How to Make a Birdbath or Urn Topper

How to Make a Birdbath or Urn Topper

One of the things the custom department at HCG does at this time of year is to make arrangements for window boxes, porch pots and other containers. One of the most unusual pieces we do is a birdbath or urn topper. Here are photo instructions for you to create your own toppers…we have all the supplies needed in the store, so come in for any greens, berries and other decorations you need.

You need a heavy-duty plastic saucer that fits in your birdbath or the top of your urn, and two blocks of Oasis that have been soaked in water for an hour.

Cut the outside corners off the Oasis blocks so they fit into the saucer.

Use WATERPROOF florists tape to hold the blocks in the saucer. Without this the arrangement might blow away.

Any items that you have with thick stems such as these birch poles should be put in place first. This is important. If you try and put thick stems in later it will break your arrangement. So poles or thick stems such as magnolia leaves should go in first and then you add the rest around them.

Use something fairly firm as your first round of greens. I used white pine tips here. Cut them to the size you ultimately want your arrangement to be and stick them in evenly around in the oasis. Once you put a stem in the Oasis don’t take it out because that creates weak places in the Oasis.

After the white pine I added Port Orford Cedar. I like this because it is bright lime green. Aim for using a group of greens that vary from dark to bright green. We have all these at Country Garden so if you don’t have ones to cut in your yard, come into the store and look under our tent!

Next I added some blue-green berried cedar. This has a fine texture and darker color.

Nobel fir pieces were added next.

Finally, I filled in the open spaces with boxwood.

The last step is to add cones and berries, or any other decorations you wish. You can make these as natural or as glitzy as you want.

Ta Da! A birdbath topper.  

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