Sharon McGukin

Smithers-Oasis North America Design Director Sharon McGukin, AIFD, AAF, PFCI enjoys sharing floral tips and techniques for celebrating life with flowers.

Ask any group of floral designers what inspires them most and they will often respond “nature”. Due to their close relationship with nature and natural materials, many designers enjoy using eco-friendly products and techniques. Top of that list have been requests for a compostable floral media.

The color, texture, and form of natural materials often becomes a catalyst of inspiration for these creative spirits. The practicality of a compostable product answers their need for earth-friendly disposal.

Are you looking for an innovative new compostable products for your customers? If so, you’ll want to try a newly-released product called OASIS® TerraBrick™ Floral Media.

Floral designers have a mix of needs and expectations for their floral media. Smithers-Oasis understands that and recently expanded their line of products to accommodate those diverse needs.

We’ll share these new options in upcoming Floral Hub Blogs, How We Bloom podcasts, and on the website. Beginning with today’s blog featuring everyday designs. We know you have questions and we want to answer them.

Photos: Design by Klaus Wagener / BLOOM’s

What is OASIS® TerraBrick™ Floral Media?

A stable flower arranging water-source floral media that is certified compostable.

• Plant-based, natural coir, compostable binder
• Simply cut and place in a container, and saturate with water
• Store the floral media in a dry environment prior to use

How does it answer the sustainability requirements of some designers?
• Stable water-source floral media made of natural materials
• A sustainable floral media for very good flower life
• Certified OK compost HOME and OK compost INDUSTRIAL

How is OASIS® TerraBrick™ Floral Media used in on-trend designs?

Photos: Design by Klaus Wagener / BLOOM’s

While designing with the new floral media, it’s important to place your flower stems with precision. Inserted stems create holes that do not fully close when a stem is removed. This will affect the integrity of its grip.

If you need to move a stem, rather than remove it – cut the stem off at the floral media surface leaving the submerged stem in place and relocate the remainder of the stem.

OASIS® TerraBrick™ Floral Media can be cut to fit your container as needed for your design. See this quick video for more details on How to Cut.

Floral Influencer Klaus Wagener - creative head of the publishing house BLOOM’s in Germany, shares with us some innovative design ideas for using the new floral media.

In each of Klaus’ designs he uses elements of nature such as moss, rocks, twigs, or branches to help secure the floral media in place for the stability of the flowers. This adds to the natural beauty of the design.

Photos: Design by Klaus Wagener / BLOOM’s

Can the new floral media support large designs?

Photos: Design by Klaus Wagener / BLOOM’s

Yes! Adding to the beauty of the arrangement. Klaus demonstrates how in this gorgeous design.

For large designs, multiple bricks can be stacked, layered, or used in tandem to establish the volume of support needed. Insert a profusion of bamboo skewers or other wood picks through one brick into another to bind them together for added strength.

Structural pieces such as large branches, driftwood, sticks and vines can be wired together with bind wire to help secure the design.

For a closer look, see this video Large Green Design.

Photos: Design by Klaus Wagener / BLOOM’s

Why saturate bricks by pouring water over them
rather than float-saturation? 

It’s the difference between OASIS® TerraBrick™ Floral Media and OASIS® Floral Foam. Foam is float saturated due to cell structure. OASIS® TerraBrick™ Floral Media is not a foam and therefore saturates differently. So how do you saturate OASIS® TerraBrick™ Floral Media? Once the bricks are in a container and you have created a solution of water and FloraLife® Flower Food, slowly pour the water solution over the bricks, moving back and forth across the surface so that the water can be absorbed. It is a best practice to pour water along the inner sides of the container so that it runs to the bottom of the container, ensuring the absorption of water from all side of the bricks. A brick is saturated when water sits on its surface and is no longer absorbed. If you have bricks stacked in your container, be sure to allow enough time or the water to be absorbed by all bricks, not just those on top.

Watch this video for details - How to Saturate

Why is there a tray?

The tray helps to protect the bricks during shipment. 

You can use the tray as a design element if you choose.

• It will not hold water like a typical vase or container.
• The tray and carton are not recyclable.
• Simply place them in a paper and cardboard recycling bin.

What is OASIS® TerraBrick™ Floral Media made of?

Photos: Design by Klaus Wagener / BLOOM’s

While OASIS® TerraBrick™ Floral Media looks a brick of potting soil, it is not. It isn’t made from peat either. OASIS® TerraBrick™ Floral Media is made from plant-based, renewable, natural coir and a compostable binder.

Although TerraBrick™ Floral Media is not a potting soil product, it looks similar. OASIS® TerraBrick™ Floral Media becomes an interesting element of the arrangement when it is left exposed, to look like soil, in a natural design.

Watch this video - Garden Tablescape design using OASIS® TerraBrick™ Floral Media

Photos: Design by Klaus Wagener / BLOOM’s

Can you reuse OASIS® TerraBrick™ Floral Media?

Yes. OASIS® TerraBrick™ Floral Media has been certified OK compost HOME and OK compost INDUSTRIAL by TÜV Austria. You can also repurpose used OASIS® TerraBrick™ Floral Media by using it in pots or the garden.

If you have suggestions for additional sizes, shapes and articles that would be useful to you, we welcome your ideas.

What interesting ways can you use the new compostable OASIS® TerraBrick™ Floral Media in your floral business?