If you’ve been here for awhile you probably know that I’m just an old fashioned apron wearing girl…. down to earth and a ‘what you see is what you get’ type.
So, it may surprise you to find out that sometimes… I fake it!!
I know it’s hard to believe and I certainly didn’t set out to deceive anyone, but over time the deceit grew!!
Today I’m coming clean and sharing my cheating ways…
In fact, I think you’ll like this too!!
[fresh azaleas from our garden]
Let me take you back to when I was a newlywed. We built our own home and had quite a big garden. It was a cottage garden filled with plants that flowered all year through.
I’ve always believed that fresh flowers make a house a home. It’s the little touches… right?
Not florist type arrangements, but more your posy of fresh flowers in a vase, jug, teapot…or whatever you’ve got.
[just to confuse you, one fresh and one fake]
So that’s how it started out. I picked flowers every other day and filled the vases around our home. Over time my posies got bigger and better and everyone just expected them. It was kind of my thing I guess.
Then there were times when there just wasn’t enough in my garden to meet my needs, so I’d pick up a bunch of flowers from the grocers and added them to my own home grown flowers. That worked and all was well.
[fresh, but heat wilted roses]
Next came a move to a different state with a more humid and coastal climate. The gardens were different. The cottage plants I loved just didn’t thrive here and the humidity killed off any thoughts of buying fresh flowers… in fact, flowers just aren’t available here like they are in the city. I was struggling to fill my need for fresh blooms around my house.
This is when I had to get creative!!
[Fresh bouquet with a couple of fake flowers in the mix]
I had a few tropical flowering plants in the garden, but not enough to make big posies, so I compromised… I purchase a few good quality silk flowers to ‘fluff’ out my arrangements.
And, no one noticed.
As time went by I got even bolder. I purchased more silk flowers and in the heat of an Aussie summer, I managed to fill my home with beautiful floral posies…
And still no one noticed the fakes!
[fresh greens with fake flowers]
In fact, people often lean over to sniff my pretty flowers in the office… and I say, “oh they don’t have a strong scent”.
Are you wondering how I get away with faking it?
[fresh tropical bouquet with 3 fake stock stems]
Well, I think it is all due to the greenery. I live in a rainforest and literally have acres and acres of fresh greenery at my disposal.
I simply make a posy using whatever flowers I’ve got fresh, add in some fakes and fill the rest with fresh greenery. Easy peasy!!
My deceit is so good that I’ve picked up a few extra tips;
- like dusting a little brown eye shadow over the odd outer petal of a silk flower so they don’t look too perfect,
- or having a couple of loose fresh petals scattered below the posy… just like they fell from a withered bloom,
- never let your fake flowers get dusty!
- have realistic colours,
- some fakes are more realistic than others eg. stocks, roses, peonies, gerberas.
I know, I know… it’s very naughty of me,
But I’m sharing these tips so you too can fake it if you need to.
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Happy crafting my friends,
Hugs – Kerryanne
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You have amazing taste! Lovely choices!!
Thanks Anne. I stick to a fairly neutral colour palette of blush, whites and creams, so that makes it easy.
You are such a smart cookie!! Seriously… why have I never thought of that?!!
Thanks for coming clean and sharing your tip,Kerryanne. Have a great day!
I feel a tad guilty when people lean in to smell my flowers Diane, but it won’t stop me sneaking those fakes in!! Thanks for visiting today 🙂
I’m putting away my “fakes” from summer and wondering if I should keep them as they are several years old. I love the flowers, so, thanks for giving me permission to do so! You gave me great ideas for seasonal changes that will help me to keep my arrangements “fresh”.
I’m so happy my post was helpful for you Elaine. Keep you ‘fakes’ and it will be our little secret 😉
Your arrangements always look fabulous. I don’t think it matters if there are ‘fake’ blooms amongst them as it all ‘works’.
Toni xx
Thanks Toni… I agree!! xxx
Thanks for the brown eye shadow tip! I use silks all the time…and continued to do so even when they were out of fashion there for a while…but they have to be high end. Much of what is sold, even in the chain craft stores, is not very good quality. You have to pick and choose…and I’m so jealous that you have all that luscious natural greenery to work with. That would really make a difference.
I agree Teddee Grace, you do have to buy the expensive artificial blooms to get realistic ones. I know how much I used to spend on buying fresh flowers and a once a year purchase of artificial flowers is still way cheaper. It’s very lush vegetation where I live, so I am lucky there.
You’re forgiven! I think we all do what you do alot of the time.. I’ve done it for years… though I don’t have “fresh” bouquets very often.. but when I do use a couple of my own flowers, I do sometimes add “fakes” that look real.. it just makes the bouquet so much prettier.. I’ve lived places too where there are many real ferns and branches and leaves that I’ve stuck into the fake flowers alot…. great ideas you gave too…. thank you for coming clean!! hee hee……
Thank you Marilyn 🙂
I also think that artificial flowers have come a long way and some are so realistic you can’t tell the difference. I just love how flowers make a room look fresh and inviting.
I do this and not only at home but at church also. Flowers are so expensive in Winter here, so that is when the silk flowers, with or without fresh greens, are used. This has now become more of a necessity as our church has had a huge rebuilding programme, and there is now very little money for flowers, and the community either can’t or won’t donate for fresh blooms. Although i do have a small budget for Easter, Christmas & First Communion, our recent FC flowers were all silk. I will upload some pictures to the FB page later today.
Regards, Marian
We do what we have to do Marian and I’m sure your faux arrangements are also beautiful. Is there maybe somewhere in the church grounds that you could plant a picking garden? That would same money and allow you to have a bigger supply of blooms. 🙂
my co-arranger and I certainly pondered the set-up of a picking garden, but we have not had much more discussion on this as we are still combining vases & faux blooms from one more church ( 4 parishes into 1), and the workmen are still moving around the perimeter, it is certainly an idea, but again, one that will need community input i.e. money or plants and volunteers with time to do some digging :/ @>-%—
Would never have known you used faux flowers but who cares as your arrangements always look so lovely. Very sweet of you to fess up but don’t think any of us minded one way or other, know I sure didn’t. Just enjoy seeing your awesome flower arrangements, love that you have access to fresh greens, lucky you. Can make gorgeous arrangements with greens.
I am so envious of that adorable coffee pot with flowers on it, looks like it’s enamel? Love all your dishes with those adorable prints.
I rarely have real or faux flowers out unless can talk hubby into buying bargain bunch of sunflowers at grocery in summer. Nope he’s just not romantic kind of guy, not even for our Anniversary (will be 48 yrs. end of Nov). I keep hoping (and hinting) now and then.
Finally got Fall decorations out yesterday, tweaked little more this afternoon but am done. Can’t seem to tolerate too much out, just in living room some. Know I have some little ceramic pumpkins somewhere but weren’t in my boxes so guess will have to do without this year. Did give several Fall decos to thrift shop last year. Think more going to them this year. Got rid of almost all my faux flowers few years ago or so when they were not in favor, doggone it, ah well think they were getting pretty much past using.
Have wonderful rest of week
I think the key Jane Ellen is to mix fresh and faux together and use those greens.. even better if you can have fresh bouquets. What a shame your hubby doesn’t buy you flowers. I don’t suppose he is going to change after 48 years of marriage, so maybe you need to buy your own and tell him you bought them on his behalf 😉
Hugs to you my friend xx