>> "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom"

is brought to you by

Albertsons Companies...

with additional support

from the following companies...

CalFlowers...

Design Master Color Tool...

Smithers-Oasis...

Sunshine Bouquet.

♪

>> Today on "Life in Bloom,"

we're getting outside to the

forest and sharing ways to

experience a bit of its magic

every day.

We'll learn about the health and

wellness trend of forest bathing

and create arrangements,

including versatile moss, and

we'll discover the magical

hellebores.

♪

♪

I'm J Schwanke.

Welcome to "Life in Bloom."

There's something about the

forest that evokes a bit of

wonder and awe.

Perhaps it's the unexpected

things we find there.

Moss is tenacious.

Mushrooms, branches, bark, and

stones.

A variety of textures.

The proper conditions

encouraging life and growth on

every kind of surface.

Perhaps it's that unexpected pop

of green or a delightful texture

or the way the forest provides

all different kinds of

discoveries.

Today on "Life in Bloom," we'll

explore the gifts of the forest

and how to bring nature into

your home so you can experience

a bit of its magic every day.

♪

Have you heard of the concept of

forest bathing?

It's something people in Japan

have been doing for years.

They call it shinrin-yoku.

And when I heard about it, I

couldn't wait to give it a try.

"Shinrin" in Japanese means

"forest," and "yoku" means

"bath."

So shinrin-yoku means "bathing

in the forest's atmosphere," or

"taking in the forest through

your senses."

Forest bathing is simply being

in nature and making that

connection with all of our

senses -- sights, sounds,

smells, touch, and even taste.

Take time to observe and enjoy

your surroundings.

Leave your devices at home.

Unplugging from the modern world

lets you de-stress and totally

relax.

Feel the leaves crunching

underfoot.

Listen to the songs of the

birds.

Taste the fresh air.

Watch the sunlight dance.

Even a short time in nature can

help you relax, rejuvenate,

think more clearly, and restore

energy.

Now I'm inspired to create an

arrangement reminiscent of the

forest.

Let's look at some of the

elements we can utilize.

I love this container because

it's a raw, concrete container.

I've lined it with flower foam

so that we can insert our

different items into it.

I've soaked that foam with

water.

I've got a wasp nest I found in

my own backyard once winter came

last year.

There was the nest hanging in

the tree.

So, I've got it attached to a

branch we'll use in this

arrangement.

We've also got different types

of mosses.

There's reindeer moss and

regular flat moss, even some

lichen.

I picked up a few pine cones

while I was there and a piece

of bark.

We'll utilize those, as well.

This bird nest got blown out of

a tree by a storm, so I picked

it up and kept it so I can use

it in something like this.

'Course, we'll use ferns and

other things that look like the

foliages we saw in the forest.

Maybe we'll even slip a tree

into this, too.

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Using live moss in arrangements

is fun, but you can also mimic

the look of moss in today's

project.

Textured paint comes in many

colors, and this one looks like

moss.

Spraying it on baskets or

containers in random patterns

creates a moss-like effect.

Once dry, containers could be

lined and filled with water or

flower foam.

Then, the flower fun begins.

Blooming branches from a

snowball bush set the stage for

fresh flowers as well as dried

flowers in white and green

tones.

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I love arranging flowers on a

turntable.

This gives me easy access to all

sides of the bouquet.

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Arranging flowers is similar to

planting garden pots.

I love to include spillers --

flowers that reach out of the

arrangement and spill out.

Thrillers are unique or exotic

flowers that cause excitement in

the bouquet.

And don't forget the fillers --

accent flowers like fairy grass,

fern fronds, and delicate

blossoms that add texture in

between the other flowers.

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It's fun to accent a large

arrangement with smaller vases

that match and coordinate.

Together, they can be used to

create a tablescape, or

separated, you can share the

theme around the house.

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Candlelight creates ambiance,

and these floating candles

inside clear bubble bowls are

safely nestled into moss-filled

pots decorated with the textured

paint.

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The moss decoration on this cake

is a beautiful special effect,

but it's also delicious.

The secret?

Sugar cookies.

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Yes, you can drink your moss,

too.

Dried sea moss is the ingredient

to this tasty non-alcoholic

beverage.

We start with dried moss.

This is typically available at a

Caribbean market.

And what you do is, you soak it

overnight.

You soak it in 2 cups of water

and lime juice.

