So many parts of the country are scorching right now—temperatures well over 100 degrees, with heat indexes over 110. Add severe drought or torrential downpours to that, and what do you have? You’ve got a bad time to plant flowers in your garden! Until temperatures cool off a bit, you might satisfy your floral fantasies with a trip to your local nurseries. Not for real sunflowers or roses, but for fake ones. Have I lost my mind? Not hardly. Metal and glass art for the garden has gone floral, and I’ve found some incredible ones for your garden.

 

 

These adorable pottery flowers are made by some local artists, and they’re mounted on ceramic stakes for pushing down into your container plants. To avoid overkill, use these as accents with potted evergreens or variegated foliage—or tuck them into your garden bed toward the front of the border.

 

 

Do you long for those arid-looking plants but your garden is a thirstier one? Don’t worry about pairing incompatible plants, simply buy metal ones! These flowering barrel cacti are a kitschy addition to the garden—and if you place them in a river rock bed, your guests may have to look twice before they realize you’ve pulled a fast one.

 

 

As your zinnias, sunflowers and daisies shrivel up in the heat, replace them with these flower bouquets. No watering needed, and zero risk of powdery mildew. It doesn’t get much lower maintenance than that! If you place them in the midst of real flowers with a similar shape, the effect can be quite charming indeed.

 

 

How about a painted lily? I’ve never had too much luck with lilies, so these may just be my best bet! I could avoid the digging-and-dividing ritual, and the foliage would always look fresh and perky. Seems like a win-win, doesn’t it?

 

If you find some floral accessories for your garden, go ahead and indulge your sense of whimsy—but with some restraint! Any time accents like these are over-used, you can easily cross the line into tackiness—but as with any accessory, if you love it, go for it!