Tabletop Water Gardens
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| Tabletop water gardens are easy and inexpensive to create. |
About this time every year, we gardeners start to get itchy. We want to get out in the garden and get our hands dirty already, but Mother Nature often has different ideas. If your area is still too chilly to even consider gardening outside, then stay inside and create a little slice of water garden heaven on a tabletop. The materials are easy to find, and the whole project takes no time at all.
Materials
- Glass container (bowl or other wide-mouthed vase or vessel)
- Plastic pot that is shorter than your glass container
- Water plants (taro, water lettuce, fairy moss, or water hyacinth)
- River rocks, pebbles, or aquarium gravel
- Activated charcoal
- Pure water (rainwater or distilled water is best)
Directions
1) Make sure the glass container and plastic pot are both clean and free of any residual dirt.
2) Put your plant in the plastic pot, and then add some pebbles on top of the soil. These pebbles will weigh down the pot inside the water and keep the soil from floating out.
3) Line the bottom of the glass container with the charcoal to absorb any unwanted odors. Cover the charcoal with river rocks, pebbles, or aquarium gravel, making sure the rocks are clean.
4) Fill the glass container with water slowly, to avoid displacing the rocks. Lower the plastic pot into the water and nestle it into the bottom of the container.
5) If necessary, add more rocks to the soil surface in the plastic pot to hold the pot down.
6) Gently clean any floating bits of soil that have been dislodged.
If you need to dispose of any unwanted plants in the future, be aware that some water plants such as water hyacinth are extremely invasive and can be destructive to natural waterways. Never add them to any open body of water; instead, add them to your compost pile. Always do your homework when working with new or unusual plants, and use them appropriately for your project and environmental surroundings.
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Tabletop Water Gardens
Suddenly the terrarium is once again a trend in the garden If your area is still too chilly to even consider gardening outside, then stay inside and create a little slice of water garden heaven on a tabletop.
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