Fake Love

I've been living in Bermondsey for the past 2 years and I love it. I've always been a South Londoner at heart having grown up in the suburbs of Croydon, and just to quell any doubt, yes, I can confirm that does still count as a London Borough - you have no idea how many times I've had this conversation. Home is a 2 bed flat where I live with my husband and 2 larger than average cats. I won't focus on the cats for too long as I understand this is a marmite subject, but whilst they bring unending cuteness into my life they've also brought tumbleweeds of fur no dyson can ever rid and the issue of 'toxic plants' to the forefront of my consciousness. Of course when I say toxic plants, that's not to rule out toxic flowers, toxic cleaning products, toxic foods and a whole other host of toxic stuff that is just lurking in your household waiting to kill your cats. I mean OK, perhaps I'm being slightly dramatic here, but who knew that your lilies are essentially a cat killing vessel just waiting for an unsuspecting kitty to wonder on over, innocently paw at those bulging stamens and walk away with an arsenal of poisonous pollen on their pads which could lead to their untimely death. Not me! And so it dawned on me that my Elton John level of plant and flower love was going to have to change. That Monstera deliciosa, the one plant in my life which I hadn't managed to kill (green fingers I have not) would have to be re-homed and I suddenly had visions of empty vases dotted about the flat like a vessel graveyard never to be fit for purpose again. For a while, it was as depressing as it sounds, all plants and flowers were banned - especially as we have one cat in particular that appears to suffer with pica and literally tries to digest anything in its path (poop bags included - I won't subject you to that story just yet, but needless to say it wasn't pretty). After living like this for 6 months enough was enough, a solution needed to be found, and this is where my fake love enters in. There are solutions to this issue people! And the solutions are good, they're real good. I'm not going to lie I have an out and out favourite when it comes to fake plants and flowers and that is Abigail Ahern - it was here that I realised fake can be pretty and potentially better than the real thing. Particularly for someone such as myself that wasn't great at keeping stuff alive anyway, this was a solution to creating a look in the flat that wasn't going to die in a matter of days. They also sell vases in which to house your stems too and I think the overall effect is pretty damn good. So here's some key links to peruse and a few set ups I currently have in the flat, hope you like them and do let me know if you've come across any other companies that are faking it better than the real thing.

https://abigailahern.com/ - they currently have a sale on, plus they sell more than just flowers so definitely worth a visit

https://www.coxandcox.co.uk/indoor-living/decorative-home/faux-plants-flowers/ - I haven't purchased any faux plants from here but they sure do look lovely, am eying up the 'String of Pearls' for my bathroom

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/decoration/plants-pots-stands/artificial-plants-flowers/ - can always be relied upon for the goods at a reasonable price

https://www.posyandpot.com/by-stems/ - And for something a bit different, a company I've recently discovered which creates handmade, paper flowers that are environmentally friendly and use sustainable materials - sounds good to me

From L-R: Monsteria Leaf, Berry Bundle Dark Green, Berry Bundle Light Green - all Abigail Ahern

Red Willow branches teamed with Berry Bundle in Light Green - all Abigail Ahern

Selection of blooms collated instore at Abigail Ahern and sitting comfortably in their earthenware Oyen Pitcher

Final word: kitten stage has duly finished so we've started to bring (non toxic) flowers back into the flat, the only issue we have now is their big butts knocking over the vases en route to smell the roses, but hey you can't have it all.