I added a little bit of food

coloring so that we have a nice

mossy color.

Once you've soaked it overnight,

you drain it and then add 2 cups

of water and simmer it down

until you have a jelly-like

substance.

This is what we'll use to make

the beverage.

We'll add it to our blender...

along with cane sugar...

and evaporated milk.

♪

[ Blender motor whirring ]

♪

We've pureed everything in our

blender.

And then we'll serve it over

ice.

♪

We'll add a few drops of

bitters.

♪

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♪

I'm so excited today because I

have my niece Grace Boersma

here, and we are gonna play with

marimo balls.

>> Yay!

>> So, we share a fascination

for these marimo moss balls.

>> Very much so.

>> And the reason that we have

chemistry paraphernalia here is

because you are a chemistry

teacher.

>> That is very --

Yep, that is true.

>> And the kids love you.

>> [ Laughs ]

I think so, I think so.

>> Yeah, they do.

They do, because you make

chemistry fun.

>> Yes, yep.

>> It really is ideal that the

Erlenmeyers and --

What -- What's this called?

>> This is a flat round-bottom

flask.

>> These are the ones that I

have at my house.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> And this was actually --

This is actually the original

one.

Your grandma gave this to me for

Christmas probably five or six

years ago, and so he's done

well.

But if he doesn't roll -- if he

doesn't roll around a lot, he's

gets flat on one side.

>> So, just as a chemist's

advice here, I would actually

pour out some water, because the

nice thing about the

Erlenmeyers, we can swirl them

like this.

So if you have enough space at

the top, then we can have some

space to swirl so you can move

that ball around in there.

>> He's -- He's due.

Okay.

>> And then you can just add

some more after you are done

swirling.

>> So, now the other question

that you --

You made an observation that the

sand in here looks like it's

from where?

>> Yes, it looks like it's from

Iceland.

So, all of the sand in Iceland

is the ash from all the

volcanoes there.

And so it's all these black,

sandy beaches that you walk

through.

My husband and I just got back

from a trip there, which was

very, very incredible.

>> And they are native to

Iceland.

>> Yes! Yeah, which,

unfortunately, we didn't see

any.

>> And so, this is how I

experienced them.

This was the first one I got.

Then I got some more.

I have this container, and it's

a closed container.

So, every two weeks, we want to

change them, change their water.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> But they're --

So, they're little -- they're

little, tiny moss balls that

look like --

But they're not really moss,

okay?

They're algae.

>> Yeah, but they're so cute.

I mean, they look like moss

balls, yeah.

>> So, what I did was, I just a

put a little bit of gravel down

inside here.

>> And what does that do?

>> So, it's just pretty.

>> Oh, okay.

>> Right?

[ Both laugh ]

Thank you.

It's just pretty.

>> That's fine, that's fine.

>> Okay.

So, yeah.

But these are all washed stones,

too, so I ran them through the

dishwasher just to make sure

that they were completely clean

'cause I didn't want any

sediment or anything on them.

>> Fair enough.

>> And they're actually glass

stones.

So, they're sea glass.

>> I mean, you definitely get

the prettiness factor with those

sea stones.

>> Right, right.

>> And it does look very nice.

>> And you're very --

Well, that's too much water.

But you're, you know...

You're used to seeing them like

this, right?

>> Yeah.

>> So, let's see.

This guy -- well...

He'll fit in there.

These were first discovered in

Lake Zell in Austria in 1820.

>> Wow. Okay.

But the name marimo is from --

or "murimo."

Both are correct.

>> Okay.

>> ...is from Japan.

And "mari" means "bouncy play

ball," and "mo" is a generic

term for "plant."

>> Okay.

>> So "marimo" is "bouncy play

ball plant."

>> Yeah, and that's exactly what

these things are.

>> So, they do grow, so they'll

get bigger.

And they get their nutrients

from the water.

So, that's -- So, it's just the

algae is growing, and I guess

just --

'Cause they really, truly are an

algae, not a moss.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> And so, they will get bigger.

>> I do love having these in our

home, because it is a living

plant that, if I do forget to

change the water every two

weeks, they're pretty durable.

>> They're pretty forgiving.

>> Yeah, they continue to live,

they continue to do their thing,

and then, every once in a while,

we change their water, and they

still look great.

>> See if I can get one more.

>> That one might go in there.

>> That one's gonna go in there.

