Recycling Flower Arranging Hack: From Plant Tray to Flower Grid!

Happy Wednesday! I have a Flower Arranging Hack and recycling tip to share, a Garden Center Plant Tray repurposed as a Flower Grid!

 I always seem to have empty plant trays and plastic pots to return for recycling.

 I transported pots of pansies home from the garden center using this tray. I walked by it several times, when I had a light bulb moment. . .the plastic grid designed for plant drainage would be perfect for flower arranging!

The plastic grid is more substantial than chicken wire for supporting stems and a great alternative to wet floral foam for arranging flowers!

I used my hubby’s wire cutters (also referred to as diagonal cutting or side cutting pliers) to snip through the plastic tray holding the round pot ring with the grid. This particular plant tray/pot holder was 5 1/2 inches in diameter and fit inside my urn.

 Endless Summer Hydrangeas are still pushing blooms with our warm fall temperatures, while older blooms have faded to a soft green. I added some vibrant red coleus growing in a summer container and some abelia snipped from the shrubs. Leaves from a sweetgum tree are showing the first signs of fall color and I cut some branches to add to the arrangement.

I started with the foliage first, adding the leaves and the red coleus to establish a framework for the arrangement.

Next, I added the hydrangeas, then the abelia. Last, I added some burgundy foliage from the loropetalum shrubs.

 Here’s an easy formula for a DIY floral preservative you can mix at home to help prolong the life of your cut flowers:

Mix one part lemon-lime soda (regular, not diet) to three parts water, along with 1/2 teaspoon of bleach. The citric acid in the soda help the water travels up the stems to the flowers more rapidly, while providing food in the form of sugar. The bleach helps fight the growth of bacteria, allowing the flowers to stay hydrated and fresh.

Other tips to help your cut flowers last:

Cut the stems of your flowers at a 45-degree angle one inch from the bottom for maximum water uptake.

Remove all leaves below the waterline to prevent bacteria in the water.

Keep your arrangement out of direct sunlight.

Change your flower water every two days.

Here’s another benefit of this plant tray flower grid that I discovered, you can lift the ring and remove the arrangement to change the water without disturbing the design!

You can find more flower arranging tips here. . .

including another recycling and flower arranging hack, using something you usually throw away!

 You can take your empty plastic pots, plant tags, and trays to Lowe’s for recycling (regardless of where you purchase your plants) if your curbside recycling won’t take them. Once the pots and trays are returned to the store, they are picked up by local vendors and sorted and reusable material is sterilized and reintroduced to the production cycle. Material not deemed reusable is crushed, banded and sent for recycling.

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 Metamorphosis Monday