A box of 20 Fibrefloral bricks

This is Smithers-Oasis’s new Eco Floristry Brick. Size 23 x 11 x 8cm

A revolutionary product newly available to the floristry industry, these 100% natural and biodegradable blocks are designed to perform in the same way as a floral foam brick.

What’s it made from?

Created from fibrous Earthwool®, these blocks are a natural product produced from readily available Volcanic basalt rock which is spun into wool-like fibres. These fibres are then bound with a natural sucrose (cane/beet sugar) to form the block, making it 100% natural and biodegradable.

Compared to floral foam which is created from oil derivatives and plastics and bound with acetylates and formaldehyde, Sideau® biodegrades into basalt meal, a kind of sand, which is a nutritious soil-improver and growing medium and so can be re-used in planting once its life-cycle for floristry has ended.

What’s it like to use?

With a softer and spongier texture than floral foam, Sideau® blocks produce no dust, are not irritating to the skin and is highly absorbent, absorbing water quickly (around 15s) and time after time to adequately keep your floral arrangements well-watered.

Sideau® is also economical for your floristry as it produces less waste. It can be easily cut using, for example, a bread knife, and smaller amounts of the block can be used for arrangements or as a replacement for potting soil in small planting arrangements. It can also be re-used by wrapping it in chicken water to re-form the shape.

Sideau® is also an excellent material for both dried and fresh flowers and can be used wet or dry. Ideal for memorial and funeral arrangements as it can be left to biodegrade in memorial locations.

How do we recommend using it?

It is advisable to use a skewer to create holes in the block for smaller and more delicate stems to avoid bending and damage to the stems. We would also recommend that taller and larger stems are supported with an additional material, e.g. chicken wire or binding wire to ensure that they don’t move over time, or alternatively clamp the floral foam firmly in the container for support.

Sideau® is not recommended for hanging arrangements or for using in a vertical position as it has a high draining rate. We would therefore recommend using it in a horizontal poisition to avoid drying out.