Avoiding Floral Foam in Your Arrangements
by Master Gardener Linda Dietrick
Since 2021, the Royal Horticultural Society has banned the use of floral foam (also called Oasis™) at all of their events, including the Chelsea Flower Show. Though still widely used by florists to hold flower stems in place and keep them hydrated, floral foam is actually quite bad for the environment. It’s made of petroleum-based plastic that does not biodegrade when thrown in the landfill. As it falls apart, it also introduces microplastics, microscopic particles that are harmful to many organisms, into the soil and potentially into waterways. This is a real concern if, for example, a floral arrangement is buried with a coffin.
Bunches of flowers for sale.
Master Gardener Debbie Innes, who teaches popular floral design courses in the St. Vital neighbourhood of Winnipeg, has been aware of the floral foam issue for several years. She has learned of an environmentally friendly alternative called Sideau AgraWool. It is not made from sheep wool, but from rockwool, which is produced by heating basalt (volcanic rock) and spinning it into fibres. The fibres are pressed into a block that is held together with a sucrose binder. After use, Agra-Wool breaks down into harmless rock dust. Local florist suppliers now offer the product, but it is much more expensive than plastic floral foam, apparently because it’s imported from the Netherlands. Debbie also warns that the rockwool may cause skin irritation in some people. So it’s not for everyone.
The floral foam industry has come up with alternative products that they claim are more environmentally friendly: Bio Floral Foam™ and Maxlife™. However, according to the Sustainable Floristry Network, these products are essentially the same plastic material, but with an additive that causes them to break down into particles more quickly. This means they’re no better for the environment than the regular floral foam.
“Flower pillows” made of mesh netting filled with wet coconut coir.
After a bit of experimentation, I came up with a DIY alternative for floral foam that we could call “flower pillows.” They are made from squares of mesh netting stuffed with saturated coconut coir and tied with twine. They can be sized to fit the container and seem to work well as flower holders, though you may need to use a nail or skewer to make holes for the stems. The “pillows” can be reused and refilled, but because the mesh is made of polyester, only the contents can go into your garden or the compost. If you can find and substitute 100% cotton mesh, then the whole flower pillow will be compostable.
Still Life of Roses in a Glass Vase by Jan van Kessel the Elder, 1669.
Meanwhile, it’s worth remembering that people have been making beautiful flower arrangements without floral foam for hundreds of years. The product has only existed since the 1950s, and there are many old and new alternatives. Of course, you can always simply put your flowers in a vase with water. There is a reason why vases are shaped the way they are: they’re meant to hold flowers and foliage upright in a way that pleases the eye. Think of the great Dutch Masters’ still life paintings. Experienced flower arrangers learn how to cross the stems in the vase so that they hold each other up.
In wider, shallower display vessels, you can support stems with a hairpin flower holder, also called a frog, or with a classic Japanese kenzan. You can use washed pebbles or glass beads, or just some crumpled chicken wire. A clever trick is to stretch a piece of netting from a produce bag over the mouth of a mason jar, securing it with the sealer ring and trimming the excess. The mesh holds the flower stems in place.
Instead of floral foam, a flower frog or a mason jar with mesh from a produce bag can hold your flowers.
Debbie, who sees herself as a committed environmentalist, points out that Christmas wreaths are easy to make without resorting to floral foam. Two years ago, she says, “I made a bride’s bouquet using a curly willow armature instead of a plastic holder and oasis. I felt good about doing it and did not have to compromise on quality at all.” Another modern technique she recommends for making bouquets without floral foam is hand tying.
Visit the website of the UK’s Sustainable Floristry Network for more no-floral-foam alternatives. Debbie assured me she will be actively exploring the alternatives with her students and her fellow floral designers.