This Faux Evergreen "Plant" Will Fool Everyone

July 27, 2021

If you don't have a green thumb, these faux evergreen topiaries are perfect for your outdoor planters! 


The flowers in our front porch pots are hard to keep alive...and it could be because I always forget to water them. ;) 

But mostly it's because they get a ton of sun but very little rain since they're covered on the porch. 

So for awhile now I've been looking for something to plant that is low maintenance and can handle the full sun most of the day. Oh, and a decent price! 

The perfect plant, basically. 

I thought about using this awesome plant that you can't kill we have in the back yard: 
sedum tile plant in planter

They live in the planters with poles for our DIY string lights over the patio:
back porch with DIY string lights

Because they keep their color in the winter, I knew they'd be a great, low maintenance option for the front planters as well. 

But...I really wanted something with a more classic look that would fit in well all year round. And I feel like the front containers needed something with a little more height. 

I finally found the answer with these topiaries!:

evergreen topiary balls for landscaping

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They are faux evergreen topiary balls and they can be used in a variety of ways. There are three green options available, depending on the look you want -- boxwood, jasper and cypress. 

Boxwood and jasper have the tight, small leaf look (jasper has a larger leaf and is really pretty). I got cypress and it is more of a standard evergreen. I figured it would be the most realistic looking of the three. 

They also have a cute flowering version as well. 

I was intrigued, but was worried they wouldn't look as great in person. I ordered one and when it arrived I was super impressed: 
cypress faux topiary for planters

They are really lush and thick! You can't see through them at all. I also like that the green is a deep, authentic color. 

I can't speak to the other versions, but the cypress option would easily fool someone up close.

Best part...they won't die! :) 

You can separate the sphere into two, and many folks said they only used one topiary and put the two halves into two planters:
separate fake topiary ball

large round topiary in two

I tried that, but didn't love it. 

At least with our planters, they sunk in too much and didn't have quite the impact I was hoping for: 
half of round topiary in planter

They don't look bad at all though! If you had a round planter that had a smaller opening, I think the halves would work beautifully.

These aren't the thriftiest purchase ever, so I really wanted to love it that way. 

But I preferred them in one piece: 
fake topiary for planters

They make a much bigger statement, right? I love them. :) 

I've already made up what I would have spent on flowers for my planters this year!

By the way...mine are the same size as these faux boxwood spheres that cost $140!

I love that I can keep them out all year -- they'll look great in the winter:
black planter with green boxwood on porch

I was able to tuck ours into the pots a bit, so they don't fly away, even in high winds. But if needed, you could anchor them into soil in the planter using these garden stakes

By the way, if you get a larger size and are able to smush them in just a bit, you won't need any soil in your planters. 

A few things to consider about these easy evergreen balls: 

  • These faux topiaries come in sizes 11 inches to 19 inches. 
  • Measure the width of your planter opening to figure out the size you need. I'd go larger if you're in between sizes.
  • These faux topiaries come in cypress (what we have), boxwood, jasper and a version that has cute faux white flowers (you can pick your design and size at the link). 
  • They are supposed to keep their deep green color even after exposure to the elements. I'll report back on that!
black planter with green topiary ball

There are so many ways you can use these! 

  • How fun would these evergreen balls be with Christmas lights wrapped around them? Or even better -- take them apart and stick the lights through from the inside out.
  • We saw a Mickey head that someone created using one large topiary and two smaller ones. How cute!! We plan to make one for the backyard someday to create our own "hidden Mickey." 
  • Stack various sizes from small to large with this set to make a tall topiary. 
  • Of course these would be lovely inside as well --  perfect for perching on a pedestal. (Say that three times fast.)
  • They would be a really pretty wedding decor accent -- the cypress would fit in perfectly for a winter wedding. 
  • A bunch of the 7" smaller versions would look great lined up in a window box for a simple, classic look.
We've had ours on the porch in full sun for six weeks now and they still look brand new. I'm very pleased with the quality so far. 

These topiaries are such a great option for your planters if you don't love gardening, or aren't very good at it. OR if you can't remember to water your flowers. 😬

You can find similar black square planters here and a similar green Magnolia wreath here

P.S. If you are reading on an iPad or on desktop, let me know if you like the new larger photos here or the mid-sized photos I've always used. I have both in this post for you to look at and decide. :) TIA!

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Comments

  1. Love the faux plant solutions! I use a kindle to read your blog and like both sizes of pics.
    We have asparagus ferns in planters at the base of our front porch stairs. Here in the deep South, the heat and full sun makes it tough to keep much alive during the long hot summer and fall! The asparagus ferns have lasted for years even without regular watering. In the fall, I just add a realistic looking small faux pumpkin and some faux mums to each large planter. Looks great! For Christmas when it is cooler, some cut magnolia and pine get added and will last the through the holidays.

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  2. Love the choice you made for your front porch. I might try them. Always have geraniums in big basket in summer but deadheading is a pain and the little petals blow all over the porch so I am thinking this would be a great alternative. My porch is smaller and I probably will only need one planter and a smaller size, so it will be very economical for me.
    I use a desktop with a 27" monitor so both sizes look great to me.
    As always thanks for the great inspiration!

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