Here is how to turn a $30 potted orchid into a stunning professional looking $100 gift by adding an extra $10-$15 of product and 10 mins of your time.
Most of the How to instruction on the internet you see show you how to re-pot an orchid for this kind of display. I do not think this is necessary and in fact you could cause damage to the roots that may send the plant into shock and cause it to drop its flowers.
The retailers of orchids have gone to some lengths to choose the medium and containers that will maintain these plants the longest so I don’t remove them from their pots.
Firstly, gather what you will need .
An Orchid – I love the miniature moth orchid but there is a huge variety of potted orchids to choose from and they are readily available in many nurseries, hardware and grocery stores. You can pay anything from $20 to $40 plus for them. Choose one which still has buds unopened so it will last a lot longer. Water before assembling.
A decorative clear glass vessel – a vase or Candle holder is ideal, I picked mine up from a discount store for $5.00.
2 cups of dry sand this adds some wait and gives you a cushion surface to put you riser on.
A small bag of sphagnum moss- now a bag of this will cost about $15.00 but you only need about 1/3 of it and it can be used for all sorts of other things so it will not be wasted.
Moisten the sphagnum by misting with a spray bottle containing water.
A riser– Something to rest the orchid pot on to ensure the base of the plant is level with the rim of your glass container – an empty glass jar placed upside down is ideal.
What to do
Make sure your glass container is perfectly clean
Pour the dry sand into the base of the container
Place your riser on the sand in the middle of the container
Pack sphagnum moss around the riser
Place the potted orchid on top of the riser ensuring the top of the pot is level with or just below the rim of your decorative container.
Pack more sphagnum moss around the orchid pot make sure it is really tight so it does fall off the riser and also around the orchid pot, let some trail over the edge of the glass vessel.
Done -looks stunning
To maintain– water the orchid through the sphagnum and mist the top of the sphagnum to keep it moist.
Orchids do not like to dry out but don’t like to be over watered either. The sphagnum will maintain a moist environment for the plant.
This is so easy and takes about 10 minutes and what you finish up with is such a classy looking gift or Floral display.
So f you are looking for a way to add value to a gift without the cost or just like the look of the finished product, why not try it.
Happy pottering
Kathy
