Permanent Botanical Decor! Say What?

Date: February 6, 2019
Author: Sweetwater Style

I learned a new fancy name for “fake flowers”. You can now call them  “permanent botanicals”!
You all know how much I love fresh cut flowers!
The whole idea of our little Sweetwater Floral business is about fresh flowers on a budget!
BUT….
Lately there seems to be a lot of buzz out there about using permanent botanicals.
Permanent botanicals have come a long way from the plastic posies that we love to hate!

 Around Sweetwater….Faux Florals
White Hydrangea with real and artificial greens.

 The purple Hydrangea blooms mimic the way real ones dry.
I added real greens here too.

The close up of the tulips show them up for what they are….not so wonderful as a centerpiece.

BUT….tucked in a corner and arranged to mimic the way real tulips fall over….they look better.

Notice the water in the vase….to fool they eye!

When one of our brides wanted peonies in her bouquet….in NOVEMBER….
we used a couple fabulous faux blooms that had a lot more staying power than the real thing.
I would have to say….stunning!

 These artificial blooms can be found at thrift stores and craft stores like Michaels and Hobby Lobby. When you look at the thrift store blooms you need to keep an open mind. Those aubergine hydrangea were part of a god awful arrangement that I took apart. Keep and eye out for greenery too.

Stores like Home Goods and Pottery Barn sell very realistic arrangements.  You will pay dearly for them but it may be worth it.  Watch the sales at Wayfair and Joss & Main too.

HINT: Take a look at how these expensive arrangements are done.  Then you can copy them with your own cheaper versions.

And then there are fake plants!  They have always had the worst reputations. I always think about them tucked way up high on a shelf gathering dust.  I have been noticing lots of permanent greens all over…..Target, Pottery Barn, IKEA…..

I got these gorgeous Monstera leaves in the Target clearance aisle.
They look pretty nice mixed with the real potted plants.

I scored a “grab bag” of succulents at the thrift store.
This little succulent garden could certainly fool you into thinking it was real.
My live succulents never do very well indoors….so this is a nice way to have the look.
The Dollar Store is a great source for mini succulents.

 I know that I will never “really” be satisfied with only using permanent botanicals ….no matter how fancy the name sounds.

I learned some tips and tricks while I was doing my research or this post.
If you decide to go the FAUX route, you might want to check out these links.

  • Real vs. Fake Plant Quiz 
    • See if you can tell the difference between these high quality fakes and the real thing.  Great ideas for “staging” your plants.
  • Petals.com
    • Take some time to look at all the examples of the arrangements they sell.  You are sure to be inspired.


I don’t expect that I will be moving to the DARK side and using permanent botanicals more often than real ones.  There is something so decadent about gathering an armful of blooms at the grocery store or florist.  And hey….everyone needs at least ONE vice!

I will however keep my mind (and eyes) open for ways to use the permanent flora around Sweetwater.

Oh…one last and very important tip: Be sure to remove the tags on your purchased greens!

Have A Great Day!