Gardening in Glass – Sue McDougall
Creating table centre pieces with mixed flowering and foliage plants in large glass vases is easy to do and becomes a feature that looks good for months longer than a bunch of flowers.
Follow these easy steps:
- Select a large vase, jar or container, preferably with a base that’s wide enough to get your hands into.
- Place a layer of perlite in the bottom of the container. Perlite will absorb salts and moisture, reducing the chance of the plants becoming water logged. As the water evaporates from the perlite it will create humidity, perfect for plant growth.
- Then place a layer of premium potting mix in the jar and plant a selection of indoor plants such as devils ivy, Syngonium, hypoestes and African voilet. Even if you find small potted plants, cuttings will develop roots very quickly in the container.
- Decorate the soil surface with moss, shells or stones.
- When watering plants initially, be careful not to fill up the container with water that can’t drain away.
- Water plants by misting the foliage as needed and applying water to the soil surface every fortnight in cooler months and more regularly during summer.
- Reverse cycle air conditioning tends to dry the air out so when it is turned on, plants will benefit from extra moisture.
Written by Sue McDougall, a qualified horticulturalist and experienced garden centre owner who grew up in the WA wheatbelt and has had experience in gardening throughout the entire state. You may know Sue as the garden expert on 6PR radio and by her many TV appearances.
