Flower power - Terrarium update

Today I'd like to give you a small update on my plant terrariums (you can read the original post here). The big fern bowl looks just like it before so I think there's no need for new photos. Just to remind you (old photo):

However, a few other terrariums appeared :) I wanted to achieve something like this:

cyclamen under a cloche

And I have this:

mini orchid in full bloom, the day I bought it

shedding blossom

After some time a new bud appeared :)

and my mini orchid is blooming again

There's no denying, an orchid closed in glass looks beautiful :) I watered mine only once - just after putting it inside the container.

I put it still in its pot which I covered with dried moss.

Here's the very first orchid that is going to bloom again after it's lost blossom completely. I never know where to cut the stalk so once the orchid loses its flowers it stays that way until I have to get rid of it (usually because of yellow leaves or other disease). So this small guy is a really nice surprise :)

Here's what it looked like when I bought it

And here is my cyclamen plant in a terrarium. Unfortunately I didn't have a proper camera at the time and now the plant doesn't have flowers and stays in a cool dark place. 

That's all for today so thank you so much for stopping by.

Have a great week! :)

Dartmoor, Baskerville and the moor...

And finally the long awaited (by me anyway;)) post about a lovely yet tiny moor ;) The title of this particular post just popped into my head at the very thought of the word "moor". It's always my first association - "The Hound of the Baskervilles" by Arthur Conan Doyle and everything that's connected: wild moors of Dartmoor  (Devon), blankets of mist and a dark secret ;) If you like reading, I'd really recommend the novel. If you don't like reading... well, I'd still recommend it but in the form of a film. There've been lots of screen versions but I just love the one from 1988 (Jeremy Brett as Holmes). Great atmosphere, amazing actors, a beautiful setting and a really compelling story :)

Looking outside at the rain I suppose I'll watch it again soon, Sherlock Holmes and the autumn weather kind of match up, don't you think? 

And here's my tiny piece of "the wild moores", you can even find a Baskerville hound or two in some of the photos :P 

Here's what it looked like while 'under construction' (taken with my mobile so...you know):

I completely forgot to take some photos before or while digging. 

Before starting with the whole project (as usual) I'd read a lot about heathers and 'researched' the subject to avoid any major mistakes so while I'm at it I'll share all the important stuff I've learned ;) September is the perfect time to plant heathers - you can see the colours of the flowers and match different types to achieve a colourful display. The plants need a sunny spot that's covered from strong wind. They look beautiful with Junipers and Rhododendrons.

I used 28 heathers in a few types (it's best to plant them in groups - at least three plants of the same type, you'll avoid a motley chaotic look). I also needed three bags of  peat soil (heathers thrive in acid soil - pH 4,5-5,5), two bags of potting soil and two bags of bark chippings. While planting heathers make sure you prepared their spot really thoroughly. That's why I spent the whole first day on removing the soil from the place you can see in the photo above. Removed about 20cm deep and replaced with a mix of peat, potting and local soil. I then spread a lot of nonwoven crop cover and arranged the plants in their spots. The next day was all about planting the heathers and it's not as easy as it looks, actually it's really hard work :P Remember about the spacing, leave enough to let the plants develop, it's usually about 15-25cm between two heathers. When finished, spread a layer of bark (which will also acidify the soil when decomposing). 

After all the work, water thoroughly and you can officially start to enjoy your mini moor :) 

I really recommend  using mycorrhiza fungi for ericaceae plants. They are supposed to grow a lot more vigorously after a few months with mycorrhiza. You can buy it in different forms but gel is said to be the best.  Just make two small holes next to each plant's roots and squize some gel out from the bottle, cover with soil and water. 

Now the only thing I have to remember is to cover my heathers with conifer twigs after first ground frost (if the temperatures during winter fall to -10C and lower, the plants won't survive).  

You can find some more information about caring for a heather plant here.

The photos don't really portray the beauty of these plants, they are so colourful and cheerful. I'm actually as pleased as punch with the results :) so if you have enough place (sunny!) in your garden, try! It's just magic ;)

Have a great week :)









I'm linking this post to:

CRAFTBERRY BUSH

   

  

Flower power

I've always loved having plants and flowers all around the house. My biggest favourite is now a Zamioculcas plant. It's said to be almost immortal. Well, at some point I thought I actually managed to kill mine.

Zamioculcas thrives in shade and needs only a bit of water (just like cacti). It's enough if I water it once a month - just a glass of water.  At first I was trying too hard to make it happy and ended up overwatering the plant. Now it's left alone on the desk and grows like crazy :)  Every day new sprouts appear.

Another new guest in our house is this mini orchid. It's about 18cm tall. 

I put it (still in the pot) in a glass hurricane and covered the bottom with dried moss. 

I recently found this funny miniature 'cauldron' at my local antique shop:

Didn't really know what to do with it until I came across that small colorful plant. First thing I thought when I saw those orange berries was 'it will look great in my cauldron!' And it does, don't you think? 

This cute tiny plant is Nertera granadensis. What's even better is that you can buy it in various colors.

But to be frank, all of the above is just a digression. What I really wanted to show you is my wardian case/ plant terrarium. I love the fact that the plants need almost no care once the terrarium is closed. Here are some inspirations I particularly liked:

Linden Hill Gardens

Pottery Barn

Country Living

Doodle Bird Imaginariums 

Coco Honey

Country Home

Real Simple

An Apple a Day

Martha Stewart

Source Velocity

A great thing about such terrariums is that you can create one in anything you want, from fishbowls or jars to light bulbs! I'm just starting to think of the possibilities. Since I don't have a typical wardian case I decided to put the plants in something resembling a fishbowl that I covered with a small mirror. What you need is:

Plants that like high humidity (in the photo: mini fern, mini English ivy, hypoestes in three colors), a glass bowl or any container that you could turn into a closed terrarium, pebbles, dried moss and anything you want for decorating, potting soil, charcoal. A paper tube is also helpful, you don't want to dirty the sides of your terrarium.

All of your plants should have require similar humidity and sunlit. Cacti aren't well suited for closed terrariums - they prefer dry conditions. To find out about plant that grow well under cloches visit:

ten plants to grow in terrariums

When you're done choosing your plants creating the terrarium is easy-peasy. Before you start make sure that your container is perfectly clean (use warm water and soap only, no detergents!). 

First start with a 3cm layer of pebbles. Next cover it with a layer of charcoal chips. Top this off with 3cm of potting soil. Take your plants out of their pots and plant them in their places in the terrarium. Make sure they are well inserted in the soil. Now you can start decorating - use a few rocks, twigs and mosses. Remember to spray the plants with water. Then close the container and your terrarium is ready:)

Put it in a bright spot but not in direct sunlight. If everything works, every morning you should be able to see dew on the glass. If it doesn't appear, use your sprinkler again. If the glass is wet the whole day, it means there is too much moisture - open the container for a few hours every day until your plants look greener. 

Prune your plants when the leaves touch the glass.

This is my terrarium after a month. The ivy and hipoestes look good but I'm thinking about removing the fern (more and more brown leaves) and putting another hipoestes. 

Love,
Kate.


I'm linking this post to:

CRAFTBERRY BUSH