Craft

Lava rock bonsai are a lively take on a traditional root-over-rock bonsai. This project is all about creating a fun yet serene tray garden. An airy Euphorbia californica is mounted on a porous dark lava rock displayed off center on a crisp rectangular white marble tray. The light, flutter-leafed euphorbia is set off by dark, textured lava rock and grounded by the marble tray. A surprising magenta twine holds the bonsai to the lava rock. Plants with shallow root systems work well for this proj...

A lightweight vertical garden panel. Many plants grow as epiphytes, which are an excellent choice for a vertical garden panel. In this garden panel I used a variegated vanilla orchid and Christmas cactus. Often you see or receive Christmas or Easter cactus as a small gift around the holidays. After they are done blooming, mounting them is a great way to take advantage of their epiphytic nature. Both plants need a bright spot to live. Other plants suitable in this project are hoya, rhipsalis, ...

Celebrate life with a twist on the traditional May flower wreath. One of the time-honored ways to commemorate May Day, an ancient celebration of spring, is by making a flower wreath. Instead of making a customary floral wreath, welcome the power of nature into your home with a living wreath. Although traditionally the wreath decorates a door until the day of St. John the Harvester (June 24), the idea of hanging a living wreath at any time of year is a wonderful way to celebrate life. This liv...

A small-scale desert scene for a sunny spot. Within Joshua Tree National Park golden rock outcroppings and Yucca brevifolia proliferate. This harsh land is home to a surprisingly diverse group of flora and fauna. Drawing inspiration from the unique beauty of the Mojave Desert, I created a miniature desert landscape for indoors. I selected succulents native to either South Africa or Madagascar that can grow as houseplants. This diminutive desert oasis is reminiscent of the Mojave, but goes bey...

The perfect hanging garden for a sunny window. This planting takes advantage of a succulent’s ability to look beautiful with little water or soil. I used two sprawling succulent varieties: variegated string of pearls and string of hearts. Both look great as a small hanging vine. If you have a bright window or sunny spot this succulent string garden will provide you with an elegant hanging garden. You could also use Senecio radicans or a rhipsalis. If you don’t have a spot with bright light bu...

A modern miniature Japanese rock garden. A traditional Japanese rock garden uses rocks, sand or gravel, moss, pruned trees, shrubs, and sometimes a water feature to create a small stylized landscape. The sand or gravel is raked to represent ripples in water. This miniature haworthia tray garden takes its inspiration from these wonderful gardens, but does not imitate them, and in place of the carefully pruned foliage found in Japanese rock gardens, this project uses architectural haworthias. ...

Delight in this suspended moss and fern string garden. Hikes through the shady ravines of Northern California, surrounded by the beauty and tranquility of the moss-and-fern-covered slopes, inspired this three-fern kokedama. This adaptation of that vibrant landscape to a ball of moss imparts a playful element to the ferns. The trio of ferns has all the wonder of nature in a delightful string garden. The light, delicate nature of the trio of ferns works perfectly in a bathroom—the green of the ...

A simple but dynamic underwater sculpture garden. By far the simplest project in this book, this display is somewhat minimalist, but that allows the natural structure of the marimo to take on the appearance of an underwater sculpture. The marimo’s velvet green color will enliven any space, and they work especially well for an area with low light. The small round stones add a contrast in size, and their dark color imparts a soothing waterscape. Put water in a jug the day before to allow the wa...

Create a miniature world inspired by the Japanese art of tray gardening. Making a tray garden is the perfect way to garden in the city. This miniature composition brings the serenity and calm of a natural landscape indoors. Saikei is a less formal style of bonsai, and combines living trees, rocks, and moss. This art form was developed in Japan by Toshio Kawamoto after World War II. Kawamoto wanted to make the art of tray gardening more accessible to gardeners by using less-developed trees, wi...

Make a shadow box come to life with living plants. I have always loved dioramas. The joy of placing tiny logs and moss in a shoebox to create a simulated temperate rain forest in grade school has stuck with me. This project is a grown-up version of that miniature garden I created so many years ago. Taking cues from natural history dioramas, this living shadow box utilizes a mix of two-dimensional and three-dimensional objects. It is an opportunity to preserve the beauty and grandeur of a plac...