Ask Jennifer Adams: How to make artificial plants look great

Q: My dream is to have a house full of big, beautiful plants. I especially love plants with those gigantic leaves that you see in home design magazines. The problem is that I have a completely black thumb and zero patience when it comes to taking care of houseplants. I've tried, but no matter what, I kill off any kind of plant that comes into my house. If I can't have real plants, is it OK to use fake plants?

A: There are plenty of reasons to adore any indoor plants, from their lush look to how they actually improve the quality of air inside your home. The luxurious emerald green leaves and the sculptural shapes go with any decor style, particularly with these days' popular whites and grays. From a single dramatic palm in the corner to a windowsill herb garden, plants are a great way to add interest to any part of your home.

If you have a budget, you could always hire an indoor-plant maintenance service that will suggest (and take care of) the best plants for your home. Office buildings often use similar services. That way, you get the look and the benefits of beautiful greenery and none of the hassle.

With artificial plants, you'll miss out on the improved-air aspect — and they're not exactly maintenance-free because they do attract dust. But if it's the look you want, faux can be almost as fabulous. Good ones are not necessarily cheaper than the real thing, either. Today's artificial plants look real. In fact, sometimes you have to get really close or touch the plants to know for sure!

Some tips to help make your faux ficus (or "fakus!") or pretend palm look even better is to make sure they're in a pot that looks right for the scale. To keep prices low, artificial houseplants often come in tiny little pots that look as if they'd tip over at any moment. Find a large urn, vintage wood crates or a beautiful basket. Build up a platform inside with old books, bricks, boxes, or even cinder blocks to make your plant (faux or real) look taller. Again, since you don't actually need to deal with water, none of these containers needs to be waterproof. Add moss or natural stones across the top to finish the look.

And do spill your secret to roommates and house guests, in case they're thinking your lush jungle needs water. For other ways to improve the air quality in your home, see my blog.

Have a design dilemma? Jennifer Adams is an award-winning designer, TV personality and author of the upcoming book "Love Coming Home: Transform Your Environment. Transform Your Life." Send your questions to AskJennifer@JenniferAdams.com or for more design ideas, visit Jennifer's blog on her website at www.jenniferadams.com.