Styling artificial flowers and plants that last

Fresh flowers wilt fast in a Maltese summer, and watering real plants on a sunny balcony gets tiresome. Artificial greenery solves both problems. Here is how to pick pieces that look convincing and arrange them so they feel like a natural part of the room.

Choosing blooms with real presence

Not all artificial flowers are created equal. SMYCKA artificial bouquet, SMYCKA artificial wreath and SMYCKA artificial garland are designed with enough texture and colour variation that they do not read as plastic from across the room. The individual SMYCKA artificial flower and SMYCKA artificial leaf pieces are useful too, letting you build your own arrangement rather than settling for a fixed bunch.

Mixing a few single stems in with a fuller bouquet gives a looser, more natural shape, which tends to suit smaller Maltese flats where a stiff, symmetrical display can feel too formal for the space.

SMYCKA artificial bouquet, in/outdoor eucalyptus/green, 60 cmSMYCKA artificial wreath, in/outdoor/leaf orange-brown, 60 cmSMYCKA artificial garland, in/outdoor, 1.5 mSMYCKA artificial flower, in/outdoor/Dahlia white, 30 cmSMYCKA artificial garland, in/outdoor red, 4 mSMYCKA artificial leaf, eucalyptus/green, 65 cm

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Where artificial flowers earn their keep

In a compact apartment or townhouse, flowers do a lot of work for very little upkeep. A SMYCKA artificial bouquet in a CYLINDER vase or a KONSTFULL vase sits well on a console table or the top of a LOMMARP cabinet, adding height without needing a window view. For tighter corners, try a MUSKOTBLOMMA plant pot with saucer, which gives the arrangement a finished, potted look rather than a bunch simply propped in a container.

On a dining table, keep things low so conversation can pass over the top. A FÄRGKLAR plate with a single artificial garland looped around it, or a STORSINT red wine glass holding a short stem, both work as understated centrepieces. A STILREN vase with trailing leaves also suits a narrow hallway table nicely.

CYLINDER vase, set of 3, clear glassFÄRGKLAR plate, matt light grey, 26 cm, 4 packSTORSINT red wine glass, clear glass, 68 cl, 6 packSTILREN vase, white, 22 cmLOMMARP cabinet, light beige, 102x101 cmKONSTFULL vase, clear glass/patterned, 26 cm

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Matching the right pot to each plant

Artificial plants still need the right pot to look believable. A DAIDAI plant pot or CHIAFRÖN plant pot in a warm, earthy tone suits anything leafy and upright, while a FÖRENLIG plant pot works well for smaller, bushier arrangements on a shelf or windowsill. The key is choosing a pot that matches the scale of the stems, since an oversized pot with a slim plant tends to look unbalanced.

For a row of pots along a balcony ledge or kitchen counter, try combining a NYPON plant pot with a SOJABÖNA plant pot in slightly different heights, then finish with a FRIDFULL plant pot for a softer, rounder shape at one end. Grouping varied pots together, rather than matching them exactly, gives the whole display a more lived-in, collected feel.

DAIDAI plant pot, brass-colour, 9 cmCHIAFRÖN plant pot, in/outdoor white, 12 cmFÖRENLIG plant pot, in/outdoor white, 9 cmNYPON plant pot, in/outdoor grey, 24 cmSOJABÖNA plant pot, white, 12 cmFRIDFULL plant pot, water hyacinth, 12 cm

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Maltashopper brings these pots, vases and artificial arrangements to homes across Malta and Gozo, so building a display that suits your space is simple from wherever you shop.

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