I’ve recently discovered some online artificial flowers from Alex James that I think are beautiful and look wonderful either on their own or mixed with a fresh supermarket bunch.
I aim to have a few flowers in the hall, living room and kitchen all year around and do that by having just two or three stems in a nice old vase. You can see some of the vases here How to have cut flowers from your small garden
Newly discovered lifelike flowers
Up to now I’ve pooh poohed any kind of artificial flower or greenery. I go around fingering arrangements in public places turning my nose up when I find a plastic leaf or a silk orchid. Too many dirty dusty plastic flowers in the 1970s had made me rather snooty. I doubt I’m the only one.
Lately though the artificial flowers on offer have transformed my opinion of them.
Here is my first attempt at arranging Alex’s flowers
Clematis, anemone, peony, hellebore, roses and eucalyptus in an old vase
You can compare the two below…..
An artificial rose
A real rose from the garden
My current experiments with artificial flowers
Here’s a vase of a mixture of Alex’s flowers
All artificial flowers in a Victorian jug
and here’s a vase with a few alstroemeria in water with added artificial clematis, soft peach rudbeckia, anemone and hellebores.
Victorian cranberry vase and mixed flowers
Here are a few supermarket roses mixed in with artificial nigella, lisianthus, astrantia and cosmos.
I particularly like the Aged Pink Garden Rose
Aged pink garden rose
I I had something that lovely growing in the garden I couldn’t bring myself to cut it, but now I can grow roses and cut the odd one or two
AND have big blowsy ones for bigger vases.
I’m wondering what other people’s thoughts and opinions are about artificial flowers – I’d love to hear.
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Best wishes to all,
Julie
ooh…They are pretty
Oh thankyou Beverley, but I’ve had a horrid error happen where the blog has distorted all the photos, squashed them and cut bits off. I’d be very grateful if you could report back to me whether the photos you see are full size or have tops missing, or a squashed flat. I’m ever so fed up! Thanks, Julie
I do this with houseplants. I have a few dark corners that won’t support living plants. You’re exactly right; just a FEW mixed in is the ticket!
Oh that’s such a clever idea. I don’t have houseplants because they shrivel and die the minute I bring them home but I really fancy the idea of artificial greenery that won’t need constant care softening the corner of the bath or for indoors generally. Oh dear! Another opportunity to buy stuff!! Best wishes and thankyou for commenting, Julie
So many lovely flowers in one post!
Thankyou so much Barbara, so glad you liked the pics. Best wishes, Julie
An admirably brave post, Julie. I agree with you, while there is alas still some trashy stuff around, fakery has come on in leaps and bounds particularly over the past decade or so. Combinations of the best in a classy vase is an inspired idea: Infinitely recyclable flowers, allowing changeable mixes with garden foliage, berries and flowers from ones own, inevitably limited patch. More power to your elbow. 👍🏻
Thanks so much Helen, that’s really cheered me up. Just before publishing I must have done something daft with my photos because they all came out squashed and the wrong size, with bits missing and I couldn’t rectify it but I’m getting such lovely comments and ideas I feel much better now. I’m excited by the idea of artificial houseplants – I’m the kiss of death to all houseplants but fake ones would be a great idea. I would never have thought of it. So much to learn from others…….
Oh and I forgot to say, I agree with Linda too. There are some great fake little succulents that trail very effectively – off shelves in lightless loos and bathrooms, for example.. I learnt that one from my urban son, which is a first…
Beautiful flowers. What a grand idea. Thank you so much, and to reply to your concern about photos being distorted, they ae not on my end.
Cheers
Oh thanks so much for your reply. and happy to hear you think it’s a grand idea. Best wishes Julie
I wondered what the flowers, which look absolutely beautiful, are made of? I try to only buy locally grown flowers, to supplement those in my garden, and use dried flowers in the winter, as well as houseplants. I’m getting better with houseplants, which I admit are not always easy.
His website does say but I’ve forgotten the exact word – I know they are some kind of polyester fabric. Some have a real feel and really do feel like real petals which is weird and most are just fabric. They all look pretty lifelike I’d say. I’ve had trouble with dried flowers – they seem to turn to dust and are so straight and difficult to add into other things. Have you? Thanks so much for your comment, best wishes, Julie