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Best artificial flowers: Faux bouquets and pretty arrangements to brighten your home

As much as we adore having fresh flowers in the house, we can’t say the same for our bank balance. Displaying good blooms on the regular costs, but there’s a way to mimic the effect without racking up a serious floristry bill: faux flowers.

Now, now, what’s that look for? Faux can be just as fabulous as fresh but with added longevity and the guiltless freedom to fill your house with out-of-season blooms if you like. Gone are the days of dust-magnet silk roses and tatty daisies: the new gen of artificial flowers will have you feeling like they’re the real deal. Artificial Flower Sprays

Best artificial flowers: Faux bouquets and pretty arrangements to brighten your home

Yes, they won’t emanate the same heavenly scent, but the list of pros is lengthy. They’re excellent for allergy sufferers, won’t wilt in the sunlight, they’re eco-friendly and kinder of the wallet as they’ll hardly need replacing.

Another big plus is that you can use faux stems as decor in areas that you wouldn’t normally display flowers, like the loo or bathroom. While it feels somewhat cruel to confuse bees by placing faux flowers in outdoor window boxes and gardens, indoors is another story. They can be displayed pride of place, or act as a blur of colour and texture to inject interest in corners and spaces in the home.

Make it forever spring in your home and see our favourite artificial flower arrangements below.

Welcome moody magic in the form of faux flowers, courtesy of interiors expert Abigail Ahern. The brand has these deep plum-coloured chrysanthemums in sale by the stem allowing you to build the look into an existing artificial arrangement or display multiple ones of the same en masse. You’ll need 10 to achieve the look we’ve showcased here.

Bring your vases out of retirement and fill them with this punchy, bright arrangement, made up of faux hydrangeas, hops and peonies stems. The hyper-realistic bunch promises to liven up any corner of the home with its attractive mix of petals and foliage.

Inspired by the riot of colour that sweeps the nation’s gardens in the summer, this bouquet pairs Union Jack colours alongside classic English roses. The timeless look will work well in all sorts of settings, but light, airy conservatories are the best. Secured in resin and delivered in a footed glass vase, it’d make a lovely housewarming gift too.

Channel rustic vibes with with this bright arrangement bursting with sunny marigolds - that’s one way to see off ghastly weather. The design comes secured in a vintage-style metal milk churn with lots of foliage to act as a filler.

Mood lagging? One look at this sunflower-themed bouquet is enough to lift your spirits. The just-picked look is designed to remind you of lazy summer days when the air is warm and the days stretch well into the evening. The bunch contains 14 stems in an array of sunshine tones.

So often faux flowers are cheerful bundles of roses, so it’s refreshing to find this dramatic Amaranthus Stem on Abigail Ahern’s digital aisles. Designed to fall like a tassel, it’s perfect for adding to hanging baskets as well as arranging in a big dramatic floor vase, as shown. If you want to mimic this look, you’ll need at least a dozen stems.

Enjoy the simple pleasures of a bunch of poppies with this arrangement of six stems in a cheerful coral hue. The silk petals sit on wired stems so that you can position them exactly as you like. If you’re setting them in a vase it’s best to get two or three bunches to achieve a fuller look.

Bring an edgier floral look to your surfaces with Layered Lounge’s hyper-realistic bouquet. It brings hydrangeas with green foliage with an added splash of colour courtesy of the blueberry stems.

For those who still need convincing on faux flowers, the best advice we can give is to keep it simple. Dunelm has nailed the brief with this elegant look that puts rich green stems inside a chic glass vase. The fresh look is perfect for adding to bookshelves and beside lamps, offering a pop of colour at a price we just can’t believe.

Faux flowers aren’t just for the home; they can brighten up the office or bring down the floristry cost in weddings too. Ranunculus is a bridal favourite but if you want to deck your entire venue with the blooms, you’ll find the estimate could run into the thousands. Save the real stuff for your bouquet and head table, and fill out the rest with faux, like this gathered bunch of silk flowers. They’ll look just as good in the wedding snaps, but for a snip of the cost.

If you’re looking for something a bit different or want a centrepiece that will get guests talking, Bloom’s Hawthorne Branch design could be it. Looking as if it’s been plucked straight off a woodland floor, the whimsical look sets wildflowers with leafy greenery.

Flowerheads hotly anticipate peony season (a short window between April and June) to get their hands on the romantic, fragrant petals. Buy faux and you can enjoy the look all year long. This peony bouquet dupe mixes hydrangeas and grass in with the star of the show to give it a realistic effect. They look so good you’d have to touch it to see they’re not real.

Show-stopping style that will never wilt or die? Head to OKA; its range of artificial flowers and plants is seriously impressive. For standout style, we’re into this sculptural orchid look, set inside a decorative base that requires zero maintenance aside from a light dusting. That’s our kind of gardening.

The unusual look of blue flowers is precisely what makes them so distinctive. Admire the beauty of Scottish wildflowers year round with this stunning display from Blooming Artificial. In the mix you’ll find thistles, blue delphiniums, wild foliage and the odd cream white roses.

Best artificial flowers: Faux bouquets and pretty arrangements to brighten your home

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