Is there a place for fake plants in the garden?
Georgina O’Grady, Managing Director at artificial plant supplier Evergreen Direct
I think the key is to use faux plants in gardens as a supplement, not as a replacement for living plants. In an ideal situation, we would have only living plants. However, in places where there are challenges such as limited access to water, planning restrictions or in households where people have allergies or there are financial constraints, this is not always possible. In such cases, artificial plants may be the only viable greenery, with the bonus of being low maintenance and reliably evergreen year-round.
With the growing population, many gardens are now on balconies and roof terraces where water sources are scarce, and access for large, heavy-weight items is restricted. In these spaces, artificial plants may be the only feasible option to introduce some greenery, from small olive or laurel trees, to ferns, grasses and ivy, to more tropical plants that are ideal for styling indoors or out.
Planning restrictions may in some situations prevent the planting of high hedges in the ground, or installation of permanent fences or walls that may be required for creating a garden boundary for privacy or for containing pets or keeping children safe. Artificial hedges can be considered temporary structures due to being free-standing (rather than planted in the ground), secured by removable weights at the base. In such a scenario, they may be a potential option, and can be made to bespoke requirements in terms of height – especially helpful for front gardens or balconies – or hedge type such as box or privet.
Addressing environmental concerns, it is undeniable that artificial plants have a front-loaded environmental impact because of the plastic used in their manufacture. However, it is crucial to choose a supplier that offsets this impact.
Living plants, on the other hand, require continuous resources such as water and may need fertiliser or pesticides. Plants that have not been cared for properly often end up in landfill, plastic pots and all. The cumulative effect of using these resources over the lifespan of a plant may even surpass the upfront environmental impact of using faux ones.
At a time when gardeners can play a hugely important role in helping to address the devastating impacts of biodiversity loss and climate change, particularly the threat of extreme temperatu
