It was only then that he discovered the reason the plants still looked so green and lush wasn't because of his green-thumb but because they were plastic.
Antonia Nicol shared the story of her late mother's ultimate prank on Twitter on Tuesday.
"Before my mum passed away, she gave my dad strict instructions to water the plants in the bathroom. He's been religiously watering them & keeping them alive," she wrote.
"They look so amazing he decided to take them to his new home, only to discover they are plastic! Can hear my mum chuckling."
Antonia went on to reveal that her parents had been together since they were 16 and when her mum died her dad was "overcome with grief" and that attending to the plants "gave him something to do".
She described her mum as an "absolute legend" who was "very funny" with a cheeky sense of humour.
Antonia initially used a stock photograph to show what the plants looked like but after her post received so much positive feedback, her dad re-enacted watering the plants so she could share the photo with everyone.
The post has been flooded with heartwarming comments praising Phedre's sense of humour.
"My dad has been overwhelmed by the level of interest and so have I," she told Indy100.
"It's so lovely to hear my friends and family talking and remembering my mum again. She would have loved this so much."
