ll also have access to our helpful and knowledgeable staff who can answer all your questions right then and there.

We also have showrooms in Queensland, so if you’re further north, that may be the best place for you to go.

If shopping for artificial plants in person is not an option for you due to distance or – as is the case more recently – government mandated closures, you can still have a look at certain products in real life before committing to a full size version! Our green wall panel samples are a popular option for a lot of our customers, so definitely consider ordering a few to test out.

Of course, if you know exactly what you’re looking for, and you’ve done all the research, you can buy any of our products online right now via our Designer Plants® online store. You’ll rest easy knowing that you’ll be purchasing non-toxic, low-maintenance, superior quality products at a fair price always.

Create the Artificial Garden of Your Dreams!

With these tips and tricks, you’ll be able to create your dream artificial garden in no time! While there may seem like there are a lot of things to consider before buying artificial plants for your garden, having a long-lasting garden that you can be proud of for many years will make it worth your while.

If you need help creating your artificial outdoor garden, definitely get in touch with us! Our team of artificial plant experts have years of knowledge and expertise. They’ll be able to help you find the right solutions to create the perfect artificial garden for your space.