On my online workbook this week: Spring Row

Dear

This week's inspiration is these chive scapes... so cute and exactly the same colour as the raspberry violas!

Because most of my gardening is done in pots I use Perlite (or Vermiculite) in my soil mixture to improve drainage instead of sand (sand is too heavy up here on the 7th floor and best for ground gardening). I also use Perlite to root my cuttings... and my tip for you this week is to try Perlite to support flower stems in designs, especially the kind of designs we would traditionally use foam.

Perlite is the name for a naturally occurring siliceous rock. When heated, it has the capacity to expand from four to twenty times its original volume. Perlite is white, lightweight, pH neutral, sterile and retains water. It can be used when you require a lightweight design solution that will hold your stems in position, and be somewhat spill (convenient for transporting designs) proof. You can even tilt (see picture below) your container slightly if you want to display your design at an interesting angle without the Perlite falling or water draining out. And if you find that you have added too much water, simply remove excess water by blotting it with kitchen paper or tissue. There are many design options still to explore.

And maintain by topping up the water as needed.

Perlite is safe for the environment, safe to ingest, safe to touch. And you know the powder in the water that we pour down the drains after soaking floral foam that is so harmful to the environment? Perlite is used to solve exactly that very similar problem as a replacement for plastic microbeads in toothpaste, lotions and soaps. It acts as a natural filter to clean stormwater runoff, helping to prevent the contamination of waterways.

Is Perlite the sustainable resource we have been waiting for to replace floral foam? Probably not in the long term. It is a non-renewable resource after all. But there are no chemicals involved in processing Perlite and because it does not biodegrade (it is a rock, after all) it also does not mold. Simply rinse it and reuse it for your designs. Hopefully it will lower the demand and become a reusable substitute for floral foam when designers create the very specific design styles that require similar support as foam. While doing my research I have noticed some people are concerned about the fine Perlite dust (some brands may contain crystalline silica) so also be aware of that.

The search continues. Studies are being done on PBH rice hulls as another alternative… will be interesting to watch.

Enjoy!

Every good wish,

Christine