Summer '07 :: Mimi's Mechanics

"Oasis, If You Must!"

1. Prep the container
   A. Soaking
   Start by soaking the Oasis in a sink or bucket full of cool water. I like instant deluxe bricks because they soak in 30 seconds. Do not push the blocks down into the water; this will form air pockets in the block that won’t absorb water.
   
   B. Lining
   If the container you’ve chosen does not hold water, use a paper mache liner. This turquoise clay pot I’ve chosen comes from my antique booth, Chez Mimi, and is on loan from my best customer, boss, and mentor, Sybil Sylvester. It holds water so the mache liner is unnecessary.
   
   C. Fill with Oasis
   First, place as many solid blocks of Oasis as will fit into the container. Wedge smaller pieces around the blocks to fill in, using a serrated knife (shown tools shot) to cut the Oasis to the required size. If you turn a block on its side and slice diagonally, the result is a piece that is smaller on the bottom (perfect to fit down into the container) and wider on the top, giving you more surface area for stems. It took me several long months prepping containers to figure this out, and you get to reap the benefits!
   
   Once you have the container full, shave the square edges off to create a bigger surface. Add water so the Oasis can continue to drink, making your arrangement last longer.
   
   D. Tape
   Using Oasis tape cut strips to go over the Oasis and across the container. The tape sticks to itself so make sure to run one long piece around the container to hold the other strips down.
   
   
2. Green it in
   A. Cutting
   I cut this greenery from the yards of several friends who were nice enough to share. Cut yours the day before and give it time to drink. Be choosy when you are cutting and save yourself some time in the end. Try to avoid cutting greenery that has holes in the leaves, brown spots, etc. that you will have to remove before you use.
   
   B. Galax and Greenery
   I start with a collar of galax leaves to cover where the Oasis meets the container and the tape is visible. Add cut yard greenery to get your lines going. I used acuba, leucothoe, hosta, rosemary, wild baby euphorbia—all some of my favorites. The greenery itself should be a pretty arrangement before you add flowers. It’s your backdrop so spend some time on it. Don’t skimp—use enough greenery so if you run out of flowers in the end you’re not left with gaps revealing Oasis…
   
   
3. Add flowers
   The flowers I chose for this arrangement are the pinks and purples of early summer, all different shades. These magnificent purple hydrangeas come from New Zealand. There are Alex Fleming peonies, purple dahlias from California, dark purple lisianthus, "Aqua" roses (the pepto pink), "Sweet Akito" roses (the pale pink), ice lavender stock, purple stock, lavender sweet peas, wild lavender, and wisteria.
   
   I have already cleaned my stems and given the flowers plenty of time to drink. Start with the biggest blooms first, here the hydrangea. Walk around the arrangement as you put them in or turn the pot to distribute the flowers evenly and cover all angles. (If you plan to situate this arrangement against a wall on a sideboard, then use your flowers mostly on the two sides and the front. Don’t waste them on the back where they will be shoved against the wall).
   
   Also, I like to add all of one type of flower at a time, so here I add the hydrangeas before moving on to the peonies and stock.
   
   After I’ve gotten the hydrangeas, stock, and peonies placed, I move on to the dahlias and lisianthus, stripping away excess stems and leaves as needed.
   
   Next come the roses and I add them in clusters. They make more of an impact if grouped together. To keep the stems from breaking, use two hands; one at the head of the flower and one at the bottom of the stem. Once the roses are in I fill in with the sweet peas, which I also cluster for more impact, and the wild lavender.
   
   I like something hanging down so I allow the pieces of wisteria to trail down. Wisteria does not hold up in Oasis so it will only last for about a day, but that’s long enough for a dinner party. I included it because I want you to be able to use things you already have in your yard, and not feel like you have to spend a fortune on exotic materials to make something pretty. If it’s pleasing to the eye, cut it, try it and see how it holds up.
   
   
4. Add fruit
   I choose strawberries because they remind me of summer and the color was right. To include them in the arrangement you will need wire picks. One strawberry had part of its stem left so I wrapped the wire around the stem to attach it to the pick before sticking it into the Oasis. For the rest of the strawberries, I wrapped the wire around the pick and then stuck that end into the fruit and poked them into the arrangement.
   
   
5. Step back and admire your handiwork.

June 2007 | By Mimi Brown | Photos By Virginia Scruggs