DCU Patio And Flower Show

   This is an exciting time of year for us in the flower industry. After the holidays (especially Valentines' Day) now is the time we can show our creativity. This year I'm playing with the big boys, lol. I chose the category of sing the song of spring. This has to be at least 6' tall with mainly fresh composition and minimal other materials. I say I'm playing with the big boys because they put my category with the landscape guys so while setting up I was surrounded with backhoes, bark mulch and all kinds of landscape and plant materials. What a welcome change from this long, cold and snowy winter.

                                               I thought I'd give you an inside view of my project.
     First I started with a LARGE clay pot for my base. Inside is a plant stand that is anchored with soil and bricks. In order to support another clay pot I used a wire basket that I covered with moss to hide the fact that I have tons of wire to that attaches the wire basket to the plant stand. The outer edge is surrounded with hanging ivy except for the very front (you'll see why in a minute!)

     Yup I added an angel playing a harp! The top clay pot has blueberry twigs to give me some height. On the branches I wired some air plants on moss.

     Air plants are really cool. They do not require watering but they love a quick dunk in warm water a couple of times a week. That's it. They can be placed in the crook of a tree during the spring and summer months. During the winter they can be placed in a basket, bowl or seashell just lined with a little moss. Perfect for those born without a green thumb!

     Sorry I didn't get pics when it was completed but here is the base I covered in moss. I actually nestled the plastic pots of the bulb plants in the moss and it actually did look like they were sprouting out of the ground.

     Here is a close up of the bird, nest and eggs. It wouldn't be spring without the birds starting new life.

          After I added the air plants, I also wired some water tubes and added some dendrobium orchids. I needed some color and they seem to last as long as the show. Here again I forgot to to take a pic of the completed project but it included yellow and pale pink orchid plants that are bent over simulating blowing in the wind. If you look to the left 3/4 of the way up, you will see 3 brown rings hanging. These rings have a bird sitting inside. There is also a bird with one ring and another sitting on 2 rings. These represent a single note, double note and treble note. Get it, ha ha.
     We had thought of adding a real finch in a bird cage but decided against it. They tend to keep the temp down at night and we didn't want to take a chance of the birdie going bottoms up!
   I'll be back tomorrow to share a project one of my co-workers did. Her category had to do with making a  table setting to simulate a food made out of flowers. Wait 'til I show you what she did. Hint: she's Japanese.