How many times during the Holidays do you need a present for someone that pops up at the last minute?
It happens to me so often that I keep small winter potted plants, like poinsettia, ferns, ivy, and cyclamen on hand to throw a gift basket together in just a few minutes.
This gift basket has white cyclamen, ivy, wintergreen with red berries, and ferns
The process is a bit more than just placing some pretty potted plants in a basket. Make sure that your basket has low sides and that you have a large surface area to showcase all the plants. Seen at a local garden center, the basket above retailed for $125! You can put something this nice together for a third to one half of the cost. These gift baskets will last for months instead of a few days that a regular cut flower arrangement could be kept. Just change out the cut flowers as needed.
Assemble all your plants, plus a basket with a plastic liner
Ingredients
Low sided basket with liner
3 to 5 potted plants, making sure that you have a variety of green trailers and flowering plants
Pieces of saturated oasis to wedge in between plants
Short pieces of evergreens
Bow, if you want one
Fresh cut flowers such as lilies, carnations, roses, baby’s breath, and gerber daisies
Place your plants in basket and stuff oasis in between to keep the plants steady
Process
Assemble all ingredients
Place the potted plants in basket, keeping the taller ones in the back half
Fill in spaces with chunks of saturated oasis
Insert cut evergreen branches to cover oasis
Fill in gaps with cut evergreens
Insert fresh cut flowers in oasis for added color
Place cut flowers in wet oasis
Add bow, berries, or Christmas balls
You are finished creating a beautiful living arrangement for someone that will last for months. Just be sure to tell the recipient to water the plants and oasis every few days to keep it fresh.
