Monday, February 21, 2022

A Fabulous Faux Tree and Faux Plant Tips

Weeping Eucalyptus

I love faux trees for indoors. I know there are faux deniers out there, but faux plants are durable, versatile, cost effective, maintenance free, and hypoallergenic. You can use one to brighten a dark corner where a live plant will never work. Faux trees today are like artificial Christmas trees - both have come so far they look real.

Here are my tips for making them look great.

  1. Usually the pot is just black plastic or too dinky or too ugly. Upgrade the planter if necessary - it should be about two thirds the width of the plant. If you are buying a new planter, leave the tree in the original pot. If the new planter is too tall - great - the tree will look taller if you prop it up on bricks or an overturned clay pot or whatever. Then stuff bricks or bubble wrap or styrofoam or plastic trash bags around the original pot to secure it in the new planter so it doesn't tip. 

2. The plant will need fluffing out of the box just like when you set up an artificial Christmas tree. Arrange and adjust the branches and the leaves. Don't be afraid to remove leaves - I find a lot of faux plants are too bushy. With large leaves like fiddle leaf figs, I generally position the leaves to face forward - the backs of the leaves usually look fake. This is not as necessary with small leaves. Top with a nice thick layer of preserved sheet moss. 

I love the Weeping Eucalyptus above. It has elegant lines and does not take up too much visual or physical space. The container is actually very nice which is highly unusual. It would also look great in a basket or blue and white Chinese fishbowl. It has a bamboo like quality which makes it Chinoiserie Chic in my book.

It looks a lot like this one I posted on yesterday. 


Mark D. Sikes

Here's another photo of it with the link in the caption.


73" Faux Weeping Eucalyptus Tree in Pot with Studio McGee


Here are some other options I really like. I definitely prefer faux trees that show more trunk and are sparser. I find them more elegant and far easier to use without taking over a room.


82" Olive Tree


72" Artificial Ficus Tree in Pot with Studio McGee


I hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend. I have been doing lots of shopping, gardening, and cooking on my gorgeous new induction range.






7 comments:

  1. Love all of these, very life-like.

    Now if anyone knows the answer to this it'll most likely be you, Beth: Last year I have gotten a beautiful faux palm tree but it arrived with some of the frond tips bent, no doubt affected by poor packing/shipping. I tried to futz with them, bend them the other way, etc. but nothing helped. Short of trying a hairdryer (afraid to mess it up further) I am at a loss and the seller is unresponsive. Not the end of the world, but it bugs me. Any ideas?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I too have read that a hair dryer works - use on cool setting and don't leave it in one spot - move it around. Why not try it on one little spot as a test?

      Delete
    2. I also read that ironing might work so yeah, a bit of an experimentation won't hurt. I'll try a coolish setting maybe between damp cloth.

      Delete
  2. Since you have the work of Mark D. Sikes shown up above, I was wondering if you had heard that Dr. Jill Biden has tapped him to decorate her East Wing office? I may not agree with her politically but I can't deny her good taste in designers!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I saw that on his Instagram account. Very exciting.

      Delete
  3. What is the source for your beautiful eucalyptus?

    ReplyDelete