The top 10 outdoor plants for spring & how to style them

Home decor and garden renovations have become increasingly popular over the last few years, especially as we’ve all spent more time at home. Now that Spring is upon us and we’ll all be able to spend more time outdoors enjoying the weather, it’s time to get your grounds in order. However, tending to plants (and keeping them alive) is not everyone’s forte.

If you want a green and luscious outdoor space but don’t have the time or patience to run your own botanical garden, you’ll find that artificial plants could be the solution you're looking for – especially when they’re as real looking as ours! 

Take a look at the top-selling outdoor plants this spring to give you some inspiration for how to decorate your yard, garden or even your balcony.

Top 10 outdoor plants

1. Geranium bush

2. Bay laurel tree

3. Ivy foliage bush

4. Oriental bamboo

5. Lavender bush

6. Cedar spiral

7. Boxwood mat

8. Areca palm

9. Mixed flower window box

10. Pansy bush

1. Geranium bush

The geranium bush is our most popular outdoor plant, and it’s no wonder – as of the 16th February 2022, there are 687,000 posts on Instagram using #geranium. While the plant is one of the most popular bedding flowers, they are most commonly found in the colourful Mediterranean.

Our very realistic and durable version is made using multiple shades of green within the leaves and stems, with blooms available in four different colours – white, pink, white and pink, and red. Mix and match or colour coordinate, the choice is yours. And at only £10, you can see why it’s a top-seller!

We suggest styling the bush in a flower bed to add more colour to your garden.

2. Bay laurel tree

If you'd prefer less floral and more green, the bay laurel tree could be right up your street.

Our tree comes in a range of sizes, suitable for any space. We suggest placing them at the front of your home, beside the door to greet guests as they enter. You could also place them in the back garden amongst colourful flowers to create a Mediterranean garden.

Also native to the Mediterranean, this tree combined with the geranium flowers could make an Adriatic paradise. The hashtag #mediterraneangarden has been used more than 51,000 times. Take a look for more inspiration on how to style your tree.

3. Ivy foliage bush

Also making into our list of the top 10 indoor plants, the ivy foliage bush is a versatile piece of greenery. It’s clear how popular it is by the 1.8 million posts on Instagram that feature #ivy.

Looking great wrapped around a bookshelf or beam inside, it’s also perfect for sprucing up a tired garden. Why not adorn it from a trellis or pergola or use it to hide an ugly drainpipe?

We offer two sizes, so your bush can stretch as far as you need it. As ivy often makes up a living wall, you could also use it to create a faux wall to bring some British countryside elegance to your home. You won’t have to wait for the leaves to grow or worry about it growing into your brickwork.

4. Oriental bamboo

The oriental bamboo is another plant that works perfectly both indoors and outdoors. This calming plant can transform your yard into a zen garden or bring a spa-like element to indoor areas.

Our bamboo features an inviting arrangement of graceful, long leaves that make a serene and peaceful atmosphere. This, combined with the natural-looking bamboo shoots, will create a little slice of heaven you – and your neighbours – have always wished for.

Bamboo’s popularity continues to grow at a fast pace, with 4.5 million people using the plant name in their hashtags. Who doesn’t want to add a new level of tranquillity to their homes and gardens?

5. Lavender bush

Lavender is a colourful addition to any garden and can add a traditional English-countryside touch to any environment. That said, you can find lavender across the globe, from the Middle East to Cape Verde. Don’t believe us? Check out the 7.3 million Instagram posts using the ‘lavender’ hashtag and you’ll see that it is one of the world’s most-loved plants.

Our lavender bush can be styled in multiple ways, from a single sprig in a vase on your outdoor table to a whole bush seemingly growing from your garden bed. The silvery green and purple tones used in our fauxliage create a very realistic and attractive flower – and with an artificial plant, you reap the benefits all year round and not just in the summer!

6. Cedar spiral

Cedar plants are known for their distinctive needles – an element we worked hard to perfect. This popular plant has been widely shared on social media, with 794,000 posts using #cedar on Instagram.

The cedar spiral can be an inviting aspect to any house, shed or conservatory. This traditional plant has been ‘trimmed’ into a whimsical shape – to maintain this topiary shape on a living bush would require a lot of care (and money). By investing in our cedar spiral, you can cut the corners without cutting the quality.

We offer four size variations of the cedar spiral, perfect for a range of doorways or gardens. This realistic take on a decorative classic will see your neighbours’ green with envy.

7. Boxwood mat

The boxwood mat can be used across a range of surfaces – make a living wall, use as leafy panels along your fence or create a green canvas for a floral arrangement. It’s up to you to get creative!

The leaves of our boxwood are much smaller than some of our other mats and living walls, making it the ideal foliage for cosier spaces or understated gardens. And with boxwood being an evergreen plant, you can keep your wall up all year round without the neighbours getting suspicious!

Take a picture of your creation and join the 668,000 people using the hashtags #livingwall and #greenwall on Instagram. Don't forget to tag @bloomingartificial!

8. Areca palm

It’s hardly surprising the areca palm is so popular on our site – the living plant is well-known for being hard to maintain. However, with their spacious, striking leaves, it’s easy to understand why you’d want to try. To save time and energy on a potential lost cause, you luckily have Blooming Artificial as an option.

The areca, or butterfly palm is native to Madagascar, which might explain why many find them hard to keep alive in the temperamental British weather.

Make a statement (the bigger the better in our eyes) with this leafy beauty and create a tropical paradise in your little corner of the world. We’d recommend styling them in a decorative planter to create even more of a statement.

Take a look at Instagram for more inspiration – #palm has been used 4.5 million times, so we’re sure you’ll find plenty of creative inspiration.

9. Mixed flower window box

If you’re wanting to add a pop of colour to your outside space that can be seen from inside, our flower window box is the perfect option. The fauxliage showcases a range of flowers in one box: beautiful lavender sprigs, geraniums in the colour of your choice (bold red, classic cream or sweet pink) and delicate star flowers in either white or blue. These petals are surrounded by slender grass leaves that add some grounding greenery to the array of colours on display.

Window plants are a classic look for any building. Whether it’s decorating a home or enticing more customers to a local café, these flowers attract attention. Why not take to Instagram to find some more inspiration? The hashtag #windowdecor has been used more than 105,000 times, so you’ll be able to find plenty of creative styling.

10. Pansy bush

The pansy bush is one of our most colourful outdoor options. We offer five different colourways (white and pink, yellow, red, blue and purple), with each individual flower featuring multiple tones. Due to the vibrant aesthetic of these flowers and the distinctive shape of the petal, it’s no surprise to us that the ‘pansy’ hashtag has been used 400,000 times on Instagram.

Similarly to our lavender offering, you can style the pansy bush simply, with a single stem in a vase, or as a colourful and lively bunch. We personally recommend purchasing multiple shades and mixing them together for the ultimate flower bed!

If you’re looking for a different style to spruce up your outdoor space, for example, imitation ivy, take a look at the wide range of artificial outdoor plants we have on offer. We even have a range of artificial olive trees for creating a Mediterranean-inspired garden.