We know a lot about realistic artificial plants, and over the years we’ve helped thousands of customers choose, style and position plants so they look as natural as possible. Whether you are deciding which size plant will suit your space or wondering how to secure artificial trees outdoors, a few simple techniques can make a big difference.
Choosing the correct size is often the first step. All of our plants are measured at their highest point, but the final height can vary slightly depending on how the leaves or branches are arranged, particularly on plants with wired stems. When measuring your space, it is worth remembering that extra height can easily be created by placing the plant inside a larger decorative planter and raising it slightly. Standing the plant on bricks or stones inside the planter before covering the base with gravel or decorative stones is a simple way to achieve the perfect height while creating a more realistic finish.
Making artificial plants look real usually comes down to careful shaping. After unpacking your plant, remove all packaging and stand it on a flat surface. Starting from the bottom, gently separate and arrange the leaves so they sit naturally rather than tightly grouped together. For plants with wired stems, the leaves can be shaped by holding the stem in one hand and gently curving the leaf into position. Looking at photos of the real plant species can help guide how the foliage should sit.
For outdoor use, many customers ask how to secure artificial trees and topiary. A common method is placing the plant inside a larger planter and fixing the planter to the ground through the drainage hole. The base can then be filled with gravel for additional weight and stability.
To keep artificial plants looking their best outside, turning them every few weeks helps ensure any natural fading occurs evenly. Occasional cleaning and the use of UV protection spray can also help maintain their appearance over time.
One of our plants – a 90cm Large Realistic Variegated Rubber Plant Artificial Plant Tree Ficus Elastica
How do I know what size plant I need for my space?
All our plants are measured at their highest points. The actual height will vary depending on how you arrange the leaves in the case of the wired stem plants.
An additional helpful tip when you are measuring for outdoor artificial topiaries is that additional height can be added by purchasing a larger planter then standing the plant on bricks inside it before covering with gravel or similar. Examples of this can be seen in our photographs on the topiary pages.
How can I make my artificial plant look real?
This is a really key question for many of our customers. Our plants are high grade and ultra-realistic but the key to making them look absolutely real is to spend some time dressing out the leaves and checking the plant from all angles. If you have purchased one of our plants with wired leaves you can try the following;
- Unpack the plant and stand it on a flat surface, removing outer packaging and plastics.
- Starting at the bottom, carefully fold out the leaves. It can help to look at our pictures or a photograph of the real type of plant you have purchased to get an idea of how the leaves should sit.
- To get a natural curve on the leaves carefully hold the tip in one hand and the stem in the other and run you hand along the curve to bend it gently into shape.
- Look at the plant from all angles making sure there are no gaps and your plant is well dressed out and ready to pot.
- Put the plant inside a larger planter. You can stand it on bricks to raise the height inside.
- Cover the base of the pot with a layer of ornamental gravel or soil. We have some customers who have planted real moss at the base of their artificial plants to make them look more realistic.
How can I secure my artificial trees and topiary outside?
We get asked this frequently! Whether you live in the windiest place in England and don’t want your plants blowing over or if you need to site your topiaries in an area where you are worried about them being stolen we can help. Having experimented with various methods we have found the best one to be putting the plants inside a larger planter which is then bolted to the floor through the drainage hole. For most areas this is enough especially if you cover the plant base with gravel (the heavier the better). To prevent theft the best method is to chain around the plant and fix the chain to a bolt in the floor inside a larger planter then fill with gravel. A less secure but more simplistic method is to twist garden wire around the plant base and a bolt inside the planter and cover with gravel. When using outdoors, many of our trees contain natural wood, so allowing the base to sit in water may cause damage over time. If you place the tree in a larger decorative planter, ensure the pot sits below the level of the substrate and does not have a rim that could trap water.
Please note, we recommend moving outdoor plants and trees to a sheltered position, ideally indoors in high winds as extremely windy conditions can cause damage.
How can I keep my plants looking good outside?
Where artificial plants will be used outside we recommend turning them every couple of weeks to ensure that any fading (which will happen with all artificial plants over extended periods of time) is even and less noticeable. Shielding your plants from extremes of weather is also advisable. Any factory applied UV coatings will naturally degrade over time. We recommend topping up the UV resistance of your plants every few months using a product such as a marine UV protection spray (available from most car shops or google).
We hope you have found this brief guide regarding our artificial plants and trees helpful. If there are any questions you think we should include or information you would like to know please get in touch with us and we will be happy to help.
