Plants

Create your own in-house Dish Garden

Create your own in-house Dish Garden

A dish garden is an arrangement of different plants in a single container. It is a miniature ecosystem that represents a scene in nature. A dish garden allows you to arrange smaller plants in a creative manner and enjoy them up close.

The plants grown in a dish garden should be compatible that have similar watering & lighting requirements. The soil mixture should be well-drained but also able to hold adequate moisture. 

Find out how to create your own in-house dish garden.

Materials Required:

  • Container
  • Soil Mix
  • Drainage materials- gravels, marbles, small rocks, coarse sand, and coarse charcoal
  • Plants
  • Decorative items like shells, stones and figurines
  • Moss or sand

Steps to build a dish garden:

  • Thoroughly water all the plants a day before you create your dish garden
  • Select a shallow container of your choice. Make sure it is at least 3 inches deep
  • Add 1 inch of drainage material to the bottom of the container consisting of charcoal or gravel. It will prevent the soil & roots from standing in water
  • Select & group plants that have similar growth requirements. For example- keep high light, low moisture plants in one container & low light, high moisture plants in another container
  • Once you have figured the plant arrangement, add ½ to ¾ inches of soil on top of the gravel
  • Arrange the plants in place & add soil just below the rim of your container. Firm the soil around plants & water thoroughly. Do not set them deeper in the soil
  • Use pieces of moss to cover the remaining soil surfaces around the plants. Press gently to help plants, soil and moss settle in together
  • Look at the dish garden from all the sides & from several distances
  • Try your decorations. Add coloured pebbles. Place the figurine among the plants
  • Place new dish garden in a warm, shaded location for at least two weeks so that the new transplants become established

Follow these steps to maintain your dish garden:

  • Test the moisture level of soil with your finger several times each week. Keep the garden moist with a watering can & let it soak for a few minutes & later remove the excess water while holding the arrangement in place
  • Place the dish garden in bright but indirect sunlight so that the plants thrive well
  • Fertilise the plants infrequently as over-fertilising causes plants to overgrow the container
  • Repot when the plants start to grow too large for the container. You can repot after a year or so when the soil nutrients diminish in quality.

About the author

Apeksha Rawat

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