Best Faux Plants for the Front Porch

Every year in spring: I re-purchase hydrangeas for my front porch pots.  Big-leaf hydrangeas rarely survive the harsh Central Oregon winters in a pot!  This can get expensive though, to re-buy plants each year.  So this spring: I’ve given serious thought to adding two fake topiaries….next to REAL hydrangeas.  Because the thing about good fake plants is: almost no one can tell they’re fake!  Here, we’ll discover some of the best faux plants for your front porch ~ that will fool everyone!

Two favorites that I’ve put on my own front porch?Faux ferns look good year-round, & small staked cypress plants work well in my tall, blue pots!

 

Best Faux Plants for Each Garden Type:

•  In a TRADITIONAL OR COTTAGE GARDEN:  Traditional homes & cottage gardens look great with large ferns cascading over a statement urn, or any kind of topiary (from tall ones to smaller, round balls).  Even classic cypress trees can work, especially in a pair by the front door.
• In a MODERN, DESERT LANDSCAPE:  1) Faux palm trees help to add that tropical, desert feel ~ whether on the front porch, or out by the pool; 2) Faux olive trees are a beautiful way to soften the landscape, & are drought-tolerant in real life: making them a realistic addition.  Or 3) These faux agave plantsare SO real-looking!!  Ideal for desert landscapes.
• For a FRENCH COUNTRY FRONT PORCH:  Because French gardens are famed for their elegant shapes & neatly-trimmed hedges: faux boxwood or faux topiary really compliment the French style.  And don’t forget about accents, such as a beautiful tiered fountain.  If you can place topiaries or fountains by a hedge of white hydrangeas: all the better.  Large statement urns are also the epitome of French style.
• In a WILD, NATURAL LANDSCAPE:  With wild landscapes, grasses are the way to go.  Even placed next to real grasses: it’s hard to tell which is fake.  Agave plants look amazing ~ & will make an absolute statement on your front porch.  Artificial feather read grass is tall & wispy (it can also hide things, due to its height) ~ & looks great in almost any yard.
• On a SOUTHERN FRONT PORCH:  Gigantic ferns really say, “Southern Home!!”  As do hydrangeas….but I’ve rarely seen good fake hydrangeas that can withstand the elements.  Twirling topiaries look amazing on a Southern front porch, especially surrounded by real flowers & shrubs. 
• For a MODERN FARMHOUSE FRONT PORCH:  Modern farmhouse homes (a style popularized by Chip & Joanna Gaines) will want to steer clear of anything too cutesy (like topiaries).  Instead, stick with something more simple: such as a pair of faux evergreens by the front door, like in the photo below…

Front Porch Photo Inspo…

Faux ferns work in a variety of landscapes: traditional, cottage, farmhouse, French country, & especially on Southern front porches. Wayfair makes some of the best faux ferns (mine have lasted for 3+ years outside)!

This artificial olive tree from Wayfair comes in 4 different sizes ~ a size for every yard! Olive trees are a classic piece, & work well in many different yards.

Topiary plants add instant class & a sense of luxury to any home. Real ones require frequent watering & pruning: but faux topiaries look great, with no work!

Beautiful large black or beige urns look amazing with topiaries, ferns, boxwoods, & smaller rounded bushes, & work well for traditional, Southern, or French country homes.

Best Faux Plants for the Front Porch

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