John Andrew sent this update:
We are encouraging church flower arrangers to discontinue the use of Oasis. Made from plastic it ends up in landfill, or of greater concern it easily dissolves into tiny particles adding to the global problem of micro-plastics.
There are many eco-friendly alternatives, Bio-foam being one. Same texture as oasis it is fully biodegradable and compostable. Using chicken wire in the container or just a simple posy of flowers are other alternatives to allow more sustainable ways of flower arranging.
This year we planted pollinator friendly plants and flowers to try and encourage bees, butterflies and insects. At the end of the growing season we intend to save seeds and next year expand into other areas of the garden by sowing the saved seeds. There are a host of pollinator friendly plants and flowers that are good at attracting bees i.e. Teasels, Borage, Nasturtiums to name a few.