My friend, I love nature. I love walking outside and talking to birds and bunnies and everyone’s dog. I love trees and shrubs and flowers and grass.
But at the end of the day, keeping anything alive on my desert patio is more than a challenge. It’s sort of depressing.
Even at Home Depot and Lowe’s, flowers and shrubs add up quickly. And just as soon as I plant a petunia or a geranium, the thermostat hits 95° and everything stops growing and starts dying.
Ooooh, pulling up those sweet plants and tossing them in the garbage is heartbreaking.
But looking at half-dead plants on my patio is even worse.
So for the past few years, I’ve integrated a few fakes in with my real plants — and I’ve been much happier with the way my patio looks.
Last year I shared the UV-resistant flowering bushes I found at TJ Maxx. They looked pretty good all year, but this year they were showing wear, so I needed to replace them.
So this year, instead of fighting the desert, I decided to work with it.
Hobby Lobby Finds
This year I found some beautiful florals at Hobby Lobby and went with a purple color scheme.
The mixture of plants I chose looks so pretty together. I am not a natural flower arranger, but these faux stems are incredibly forgiving — which makes them perfect for beginners.
And the ornamental cabbage? Absolutely stunning.
What I Did
I used a planter that already had soil and added a little more to the top.
Then I placed the taller lavender and eucalyptus in the back and around the edges to create height and movement.
I let the geraniums trail slightly over the side for softness.
And I angled the cabbage toward the front and let it steal the show.
That one stem makes the whole arrangement feel intentional.
Hobby Lobby had so many beautiful spring finds — I cannot wait to go back and fill another cart full of goodies.
And guess who couldn’t wait to check out the purchases when I got home?
Is there really anything Roxy doesn’t get into?
Amazon Additions
From Amazon, I purchased UV-resistant plants in purple as well. They have almost perfect reviews with over a thousand purchases.
They came as small bushes, so I fluffed and puffed them first.
Then I used last year’s TJ Maxx bush as a base and a matrix. Tucking the new stems into empty spaces made the planter look full and fluffy without starting from scratch.
Wrap Up
I do have some pretty live white and purple petunias and dianthus around my palms on the patio, but mixing faux with real plants has made my patio feel peaceful again.
I’m praying for a long and gentle spring with many afternoons enjoying patio time. Of course, we never know what Mother Nature will send us.
Thank you for spending some weekend time with me. I hope you’re having a good one.
As always, may God bless you and yours.