Looking for something different for your indoor garden? Put a scene from the forest in your home. Creating tray landscapes allows for much more creativity than just putting a plant in a pot, says guest Daniel Avrin, and each landscape is completely unique. Here are some general tips and ideas:
- The idea is to create a natural scene in miniature. Think of something you've seen: a favorite view, a nice photograph, a childhood memory.
- The container you choose should complement the plants in motif, lines, shape and design. You can be creative with your container as long as it has good drainage. Use a seashell, gourds, even driftwood, if you like.
- Remember proportions, says Avrin; choose small-leaf plant varieties for your landscape. Try terrarium plants, dwarf ferns, small palms and indoor bonsai plants. It helps to visualize what the plant is intended to mimic--a bush, a tree, grass or a shrub.
- Create depth and interest by placing large plants in front, smaller plants in back. Also, don't place plants in boring straight rows; put a couple on one side of the pot, one on the other.
- One easy scene to make uses a bonsai ficus tree planted in a land/water pot, available at nurseries. The special pot is divided so that you have a plant on one side and a pool of stones and water on the other.
Step-by-Step:
- Place a piece of mesh over the drainage holes in the container.
- Place a thin layer of pea gravel in the bottom of the container with some charcoal chips to keep the soil sweet.
- Add a layer of well-draining, unfertilized soil to within a half-inch of the top of the tray or container.
- Begin to build up the landscape, creating a focal point. Use rocks to add height, or mound up the soil to create hills.
- Add plants and landscape elements in such a way that they look natural, as if they've been there for some time.
- Add decorative touches such as pebbles, gravel, sand or mosses. The entire surface of the soil should be covered.
- Place the mini landscape in a spot with bright, indirect light. Keep soil evenly moist but not soggy, and prune and trim plants regularly to help them keep their shape.
- Do not feed plants; you want them to stay small. Instead replenish the soil every two years or so.
Guests
Daniel Avrin
Bonsai Expert
3684 Bucknell Dr.
Highlands Ranch, CO 80129
Phone: 303-470-8439
Email:
BESTAVRIN@aol.com