But then, you can put a

tillandsia on top.

>> Oh!

>> And then that you just mist.

>> Okay.

So it's another easy thing I can

do.

>> Yeah, it's a cute little --

It's a cute --

Yes, it's a very decorative

display.

So, yeah, it's cute, though.

I love it.

I have a tradition with

"Life in Bloom."

>> Okay.

>> We do flower crowns.

>> Oh, yeah!

>> But today, I have a foliage

crown with a moss ball in it for

you.

>> Perfect!

>> Right?

>> Yes!

>> So, this is for you for

coming and playing marimos with

me.

>> Thank you.

>> And I'm gonna send some home

with you.

>> Oh, yay!

Thank you!

I'm really excited to bring

these to my students in my

classroom just for them to kind

of look and play with.

>> I think that's a wonderful

idea.

♪

We can use fresh moss to create

decorative objects for our home.

Here's some simple tips to show

you how to make these fun,

decorative accessories.

We'll start with moss.

The moss is typically dry, so

what I do is, I wet it, and I

squeeze it out.

That makes it much more pliable.

Then, we can take styrofoam

objects, like eggs or spheres,

and cover them with moss.

Yesterday, I built a little

sculpture using my spheres and

my eggs to create a little

rabbit.

I stuck the pieces together with

toothpicks, and then I used this

same technique to create our

little moss bunny.

We use the wet moss, and we find

a piece that's gonna be about

the right size to cover up the

whole sphere.

Just kind of mold it into shape

to make sure it's gonna cover

everything.

Then, we use our craft-covered

wire, and we'll bring it around

and twist it into place.

That'll ensure that it's gonna

stay in place while we do the

rest of the wrapping.

So, then, we start to wrap it

around, making sure that it's

nice and tight and holding the

moss in place.

If we have an area like this

that's not completely covered,

we can grab a piece of moss,

place it on top, and keep

wrapping.

It's a very forgiving method.

It's a great way for us to

create fun decorations for our

home.

♪

To secure this in place, we'll

make a loop...

and then wrap it around...

and twist that together.

♪

Then, we can use our scissors to

trim it up.

This was especially important

for our little bunny rabbit

because it allowed us to give

him a specific shape and form.

♪

The great part about these

accessories is that they're foam

on the inside, so we can cut

permanent botanical flowers and

place them directly into the

objects.

It's great for our bunny and for

these eggs.

These also dry, and they're

long-lasting.

Be sure that you protect any

fine finishes, because right

now, they're still wet, but they

will dry.

♪

Sometimes moss will lose its

color as it dries out, but we

can make moss look fresh again

by using food coloring and

rubbing alcohol.

Fill a sprayer with rubbing

alcohol and put in eight drops

of yellow and one drop of green.

Then mist...

your moss to give it a fresh

look again.

♪

♪

Hellebore, also known as the

Christmas rose, was first

referenced in the 18th century

because of its resemblance to a

single-petal rose.

The botanical name is

hellebores.

Hellebores are not related to

the rose at all but are actually

a member of the buttercup

family.

The foliage of hellebores is

evergreen, and there is no need

to trim them back in the winter.

They may even bloom when covered

with snow when the temperatures

are right.

While the black roots are

considered poisonous, the

flowers and stems are safe to

handle.

Hellebores are tough,

low-maintenance flowers that

prefer dappled shade.

They're even deer- and

rabbit-resistant.

♪

We hope we've inspired you to

experience the gifts of the

forest in your everyday life.

For "Life in Bloom," I'm

J Schwanke.

See you next time.

♪

>> Kind of bring it up slowly.

>> All right.

>> [ Indistinct talking ]

[ Laughter ]

>> Ah.

♪

>> All right.

Everybody ready?

>> Ready.

>> Action.

♪

♪

>> It tastes like Christmas.

[ Laughter ]

I know that's weird, but it

tastes like Christmas.

>> Can we do that one more time?

>> "J Schwanke's Life In Bloom"

is filmed in Grand Rapids,

Michigan.

>> "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom"

is brought to you by...

Albertsons Companies...

with additional support from the

following companies...

CalFlowers...

Design Master Color Tool...

Smithers-Oasis...

Sunshine Bouquet.

♪

Closed-caption funding provided

by Ocean View Flowers.

♪

For everything flowers, recipes,

projects, and more information,

visit ubloom.com.

♪