Date:  February 20, 2011  |   Story: Diane Carroll  |   Styling: Mandy Keener  |  

Beat the blues during the last few weeks of winter with a project that’s sure to boost the spirits. Floral designer Holly Mang, owner of Brick Street Botanical in Rogers, offers a how-to idea that will get you moving and add a dash of creativity to your home at the same time. First, you need to take a hike—head to your favorite park or trail, and search for the most unique piece of wood you can find, something you can envision cleaning and using as a centerpiece or on a side table. Then, follow Mang’s step-by-step instructions for turning the wood into an eye-catching orchid sculpture.

Materials

• Wood (driftwood or weathered branches work best)

• Orchids

• Angel moss

• Dried sheet moss

• Floral wire

• Decorative wire (a wire covered in paper will help create a natural appearance)

• Wire cutter

• Pruning shears

 

How to:

1. Soak angel moss in a water-filled basin or vase to rehydrate. Moisten sheet moss.

 

2. Remove orchid from pot and rinse away potting medium. Use pruning shears to cut off any dead or discolored roots.

 

3. Take a golf ball-sized clump of moist angel moss, part the roots of the orchid and position the clump in the center of the roots.

 

4. Place the orchid with the moss ball underneath directly on the piece of wood, at the place where you would like the orchid to remain.

 

5. Cover the roots with moist angel moss and secure the entire root/moss area to the wood with florist wire, wrapping the wire around the wood in several directions to securely hold the orchid in place.

 

6. Use sheet moss as a decorative cover and additional layer of moisture over the roots, angel moss and wire. Use decorative paper wire to secure the moss in place attractively.

 

Maintenance:

1. Place the completed orchid sculpture in bright, indirect light.

 

2. Bring the orchid sculpture to a sink and saturate the moss/root area thoroughly once a week.

 

3. Allow the moss to dry out between waterings. Mist the orchid foliage as needed to maintain a shiny, clean appearance.

 

4. Add an orchid fertilizer to your watering cycle once a month.