We are mere weeks away from the first official start of a new season.
Raise your hand if you’re ready for Spring?
Just so you know my hand (both hands) are up high.
There are already a few signs of Spring emerging in my neck of the woods with tiny leaf buds on my Maple trees and a wee bit of green peeking out from my Knock-Out roses.
It all makes me even more eager for warmer temps and vibrant, colorful blooms.
If you need a bridge to get you from now until the real thing, consider fab faux flowers.
I never realized until recently how much I actually depend on faux flowers.
But they are actually all over my house.
Since we’re all longing for the real thing outside, I thought it would be fun to share how faux flowers help to bring a touch of colorful nature, indoors.
I just love forsythias and not just because yellow is one of my favorite colors (brown and green are the other two).
Forsythias are so fresh and bright and scream sunny… even on a cloudy day.
If you spot a patch of forsythia in your neck of the woods, grab some clippers and save a few branches for your home display.
Oh, if you want to get a better look at this entire room, check out the post on Making Over a Small Space, HERE.
When I was a young girl, one of the first things that always marked impending Spring for me was the sight of forsythias along the edge of my grandmother’s front yard.
She had a whole, glorious bank of them.
Even to this day, I can’t look at forsythias without thinking about my dearly-departed grandmother.
These cherry blossom branches in the photo below are among my favorite faux flowers and go a long way toward eating up the space on this oversize wall.
Oh, while on this photo, allow me to get off topic for a second and direct your attention to the distressed cabinet.
This was my first ever major furniture makeover paint project and I think you’ll love seeing the amazing transformation.
Check out the super-duper makeover in my previous post HERE.
Here’s an example of how I used the same type of branches in a different room.
I think something as simple as a lighter vase actually changes the entire vibe of the branches.
The blooms and super long branches really help uplift the room and are a real focal point in the space.
This particular room underwent a drastic makeover and you can see how it all came together HERE.
Of course, I also use faux flowers in my photography and food styling efforts too.
Florals often help me establish the mood surrounding the food and also plays a huge roll in the overall shot in so many ways.
Sometimes, just the tip of a lovely bud or small handful (or pitcher) of faux florals add just the touch of color a photo needs.
I have a nice stash of faux florals that I keep in a box and use exclusively for photography props.
While, faux flowers definitely help me get through the winter doldrums, they do make me long for Spring and Summer that much more.
Being around artificial varieties throughout the cold season also makes me want to grow my real ones.
This year, I’m going to try (again) to grow some pretty peonies.
I’ve actually tried to grow them every year for many years, to no avail.
Oh, if I could only grow real peonies just like the faux ones in these few photos.
If anyone reading this has any tips for successfully growing peonies… I’m all ears.
I’ve always tried to grow them from bulbs but this year, I’m going to try a few potted plants and keep my green thumb crossed for a beautiful bounty.
I’ll keep you posted on my homegrown peony progress.
In the meantime, I’ll have to wait a little longer and sniff my artificial varieties.
I’m counting down the days until real buds bloom big.
Happy (almost) Spring to you.
Thanks so much for stopping by.
Here’s to warmer days and fabulous pink blooms all around.
See you back here next time.♥
Hello Lisa,
I have been enjoying your newsletter greatly for a few years now. Beautiful photography.
I was told by an experienced gardener to plant shallow. Plant from pot so the crown is slightly above ground level and mound soil to edge of plant, leaving crown bare. Even the mulch should not cover crown. I enjoyed beautiful pale pink peonies as long as I lived in that home. I wish you well growing yours. Don’t discourage ants on your buds.
Thanks so much, Lois.
I really appreciate you reading my blog for all these years.
Wow, those are some great tips and I’m definitely going to keep them in mind when I plant peonies this year.
I’ll let you know how it turns out for me.
Happy spring to you.
Good Morning, Lisa! I always love seeing you in my inbox!! I wish I lived near — I could help you with your peonies. For years I had bush after bush of different colors and types. Love growing them. Only problem was, they didn’t last long enough. You’ve certainly solved the problem with artificial. They look gorgeous and I love seeing them in your photos. I’ve learned so much about styling just from studying your photos. Have a wonderful Sunday and YAY! spring is right around the corner. Sending love and hugs!!
Oh, thanks Marisa. That makes me smile.
You know we’ve talked before about what it would be like if we were neighbors. We would definitely have a blast in each other’s garden and kitchens-lol.
So happy to inspire your styling too. We love the same vibe.
I’m eager for spring too.
Enjoy your week,
xoxo
My dearest Lisa,
What a surprise this morning to receive your newsletter. Yesterday it crossed my mind that I have not heard from you in awhile. Just so you know I am still quilting because of you. Thank you so much for all that you do to keep people busy throughout our long winter months. Keep up it up alwYs look forward to everything new you share!
Always take care,
Janice😊❤️😊
Thanks, Janice.
OK, now you just made me want to take a look at some of my unfinished quilt projects (and I have a ton of them-lol).
I appreciate that you look forward to seeing my posts too.
So many ideas and not as much time but I’m going to try not to leave so much time between posts (smile).
Happy spring to you.
xoxo
Lisa, the biggest thing I have learned with peonies is plant them shallow and don’t mess with them again. Can be fertilized in the spring, but I don’t ever remember. Wish you lived closer, cause I have a bunch of bushes that need thinning, you could have. Bouquets of peonies is an early spring ritual. Thanks for sharing your blog post. I would never had known the flowers were faux.
You’re so sweet, Marie.
Well, I didn’t even know that you could thin out peonies and transplant them.
You sound like you have a wonderful garden to look forward to when everything starts to bloom.
I love real flowers but so many artificial blooms and branches now look so realistic, they’re hard to resist.
Thanks so much for popping by and taking the time to share a few peony-growing tips with me.
Your photos are so, so lovely…I never would have believed that these flowers are faux…Wow! You may have won me over to the Faux-side. 🙂 Thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks so much, Jeanne.
You know, I’m happy to inspire.
Oh, how I long for real flowers and everything else that colorful Spring brings… but these are a great substitute until then-lol.
Happy day (and week) to you.
xoxo
Where do youget your beautiful faux flowers?
Hi Eileen, I get my faux flowers from Michael’s, JoAnne’s, Pottery Barn and the more realistic ones from an online shop called https://www.afloral.com/
That’s where I got the peonies in this post.
Happy weekend to you and hanks for popping by.
xoxo
Love the Cherry Blossoms and would like to try that. How many stems did you purchase? Thanks! Your room makeover looks amazing and so glad it is also a well used place. I have many areas of our home that need improvement ;-). Always feel inspired by your website. Happy Spring!!
Hi Nancy, thanks for your visit and your query.
Glad you’re inspired by the makeover.
The vase you reference has nine stems but I’ve since broken that up so there are fewer stems in that one vase.
Now, that vase holds four.
Hope that helps.
xoxo