DIY Orchid Arrangement

DIY Orchid Arrangement on a budget

I love orchids but not the cost from the florist. I always create my own arrangement at home for myself, parties or as a special gift. Cut flowers are nice but only last a few days days. An orchid with the proper care will bloom for a month or even longer.

Have you ever had an orchid plant? Worried about how to care for it or that it might be too delicate? I've got a couple tips on caring, arranging and what to display them in below. They are more simple than you might think to have and add such beauty and elegance to any space.

A single orchid can dress up a room like no other.

   You can pick up an array of different species and sizes of orchids at your local home and building supply or if you are lucky enough to live near a Trader Joe's they normally have a great selection there. If Downtown L.A an option for you, the Flower Mart by far is the best place for the largest selection and freshest plants. San Diego also has a Flower Mart. There you can also get the moss and curly willow or pick them up at a  Michael's Craft Supply Store.

Add moistened sheet moss to dress base of orchid.

Place your plant in a decorative container (it can be anything from a decorative box to an urn) keeping it in it's plastic liner. Remove the wooden sticks it came with as you will be replacing them with curly willow. Add moistened sheet moss (or Spanish moss) to dress base of plant and  to fill in any gap there may be. Grab a few stems of curly willow as shown to re support the orchid stalks so they don't fall over. Support the bloom heads and their stalks on the branches.

Caring for your orchid

My simple trick is to place an ice cube or two on top of the moss. I do this a couple times every week or so depending on season. That's it, simple right? They also like bright, filtered light, to be fertilized once a month and kept in a temperature between 59-79*F. As the blooms fade, just pinch them off. When your orchid has completely finished with it's blooms you can cut the stalk down, fertilize and place in a cool shaded area of your yard and they will re bloom again in another year.

So Total cost you may be wondering, $15 for a 6" double stalk orchid (shown), $8 a bunch for the curly willow and $6 for a bag of moss (moss and branches I only used half of for the one arrangement) Cost online from a major floral delivery company starts at $89.