Outdoors In

Every room is better with something green in it. The question is how much looking after you are willing to do. Outdoors In is our answer for both camps: real plants in good pots for the keen, and faux greenery that looks right from the sofa for everyone else.

The edit leans on Artificial Flora's faux plants and stems, from trailing string of hearts, pothos and philodendron to potted peperomia, orchids and lily of the valley, with olive branches, eucalyptus and hydrangea stems for vases. Potted planters including the Oslo, Milan and Vienna sit alongside Zakkia's Embers wall and table planters, Umbra's BELLWOOD raised planter, and a self-watering glass bottle planter for herbs and cuttings.

Trailing plants look best on high shelves or hanging from the ceiling, and a single tall branch in a heavy vase does more than a crowded bouquet. See our vases for somewhere to put your stems.

How do I make faux plants look real?
Put them in a real planter, bend the stems so they do not look perfectly symmetrical, and place them where light would plausibly reach. Mixing faux pieces among a few living plants also helps sell the effect.

How do I clean faux greenery?
Dust faux plants every few weeks with a soft brush, a microfibre cloth or a hairdryer on the cool setting. For heavier grime, wipe the leaves with a barely damp cloth, and keep them out of harsh direct sun to limit fading.

Which plants suit hanging or high shelves?
Trailing varieties are made for height. Our faux string of hearts, string of tears, pothos and philodendron micans spill over the edge of a shelf or hanging planter, softening hard lines in a way upright plants cannot.

What is a self-watering planter?
It holds a reservoir of water that the plant draws up as it needs, so you water less often. Our Esschert Design bottle planter uses upcycled glass, and the Potted Berlin is a self-watering ceramic option.