The British Isles have their megaliths; your backyard has its stone planter. And that brittle container seems just as ancient, immovable, and mysteriously placed as the dolmen at Kilclooney. Which is precisely why the latest generation of synthetic planters is so great: They mimic the look and minimize the maintenance (and don't require a village's worth of mossy druids to move it). For every nice clay, wood, metal, or stone garden vessel, there's a convincing fake.

Whether you're a traditionalist who favors planters with heft or a modern gardener who prefers pots that you can easily lift (or drop — without breaking), plant worship has never been easier.

Real or Replica?

To see how well faux planters stacked up against the real thing, a panel of gardening experts gave them a green thumbs-up (or down) from close up and far away. There are, of course, pros and cons to every material. Click to the next slide for the results.