How to: Create an Orchid Arrangement

A joy to design, these creative planters are perfect for a tablescape centrepiece, a splash of botanical opulence at home, or a loving gift for friends and family. Lasting much longer than cut flowers and requiring minimal watering, graceful orchids will continue to flower throughout January and February. Visit us in store to discover our wide range of houseplants and materials to create your masterpiece.

• Your centrepieces, we have used Phalaenopsis orchids
• Companion plants: as pictured here, you could try Pilea greyzy
• Container (here we have used one of our large Elin Bowls)
• Indoor plant compost
• Bark chippings
• Moss

Quantities required will depend on your container size. Before starting, trial your composition in your container to check you have enough plants, working in odd numbers (we have used three of each plant).

Join us in store to purchase any of the above elements, our Houseplants Team are always happy to advise on combinations and care.

Choose your container, it can be something you already cherish or a new bowl chosen especially for the arrangement. Carefully select your orchids (we have used Phalaenopsis) and choose companion plants, shown here Pilea greyzy.

Create a good layer of bark chippings (or grit) at the base of the container, this will ensure good drainage for the arrangement and help to promote root health.

Position your orchids in the centre. Leave them in their pots, doing so will prevent them from drawing too much moisture from the surrounding soil when you mist the companion plants.

Firm in the orchid pots with indoor plant compost, which will hold the orchids in place and provide the growing medium for the companion plants.

Consider the overall look of the arrangement, remove the companion plants from their pots and evenly place them in the compost around the central orchids.

Firm in the companion plants and place a layer of fine bark chippings over the bare surface of the compost.

Disguise the rim of the orchid pots with a handful of live moss.

• Place the arrangement in a naturally lit position but avoid direct sunlight.
• Mist daily to keep the companion plants and moss fresh, but avoid the orchids which need little moisture and only require a very small amount of water infrequently.