Best Faux Plants for the Front Porch

Every year in spring: I re-purchase hydrangeas & foxgloves for my front porch pots.  Those particular flowers never seem to survive the harsh Central Oregon winters (in a pot)!  This can get expensive though, if you’re re-buying plants every year.  So this spring: I’ve given serious thought to adding in two fake topiaries….next to REAL hydrangeas.  Because the thing about good fake plants is: almost no one can tell that they’re fake!  Here, we’ll discover some of the best faux plants for your front porch ~ that will fool everyone!

Best Faux Plants for the Front Porch, Girl Who Gardens

Are the plants on this front porch real….or fake?? We may never know, as faux plants have gotten so real-looking!

 

Buying Tip: When purchasing fake plants, it’s better to go for trees or shrubs ~ which look more realistic than fake flowers, & hold up better outside. Also, better faux plants cost more.  For instance, a cheap fake snake grass looks….well, cheap.  But this $69 snake grass on Amazon looks real.

 

You’ve got to spend a little bit more to get an authentic-looking plant.

Faux Snake Grass

Faux Olive Tree

Feather Read Grass

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 cedar pines (a type of evergreen) can work, particularly in a pair by the front door.
  • In a DROUGHT-TOLERANT OR MODERN, DESERT LANDSCAPE:  I’ve got three great picks for a more minimalist desert, or even Italian landscape: 1) Faux ficus trees help to add some nice green foliage; 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) Faux grasses are ideal for desert landscapes, & great for softening.
  • For a FRENCH COUNTRY FRONT PORCH:  Because French gardens are famed for their elegant shapes & neatly-trimmed hedges: faux boxwood or faux topiary balls 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, OR PACIFIC NORTHWEST LANDSCAPE:  With wild landscapes, grasses are the way to go.  Even placed next to real grasses: it’s hard to tell which is fake, & which is real.  Some great grasses available on Amazon are the distinctive snake grass, a more wispy-looking tall grass, & artificial feather read grass ~ which has fun white plumes on top, similar to Pampas grass.
  • On a SOUTHERN FRONT PORCHGigantic 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 abodes (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…

Best Faux Plants for the Front Porch, Girl Who Gardens

These faux cedar pines look good with many garden styles: traditional, cottage, & modern farmhouse.

Faux Cedar Pines

Faux Topiary Balls

Twirling Topiary

Front Porch Photo Inspo…

Best Faux Plants for the Front Porch, Girl Who Gardens

Small ferns look beautiful in a black pot, against a bright white front door.

Faux ferns work in a variety of landscapes: traditional, cottage, farmhouse, French country, & especially on Southern front porches. These wonderful faux ferns on Amazon are even larger & more bold than those above.

 

If they’re too large, simply trim for a more shaped look.

Amazing Fake Plants for Your Front Porch, Girl Who Gardens

Is this olive tree fake….or real?? Pretty hard to tell, right?

This artificial olive tree on Amazon not only ships via Prime ~ but it’s over 6 feet tall!  So for a real statement piece on your porch: this is a great choice.

Best Faux Plants for the Front Porch, Girl Who Gardens

Neat rows of boxwood lead to symmetrical pots with overflowing English ivy…

Best Faux Plants for the Front Porch, Girl Who Gardens

Topiaries + ferns look great with traditional, cottage, & Southern homes. Photo: Bless’er House.

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!

Best Fake Plants for the Front Porch, Girl Who Gardens

Large black urns + topiaries add a luxurious feel to the front of this home. The cute cat is a bonus! Photo: Our Southern Home.

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 Fake Plants for the Front Porch, Girl Who Gardens

If the above homes are too traditional-looking, & you want a more eclectic feel: opt for aged or mismatched planters, with cascading flowers.

Tall White Pots

Fake Ferns

Tall Bronze Pot

Best Faux Plants for the Front Porch

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Amazing Fake Plants for Your Front Porch, Girl Who Gardens