Our guide to the most realistic fake flowers available

The revival of artificial flowers is in full swing. No longer the reserve of Torquay Hotels in dire need of refurbishment (Fawlty Towers I'm looking at you), the dust laden fakes of the past have been consigned to the scrap heap. Today's faux flowers are strikingly realistic and often from afar cannot be differentiated from the real thing. Despite the great advances in the production of fake flowers, some stockists do lag behind others in the realism stakes. That's why we've drilled down to a list of the best fake flowers on the market so that you can fill your home with convincing year-round bloom.

Jane Packer at Sainsbury's

Big news this season is Jane Packer's signature faux floral collection at Sainsbury's.
Available from late May, prices will from £16, promising to be one of
the most lovely value offerings of artifical flowers on the market.

Habitat

Clockwise from left to right: lavender allium faux flower stem (£7), cream bouquet of peonies (£10), green hydrangea faux flower stem (£7). Habitat offers fabulously realistic faux flowers at a very reasonable price point and there are plenty of varieties available enabling customers to get creative with their own arrangements.

John Lewis

John Lewis is now stocking this show stopper of Sophia roses,
Astrantia, Phalaenopsis orchids by artificial flower superpower, Peony. At £175 the display isn't cheap but when you consider its lifespan, it represents a great investment. Peony are one of the go-to brands for high-end convincing fakes.

OKA

One of the reigning champions in the faux flower stakes is Oka. All their shops have an artificial florists to whet the appetite of even the most steadfast real flower fan. These faux mop head hydrangeas offer a divine welcome in a hall at a reasonable £14 per stem. Check out Oka's video on how to arrange artificial flowers.

Neptune

Another sure thing for realistic fakes is Neptune. It sells the most stunning fish bowl displays of hydrangeas (£160) - perfect for the centre of a round table, coffee or console table - as well as individual stems.

Abigail Ahern

Abigail Ahern is another great source of super fauxs. Abigail herself offers some tips of arranging artificial flowers:

Always Always Cut the stems so the blooms are the only visible part above the vase. Unless the branch is an integral part of display (such as with leggy cosmos or spiraea), you want all the focus on the flowers.

Stick with odd numbers It's an old stylists' secret that odd groups of three, five or seven look better. Not two, never four and don't get me started on six.

Add lots of textures It's the fastest way to make you look like a pro. Combine big blousy blooms, such as roses, peony or hydrangea, with more textural foliage like berry bundles, evergreen leaves or an abundance of beautiful astilbe. We wanted our faux foliage range to be just as covetable and beautiful as the flowers, as they're the unsung heroes of bouquets and arrangements.

Think approachable - not fussy. Don't worry about perfection. It's all about a looser, "just picked from the hedgerow" vibe. So much cooler. Coming into spring we'll be using wild feathery grasses. A single evergreen branch in a vase adds instant kudos.

The fancier the vase the simpler the arrangement. This is a golden formula that will never fail you. The more ornate and attention-seeking the vase, the simpler the arrangement. Our Finn vases need nothing more than a few trailing strands of meadow horsetail to finish them off. Also on vases - I always prefer opaques to clear glass, as stems (with fauxs) or grubby water (with fresh) are not pretty.