We liked the sculptural quality of this moss centerpiece, which we spied in an Ethan Allen Interiors catalog. And according to Jane Pryor, the senior designer/stylist who created it, it can be whipped up at home with relative ease.
You will need: a watertight container; lots of H2O; and a couple trays of clump or mood moss. (Clump/mood moss is not the stuff that grows outside on rocks and pots. It can be ordered from a florist or plant supply store. Pryor used three floral trays, which measured about 1 by 2 feet, of the moss to fill this 25-inch-diameter resin tray from Ethan Allen.)
To get the mounding effect, “we just kept layering the moss. It comes in different clumps–big pieces and small pieces. So it’s like a puzzle. You play with it [pulling it apart and shaping it, using your hands] until you get it looking good,” Pryor says.
The stylist admits she cheated a bit for the photo and stuffed paper towels under some mounds for more height, but does not suggest the technique for a more lasting centerpiece.
And then you water the heck out of it. “Soak it under the tap as long as your container can hold the water”–but not so much that you get standing water, she says. And then follow up with a mister.
Another hint: Make sure you get enough big clumps of moss. It makes the sculpting easier.
As for durability, Pryor kept her centerpiece together for about two weeks, but, she adds, “I have a feeling it would last as long as you kept it moist.”
Nancy Clifton, horticulture specialist for plant information at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, recommends keeping the centerpiece out of direct sunlight. She also suggests an alternative material that requires no watering at all: dry moss. Find it at craft stores, florists and garden centers. And use the same technique of layering mounds.
(For details on the Ethan Allen resin tray, which is on sale for $269 through Monday, call 800-228-9229 for store locations or visit www.ethanallen.com.)