| You can always do this the easy way by purchasing | | | | purchasing your plants either you have the ability to |
| a terrarium which is available in all sorts of materials | | | | or the area to have a cool garden bottle where the |
| from plastic,framed in expensive brass or even | | | | temperature goes no higher then 70 degrees or |
| leaded glass and they are often accompanied by | | | | develop a warm bottle garden more suitable to |
| automatic ventilation controls. However the | | | | tropical plants where the surrounding temperatures |
| excitement in any garden project is to pursue | | | | are at least 75 degrees. Some of the best plants in |
| another avenue. In this case you can easily grow a | | | | the cool group are evergreen |
| bottle garden in any glass or plastic container. | | | | seedlings,ferns,mosses,violets or wintergreen. In your |
| You have numerous containers available at your | | | | tropical motif it would be best to plant |
| finger tips in which to place and grow your plants. | | | | begonias,bromeliads,dracaenas,sedums or crotons. |
| This includes a fishbowl,a large food canister,brandy | | | | Keep in mind all of these plants are of the miniature |
| snifter,glass jug or a pitcher. The only requirements | | | | or small plants specifically produced for this type of |
| are that it is both transparent and waterproof. If | | | | environment. |
| your container has no cover such as a cork or lid,you | | | | The next order of business is to place whatever you |
| can easily stretch some plastic wrap across the top | | | | have chosen into your bottle garden. It really requires |
| and trim the excess with a razor blade. This provides | | | | some very simple items found in your own kitchen |
| the ability of your bottle garden to trap moisture and | | | | inventory. These tools will be sufficient for successful |
| create condensation and saves you, the bottle | | | | planting in both your narrow necked containers as |
| gardener, a lot of unnecessary watering. | | | | well as your wide-mouth containers. Using a common |
| The order of business in bottle gardening is to wash | | | | ordinary fork,tape it to a stick to dig your planting |
| the chosen container with a solution of bleach and | | | | holes. Now you can make use of tongs,tweezers or |
| water to prevent the forming of molds and other | | | | a wire with a loop at one end to lower your plants |
| fungi. Rinse and dry thoroughly you don't want to be | | | | into the bottle garden holes made by your fork |
| viewing your lovely plants through greasy | | | | spade. To tamp down your potting mixture a cork or |
| marks,smears or fingerprints. I would allow the bottle | | | | empty thread spool with a chop stick pushed into |
| to rest for a few minutes to half hour just to ensure | | | | either will make an excellent tamping tool. |
| that it is completely dry and clear of any marks. You | | | | The bottle garden needs to be placed with indirect |
| can take a cloth and wrap around the base of the | | | | light or under a fluorescent light for at least twelve |
| container and using both hands hold it up to the light | | | | hours per day. It should be rotated on a regular basis |
| to observe as much of the interior as possible. When | | | | to help your bottle garden plants grow evenly. The |
| your satisfied with your cleaning, then you are ready | | | | plants should be trimmed if they start to grow too |
| to proceed to the next step. | | | | fast and dead leaves need to be removed to |
| In order to fill your bottle garden to the proper level | | | | prevent disease from gaining a foothold. |
| with growing material requires the use of a paper | | | | It is completely okay for small water droplets to |
| funnel. This makes it easy to fill your bottle without | | | | gather on the inside of the glass. Your first indication |
| unnecessary dirt clinging to the sides. It is a simple | | | | of the necessity for more water is when these |
| process to roll up some butcher paper or sheets of | | | | droplets disappear from the inside. However don't |
| newspaper into a funnel shape and poor your potting | | | | allow the glass to become foggy that obscures the |
| mix and drainage material through the funnel. | | | | view of your plants. You now have an overbalance |
| Now using your funnel and giving your garden bottle | | | | of moisture in your potting mixture. It will be |
| the layered look,I would start with some sphagnum | | | | necessary to remove your cover and carefully wipe |
| moss,followed by a little fine gravel or even sand and | | | | out the excess moisture and leave your cover off |
| mix it with a little horticultural charcoal available at | | | | the garden bottle over night. |
| your local garden shop. The next layer should include | | | | Fertilizing your bottle garden plants will not be |
| a sterile peat-based potting mix. You should plan to | | | | required for the first year. After that fertilize very |
| use about one-half inch of this potting mixture in a | | | | lightly using a diluted all purpose household plant |
| small garden bottle and two to three inches in your | | | | fertilizer. As the plants grow and mature they will |
| larger containers. | | | | require only a minimum of care. Once again what a |
| Okay so what should be planted in a bottle garden? | | | | conversational piece right there in your home. |
| There are two ways to approach this before | | | | |