Early Blooms

more resources

Share This:

When planning your mini-landscape, consider the environment. Indoor or tropical plants don’t mind sitting in wet soil and can survive with artificial sunlight. Get creative with color, shape and texture by choosing plants and a container that represent your personal style.

Special thanks to gardening guru and greenhouse manager at Pete’s Greenhouse, Lynn Wilson, for providing these step-by-step instructions and tips on how to grow a dish garden.

Plants used

Neanthe Bella Palm

Rubber Plant

Phalaenopsis Orchid

California Ivy

Materials needed

Container that doesn’t drain, such as a vase or bowl

Charcoal

Quality potting soil

Sheet moss

Plants (tropical plants work best)

Watering can (small cans work best)

Fishing line

Step 1 Begin by filling the bottom of the container with charcoal. For a bowl, fill about ¼ inch from the bottom. For a vase, fill about ½ inch. Metal containers need to be lined with plastic to avoid rust.

Step 2 Next, pour potting soil on top of charcoal until soil is about ¼ inch from the top. Do not compress soil.

Step 3 Now it’s time to place plants into the container. First, decide if the dish garden will face the wall or sit in an open area and position them accordingly. Make sure you loosen the root balls before planting. If using orchids, leave them in the original container.

Step 4 Once plants are settled, water with a watering can. First, water around the outside edge of the container, keeping the can’s nozzle close to the soil. Use about 1 to 1 ½ cups of water, just enough to moisten the top of the soil. Then, carefully water around the plants in the middle. Try to avoid getting water on leaves and petals.

Step 5 Slightly dampen sheet moss to avoid crumbling. Pull moss apart and use pieces to hide cover visible soil. Cover lightly as not to suffocate the soil. After the initial watering, the garden will only need to be tended to occasionally. Before watering again, touch the soil. If the top is damp, the garden does not need to be watered.

Step 6 Finally, remove decorative sticks (on orchids) and replace with dried twigs for an
authentic, natural look. Gently weave the twigs and orchid stems together. Anchor stems by loosely tying moss around twigs and stems with fishing line.