An enjoyable and simple way to bring nature within is to create a dish garden. Growing plants in a decorative container such as succulents, cacti, flowers, and more is possible with a dish garden. We will go through easy dish garden design ideas in this post so you can create and maintain a stunning dish garden of your own.
Table of Contents
Choosing a Botanical Garden Dish or Container
The first step is choosing a container for your dish garden. Traditionally, people use shallow ceramic or metal planting dishes if you are sending the dish garden to a funeral or someplace. However, you can get creative and use just about any container that has drainage holes in the bottom for excess water to escape. Some unique container ideas include old buckets, glass dishes or bowls, tile trays, and more. The size of your container will depend on how many plants you want to include but most dish gardens are 6-12 inches deep.
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Preparing the Container
It is time to get your container ready for planting after you have chosen it. Use warm, soapy water to completely clean the interior and get rid of any manufacturing residue. If you are using an unglazed ceramic container, you’ll need to soak it for half an hour so the pores can take in the water. This lessens the chance of breaks due to abrupt changes in moisture.
Next, cover the bottom of the container with a layer of aesthetically pleasing stones or gravel to allow for drainage. You can use decorative stones from a botanical garden, aquarium gravel, or even marble. It should have a thickness of one to two inches.
Choosing Suitable Plants
Choose indoor plant species that need little watering when choosing plants for your dish garden. Succulent plants such as sedum, echeveria, haworthia, and aloe, are great options because their leaves and stems can hold water. A further excellent option is cacti, such as Christmas cacti. Low-light-tolerant annual dish garden flowers can add a splash of color. Calachoa, lobelia, petunias, and dwarf carnations are a few ideas.
Blooming Dish Garden
Purple Dish Garden
Succulent Garden
Pick out succulent plants with flowers that are compact, healthy, and show no symptoms of illness or insects. For visual interest, think about selecting from a range of textures, shapes, sizes, and colors. You can order online plant delivery from specialty stores or buy individual starter plants from a local garden center.
Also Read: What Are the Best Indoor Flowering Plants to Grow?
Planting and Arranging
Start by placing your c randomly around the container, leaning some forward and others back for an organic, scattered appeal. Avoid crowding as plants will continue to grow. Leave space between plants equal to about 1-2 times their width.
Then, gently remove each plant from its nursery pot. Tease out any tightly bound roots and loosen them slightly before placing them in the container. Place plants slightly below the soil line to help them stabilize.
As you add plants, you can move them around until you achieve a harmonious dish garden arrangement that pleases your eyes. Tuck in smaller plants among larger ones for visual layers. Consider framing the inside edges of the container with trailing plants.
Now, fill in any gaps between plants with succulent dish garden plants, marbles, or rocks. Top off with a 1/4-1/2 inch layer of pebbles, marbles, or gravel for aesthetics. Feel free to periodically rearrange plants as the dish garden grows and changes over time.
Ongoing care
Proper care is important to keep your dish garden plants healthy. Water sparingly when the top 1/2 inch of soil is dry. For succulents especially, infrequent deep waterings are best to prevent overwatering. In the warmer months, consider moving your garden to a partially shady spot to prevent moisture accumulation.
During the growing season, add balanced liquid fertilizer diluted once a month following label instructions. This provides nutrients to keep your dish cactus garden lush and vibrant. Rotate the container periodically to ensure even sun exposure. Occasionally remove dead or diseased leaves or stems to keep things tidy.
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A beautifully arranged dish garden can be a thoughtful gift idea too. For sympathy dish gardens, consider low-maintenance, long-blooming plants like miniature roses or colorful kale and cabbage. Or create a whimsical cactus dish garden for a southwestern flair. With their broad assortment of charming miniature plants, indoor plants brings the calming influence of nature indoors.
If you are looking for a beautiful way to remember a loved one or send wishes for any occasion, consider ordering a pretty-looking dish garden from SnapBlooms. To browse their garden options and send a dish garden delivery today, you can visit Snapblooms.
