Garden Under Glass
How to create a botanical display under glassPhoto by: Caitlin Atkinson
Low-maintenance gardening doesn't get much simpler than a display of bromeliads and tillandsias. Designer and stylist Zenaida Sengo, author of Air Plants: The Curious World of Tillandsias, created this display. She offers a few tips for setting up a miniature garden.
Materials:
- Glass dome
- Small branch
- Mood moss
- Sphagnum moss
- Clear fishing line
- Thin wire
- Glue
- Small plants: bromeliads and tillandsias
Plants featured in display: Neoregelia ampullacea (green and purple); Tillandsia aeranthos (dusty light green); Cryptanthus 'Pink Starlight' (light pink and purple); Billbergia 'Hallelujah' (white and purple); Neoregelia punctatissima (green and purple); another Tillandsia aeranthos (dusty light green); and Cryptanthus bivittatus 'Minor' (maroon and rose).
Tips:
- Place moist mood moss at the base of the wood to help stabilize it and add a decorative touch.
- Use clear fishing line to affix bromeliads to the wood.
- Place wet sphagnum moss between the bromeliads and the wood when attaching to provide more surface for the plant to attach to.
- Use thin wire and glue to attach tillandsias to the wood. Let the glue dry for several hours, then remove the wire.
Care:
- Avoid long periods of direct sun. The glass magnifies the sunlight and can scorch the plants. Place the arrangement in a spot where it gets direct morning sun and several hours of bright indirect light.
- Leave the glass dome closed for a temporary arrangement. Left under the glass undisturbed, it should last about a month. If you want the arrangement to last longer, remove the glass after a week and completely spray the plants with water every few days.
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