Dish Garden Definition
Dish gardens are small scale landscapes. The miniature gardens are placed within shallow and open containers (such as "dishes"). Dish gardens are commonly situated within plastic or ceramic dishes. Other common containers for dish gardens include jars, old milk cartons, soup mugs, bowls, troughs, jardinieres, cans and logs that have been entirely hollowed out.
Benefits
Dish gardens are popular because they are both compact and attractive, and also have sufficient drainage. Also, dish gardens are capable of thriving on indoor lighting and air conditioning.
Other Names
Dish gardens go by many names--cactus gardens, European gardens, foliage gardens and foliage with fresh flowers. European dish gardens often include rooted sprigs (either of chrysanthemums and azaleas) and African violets.
- Dish gardens are small scale landscapes.
- Other common containers for dish gardens include jars, old milk cartons, soup mugs, bowls, troughs, jardinieres, cans and logs that have been entirely hollowed out.
Caution
Make sure your dish garden is leak-proof to prevent damage to wood furniture, such as a wooden dresser. Permanent damage could occur due to the leakage.
Soil
For dish gardens, the soil blend should be very light. The dish gardens should always consist of ample moisture regulators that take up almost 50 percent of the full composition. Peat moss is frequently used in dish gardens.
Plant Selection
One concern with dish gardens is plants rapidly outgrowing their residences. Dish gardens usually have limited root space. Because of these factors, it is common to select very slow-growing plants to grow in dish gardens, which cuts down on having to replace them frequently. Some popular dish garden plants include Irish moss, Swedish ivy, partridge berries, African violets, creeping Charlies, pitcher plants, club moss, jade plants, cobra lilies, plush plants, sundew and asparagus ferns.
- Make sure your dish garden is leak-proof to prevent damage to wood furniture, such as a wooden dresser.
- Because of these factors, it is common to select very slow-growing plants to grow in dish gardens, which cuts down on having to replace them frequently.
Design A Moss Dish Garden
Choose a dish or terrarium of any size without drainage holes or with a saucer underneath. Put about three inches of potting soil in the dish. Look for various types of moss to enhance the visual appeal. Collect objects such as small rocks, sticks, and small accent plants to include in your dish garden. Firmly press one section of moss into the soil at a time, piecing the edges of the sections together until the entire soil surface is covered. Spray the top of the moss with water once it is all planted and place your dish garden in the desired location; moss typically prefers shade.
