[DIY TIPS] Seven Ideas For Decorating Your Outdoor Living Space With Artificial Plants

Summer is fast approaching, and it’s almost time for backyard barbecues and pool parties. That means it’s time to spruce up those outdoor living spaces like pools, patios and porches.

An attractive outdoor living space will encourage your family to spend time outside, but no one wants to spend all their time outside doing chores like weeding and watering. You can enjoy a great outdoor living space without the hassle of caring for plants by incorporating fake plants into your decorating.

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Using artificial plants in your outdoor decor can not only cut down on the chores, it can help you create exactly the space you want because artificial plants aren’t constrained by access to sunlight or the right temperatures. Have a screened-in porch that gets limited sun? You can still have sunflowers or peonies on your porch.

Follow these seven tips to create an outdoor living space that is attractive and inviting – without the maintenance.

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Tip #1 – Make a plan.

Treat your outdoor living space like you would treat a room in your house or the landscaping in your yard. Create a plan for what you want it to look like. Consider these questions:

Do you have a theme? Tropical? Beach?
Do you have a particular color scheme in mind?
How will you use the space?
Where’s the most logical place for plants to go?

Next, draw up a plan for the types and sizes of plants you want to purchase. Then, find the containers that will work for the plants AND compliment the other outdoor decor and furniture on your patio or deck.

Tip #2 – Use different sized and colored containers.

Create contrast in your use of faux arrangements by varying the size of the containers. Group three or five containers of differing sizes together in the corner of a porch or patio to create an attractive focal point. Find plants that come in containers of different sizes that really stand out.

Remember, your container is as much a part of the decor as the plant, itself.

Put plants in containers of different sizes to create an attractive display. Check out this gorgeous Rosemary Poly Pot planter – perfect for your outdoor space!

Tip #3 – Choose colorful containers.

If you’re planning to use mostly shrubs and greenery in your outdoor setting, consider putting them in colorful containers to add some whimsy to the space. A bright-colored container can really brighten up a wood deck or grey concrete patio.

Look for uniquely shaped or stylish glass containers that compliment the plant. Check out this Pink Peony in a glass vase.

Tip #4 – Create a privacy screen.

Taller faux outdoor greenery can create a perimeter of privacy around your porch, patio or pool deck. The great thing about using artificial plants for this is you don’t have to worry about whether the plant will be tall enough or will grow too tall. You can get the perfect size every time.

Choose taller plants, like this Bamboo Wall Divider, to create a private space.

Pro Tip: If you are gardening, create an artificial garden screen around your outdoor garden to prevent bugs and animals from entering.

Tip #5 – Mix live and fake plants.

With high-quality artificial plants, it’s easy to mix faux and real plants because it will be difficult for people who visit your home to tell the difference. If you want the ease of artificial plants along with the aroma of live plants, create containers of both.

You can even mix fake and live plants together in the same container.

This set of Standing Red and White Amaryllis Flowers with bulb can easily be incorporated into a live plant and blend right in.

Another great plant to incorporate when mixing live and fake plants is the Snake Plant for outdoor usage.

Tip #6 – Don’t forget the table.

Include tabletop arrangements in your outdoor living space decorating plan. An attractive artificial arrangement on your outdoor table brings color and life to the space without attracting bugs to the place where you eat.

Be sure to choose a shorter arrangement so everyone can see across the table without having to move the arrangement.

This Yellow Sunflower Arrangement makes the perfect tabletop arrangement for any outdoor space.

If you are considering using live plants for your table centerpiece, think of outdoor cactus plants. These plants don’t attract many bugs and they can come in smaller containers.

Tip #7 – Fill up the perimeter.

Plants of any kind work best in the perimeter of your outdoor space. They create a physical end to the space and keep the walkways clear.

Faux plants provide plenty of benefits in outdoor spaces. Besides the obvious ease of maintenance, they also don’t add allergy-inducing pollens.

And using artificial plants for pool deck decorations can reduce the number of leaves that end up in the pool, reducing your pool chore time as well. Don’t forget to purchase plants that are UV-resistant and rotate the plants every few months to keep the sun from constantly hitting just one side.

This Faux White Cherry Blossom Arrangement can help add a unique touch to your pool deck, while not shedding leaves that have to be skimmed out.

Another idea to use your outdoor space is to add bigger plants such as big leaf outdoor plants, and shelving such as a 3 tier plant stand outdoor.

There you have it! Seven tips to help you incorporate artificial plants, trees, flowers, and shrubs into your outdoor decorations.

Want some more tips for decorating your outdoor space, check out this video:

And if you need even more inspiration, this Pinterest board has some great porch decorating ideas:

Be sure to let us see how you spruce up your outdoor space with faux plants by leaving a photo in the comments. And as always, be sure to let me know if you have any questions.

–Barb