I must admit I am not much of a gardener. However I do hold a strong passion for plants and a love affair with all things artistic. So I scrounged up some of my favorite examples of indoor plant installations to share with you. On the top of my list is the succulent orb forms designed by Dig Gardens in Santa Cruz California. Their incredible creations are stunning and come with instructions on how to install. I was amazed to find out I could recreate this myself!
Another innovation in gardening is the sky planter by Boskke, which displays flora upside down. The quirky planters are said to conserve water, but the main reason I enjoy them is for their unique and unexpected appearance. Finally, one of new favorite shops to gather inspiration from is Artemisia in Portland Oregon. They specialize in Terrariums and are packed full of whimsical creations. Artemisia constructs plant designs out of hanging globes, driftwood and even minute seashells. If you are lucky enough to be in the area you can join a class on how to build a custom terrariums yourself.
A few more fun and ingenious ideas:
• Miniature trinkets mixed into your terrarium by Artemisia
• Air plants hung on vertical driftwood by Dig Gardens
• Beautiful trees strung from the ceiling by
•Soft glass votives contorted in creative ways by artist Kim Harty
•Tiny light bulb terrarium design from Etsy
•Hanging containers from Terrain
•Artemisia design photographed by D’art Photographie
Next time you are looking for the perfect piece of art to finish off your space, pass on the gallery and head to the nursery instead!
Images : as linked above
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Long ago and far away, before my time, there was a PBS show about houseplants in the Boston area by a woman who's name I think was Thalasso Crusoe. I inherited a book from my grandmother by her, and she included instructions for something very much like the fifth image, the one with the succulents.
Hang stuff. Put it in a jar. Got it.
These are so unusual! I love them!
Those orbs are really beautiful. I need to perk up my new office with some greenery and goodness does this post inspire!
I want one of those succulent balls in the worst way.
I DO covet that succulent orb in the first photo.
As a teenager on the Northern California coast in the '70s, I made similar things with shells, redwood driftwood and air plants. Takes me back ... although some of these designs are much more sophisticated.
www.bluejaysnbumblebees.etsy.com for hand blown plant globes made in the good ol USA (Seattle to be exact) by glass artist Justin Bagley. I will say, these are incredibly easy for the non-gardener. You just soak an air plant 1/week for a couple hours and the trade off is a beautiful, living piece of art. love these!
love it
Love the innovative ideas!
My question is, how do the terrariums in the clear glass not get moldy? My problem with things like this is always mold.
@lucymcflea- there needs to be sufficient air flow and warmth. with the hanging plant globes its easy to take the plant out and rinse out the globe if it gets cloudy. if you're getting too much moisture make sure there's enough air getting to the plant.
I'm sorry but lol at sally's comment.
@m'elizabeth: The show was Making Things Grow; no final "e" in Cruso. She demystified plants the way Julia Child demystified cooking. In wondering whether the show ever made it onto the web, I looked around and found this article, which links to a page where you can see the only available episode.
@LucyMcflea, when a container is closed (as in the terrariums shown above), mold spores are sealed in with the rest of the materials. It it important in preparing this kind of planter to use sterilized soil, rocks, etc., as clean as possible, and to shake as much soil from the roots of your plants as possible when you are installing them. Inspect carefully for signs of pests or disease and keep those plants out! A layer of activated charcoal in the planter will help also.
In an open terrarium container, you should not get mold, but your plants are vulnerable to dust, mites, drying out, and other annoyances. Covering the top with a fine mesh, like window screen or cheesecloth or gauze, can help a little. You can fasten it on with a colorful ribbon or band, extra decorative.
Different shapes of containers are suitable for different plants. Many plants can't take a lot of dripping; they'll get slimy. It's best to look for a container with a conical top that will encourage condensation to flow to the sides and down, to avoid drips. There are a bunch of old candy jars around that are pretty and inexpensive and if you get really ambitious the antique apothecary jars can be spectacular gardens.
If a constant sheen of condensation inside the container hides your view of the plants, it is too wet inside, so prop the lid open for a little while and let it dry out. You may have to do a few adjustments to get it just right. When you do, you can leave your container sealed for months or even years.
Hope you see this, the site wouldn't let me log in all yesterday... :(