Mossy inspirations

Knee how (a Chinese hello). This week I am in Taipei, Taiwan, as we launch our third season of Let's Shop. I've had a couple of months hiatus from travel as we rested from our hectic 26-country season.

I've missed the travel during my summer break, especially the meeting of new friends and the creative stimulation that I encounter as I discover new cities and countries. All of which I love to bring home and share with you.

As I tour and enjoy the luxurious, Grand Hyatt in Taipei, I marvel at the talent and imagination of Asian floral designers. No offense to the rest of the world's floral designers out there, but Asian designers have the art of floral design down to a very fine art. Every trip to this side of the globe reminds me of their brilliance in this area.

Taiwan is a relatively small island, extraordinarily rich in animal and plant life. It is known primarily for its economic achievements — we all have products in our homes that proudly display the "made in Taiwan label" Perhaps that is the reason there are so many opportunities to bring home ideas for our own homes.

From Taipei, coincidently located on the North side of Taiwan, I am reminded of the beauty and simplicity of moss. The use of moss in floral design is so simple and yet stunningly beautiful.

Display your moss creation in a bowl or vase.

Moss 101

Moss is a fabulous, inexpensive filler for just about any container and it's maintenance-free. The secret to designing with moss is to keep it simple and to keep it symmetrical.

Fill a glass bowl or vase of any size  with black dirt, polished stones or bark mulch and then top with rich green moss. Leave a space about one third of the vessel's size empty. Add an orchid, bunches of dried grass or curly willow if you wish. A traditional Chinese bowl or wooden basket will also nicely display moss. Besides the green and grey varieties, you can also buy coloured mosses. Try a rich, regal purple or yellow.

Another quickie idea from Taiwan

Fill small glass containers with simple green plants and set them in a row on a sideboard or foyer table. Plants should be enjoyed as sculptural art. Mother Nature was, after all, the master artisan.