It’s no secret that house plants are growing in popularity, with Vend reporting that house plant sales are up a huge 70% year on year.

Although most house plants are relatively low maintenance, if you’re not so green-fingered, you may find you just can’t keep them alive. The solution? Artificial flowers and plants. And with lots of beautiful and realistic options on the market, they’re a great alternative.

While artificial flowers and plants are much easier to care for than the real deal, they still require a little elbow grease. So here’s how to keep them looking blooming wonderful…

Artificial plants and trees look chic, but need to be regularly dusted. “Dust is certainly a giveaway when it comes to identifying an artificial plant, so we would recommend taking a clean, soft, dry cloth and, working from the top to the bottom of the plant, gently wipe down each leaf one at a time,” says Kirstin White, Homeware Buyer at Dobbies.

Most artificial trees can be kept outside, but always check care labels. “As UV coatings will degrade over time, we would recommend turning artificial trees or topiary monthly so any fading caused by UV affects the plant evenly and is less noticeable,” says Kirstin. “Protecting the plants from extreme weather conditions is also advisable, ideally bringing indoors or covering if possible.”

Whether you opt for artificial flowers, plants, trees or succulents, follow these steps to keep them looking fantastic…

• 1. Keep them away from direct sunlight, if possible. “UV from sunlight can cause discolouration and fading and we would recommend checking the care label on the plant to see whether its UV resistant before positioning in a window with direct sunlight,” says Kirstin.
• 2. Move your artificial plants regularly. This will help reduce concentrated fading in one area.
• 3. Love and care for your artificial flowers like you would real ones! “Move them around, from your kitchen to your bedroom, so you can keep enjoying them wherever you are,” says Tiffany.