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Orchid Arrangement

More and more people are growing orchids because they are readily available and less expensive than they have been in the past. If you compare the price of the plant with the duration of bloom, you can see that they're actually a very good value.

During the winter I rely heavily on orchids to add color to my home and I have found that by combining them with a few houseplants I can create an elegant arrangement in a short amount of time.

Here's what you'll need to put together a similar arrangement:

• (3) Purple Orchids in 4" Containers
• (1) Container of your choice that will accommodate the plant materials. If your container is not waterproof or does not have drainage holes you will want to line it. I like to use aluminum foil.
• (6) 4" pots of Ivy
• (3) 4" pots of Prayer Plants
• (9) Sandwich Bags
• (9) Rubber bands
• Sheet Moss

Directions:
To create this arrangement, simply apply the same three-shape rule that I've shared with you for cut flower arrangements and outdoor containers - tall/spiky, round/full and cascading.

Place the orchids, your tall and spiky component, in the center of the container. Because orchids are fussy about their growing medium, it is easiest to keep them in the pots in which they were grown. Now, since these pots will take up the majority of the room in the container, I put the other plants in sandwich bags and arrange them around the orchids. This makes it easier to tuck them into the arrangement. Simply remove each plant, along with the soil, from its pot and drop it into a sandwich bag. Secure the top of the sandwich bag with a rubber band.

Now you are ready to put in the prayer plant, which will add the element of a round/full shape. Also, the purple veining of the prayer plant combines nicely with the color of the orchid blooms. To finish it off slip in the ivies so they cascade gracefully over the edge of the container. Once the plants are in place, fill in the open spaces with sheet moss.

This easy arrangement will last for up to two weeks and the orchids will go on to provide you with blooms for more than a month.

Caring for Orchids:

Light: Bright indirect light.

Watering: Flush with water once a week.

Fertilizer: Every other week, 25 percent of the recommended amount on a liquid fertilizer label.

Temperature: Daytime 75 degrees, night time 65 degrees