Stems / Ferns

Single stems run from about 20 centimetres, as with the aloe vera stem, up to 50 centimetres for the long white lavender and the dense English lavender. Rose and grass stems sit in the 30 to 35 centimetre band, and the money leaf stem is 32 centimetres. Ivy and pothos garlands are the outlier at 260 centimetres per length, supplied five to a pack.

Yes, the two terms are used interchangeably by shoppers. The differences that actually matter within this range are frond construction and density: a Boston fern at 102 centimetres carries long arching fronds meant to hang, while a lady fern at 40 centimetres is compact and upright for a pot. Both are described as artificial here, but either search term lands you in the same place.

The maidenhair fern stem is 40 centimetres and built around the small fan-shaped leaflets that make the living plant recognisable, which is what carries it at close range on a desk, a bathroom vanity or a bedside table. Maidenhair is one of the hardest ferns to keep alive indoors because it needs constant humidity, so this is one of the more practical substitutions in the range.

Stems in this collection are mostly foliage: ferns, grasses, ivy, money leaf and trailing greenery, used as filler and structure in an arrangement. Blooms as the main event, including roses, orchids, lavender and peace lilies, sit in the artificial flowering plants range. Most arrangements use both, with foliage stems forming the shape and flowering stems providing the colour.

Six to nine stems fills a standard vase without looking crowded, and one or two suit a bud vase. Mix leaf shapes rather than repeating one: a few 30 centimetre dark fern stems behind a 32 centimetre money leaf and a 35 centimetre tipped grass gives depth that nine identical stems never will. Set the tallest stem at roughly one and a half times the vase height.

The UV resistant products can, and most of this range is UV resistant, including the 30 centimetre dark fern stem, the 30 centimetre flowering boxwood stem and the 40 centimetre lady fern. Those carry UVTex inhibitors bonded inside the leaf. Covered positions such as pergolas, verandahs and patio shelving suit them best, since a hanging basket in full exposed wind will need re-fixing.

Hanging pieces such as the 110 centimetre fern basket and the 102 centimetre Boston fern are supplied ready to hang from a ceiling hook or bracket rated for their weight. Position them so the lowest fronds sit above head height in a walkway, and rotate the basket a quarter turn every few months if one side faces a window, which keeps the shape even.

Fine-leaf pieces like the maidenhair fern and the Spanish moss are best cleaned with a cool hairdryer or a soft brush rather than a cloth, which can catch and pull the leaflets. Broader stems wipe down easily. UV resistant outdoor pieces can be rinsed and shaken out. Worn stems can be returned through the Designer Plants artificial greenery recycling programme.