Garden in a bottle. Growing dwarf plants. What is a garden in a bottle? Flower in a bottle
The business idea of growing dwarf plants in a bottle is great for making money from home, especially for creative individuals with design skills who love flowers and various indoor plants.
To start a business, there is practically no initial investment required, it is enough to purchase seeds of dwarf plants, fertile soil and handy tool with which it will be convenient to process plants in transparent vessels.
It's hard to be happy these days an inexpensive gift especially women. Getting a bouquet of flowers for the holiday is a matter of course. What about a garden in a bottle? In my opinion, this is not expensive and original, does your apartment already have at least one bottle in which life develops, even if it is a dwarf plant ?! Today, in general, everything small (well, almost everything), but original, for example, small handbags, small cars, small dogs, etc. comes into fashion for women. So why not surprise the fair sex with a new exclusive item that your friends will surely appreciate.
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Your task is to learn how to make miniature gardens in a bottle or other vessel, in fact, you will be the creator of a new life that brings all the best from nature, which you want to admire again and again. A life that you want to take care of, because you understand that it needs your care and, seeing how it lives and develops, you will enjoy it, even if this piece of nature is small and it is in a transparent bottle, but it is always at hand and you can take it with you wherever you go.
To create a miniature garden, you can use any transparent "container", these are bottles, aquariums, chemical flasks of the different shapes and much more. Then, drainage is created inside the bottle from coarse sand or fine expanded clay or pebbles. After that, a layer of mashed charcoal is poured in, which helps protect against the smell of humus due to excess moisture. The soil can be made from crushed leaves with the addition of peat, but DO NOT use fertilizer, in the first place it is extra humus and faster growth of plants, we DO NOT need this.
After preparation, we plant the plant we like. Then, in the resulting garden in a bottle, we need to deliver decor elements, they can be various shells, glass, beautiful pebbles.
The lifespan of a garden in a bottle is approximately one and a half years, provided that the plant is planted in the soil as described above, if you use a hydrogel, then the lifespan of the plant will decrease by about three times.
Tools that we will need to create a "garden in a bottle".
For vessels with a thin neck, tools are used, such as knitting needles, small spoons, sticks on which a piece of cloth should be wound to wipe the walls of the vessel, and knives. Vessels with a large neck may require more convenient devices, but the essence of the matter does not change, because the task is the same.
Decor elements of our garden.
Small pebbles, snags, shells, possibly snails, figurines of people and animals are used as decoration and decoration items. But it all depends on your imagination and creativity, because a garden in a bottle is your little masterpiece!
What to grow in a mini garden?
For indoor gardens, which have their own microclimate, it is best to use plants that are perfectly adapted to grow in the shade, these are nephrolepis, pilea, begonia, moss and many others. There are also types of weakly growing cacti that fit perfectly into any interior.
The price of "Garden in a bottle"
It is clear that the thinner the neck of the vessel, the more difficult it is to plant our plants there, so the price is formed taking into account the time and effort spent on creating each masterpiece and starts around 1,500 thousand rubles.
The cost of making a "garden in a bottle"
A good profit from the sale of one average garden in a bottle will be approximately 500 rubles.
You can sell your masterpieces both via the Internet and by putting them on display in flower and souvenir shops in your city, receiving your money after the sale. Good luck with this business idea!
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A garden in a bottle is one of the amazing decorations for your home. Creating miniature compositions, choosing plants, caring for them very quickly become a favorite hobby and an additional source of income: floral arrangements under glass are very popular today. “Working” in such a garden is a good prevention of stress. You will always be in a good mood: beauty gives peace, meticulous work - patience.
Video master class on creating a florarium We create a world with our own handsHow to make a garden in a bottle This question opens the way for you to one of the exciting activities. To create a flowering masterpiece in specialized stores, you need to buy:
- glass container;
- drainage, a couple of sheets of cardboard;
- packaging of tablets activated carbon;
- priming;
- plants;
- decor items.
The more unusual the vessel, the better.
One of the key points is the choice of capacity. It may be an unusually shaped bottle with a wide neck and a tight-fitting lid. You can choose a tall voluminous glass, a decanter, a vase, a jar, and even an old aquarium - any transparent glass container is suitable.
We give the aquarium a second life
Drainage, in addition to its direct purpose in the bottle garden, carries a large decorative load. It should be chosen taking into account the overall design idea and aesthetics. Coarse sand looks good, shell rock looks original, you can use expanded clay or brightly colored decorative stones.
Soil for flowers should be bought in a minimum amount. The container is only a quarter full. Activated charcoal is a good antiseptic, it is useful for compositions planted in a closed vessel.
When choosing decor items, we are limited only by our own imagination. Most often, stones, shells, sand, branches, moss, decorative figures of people and animals are used.
Plants for the garden in a bottle are selected according to the following parameters:
- small root system (space in a confined space is limited);
- minimum dimensions;
- love for high humidity;
- unpretentious.
It is better to give preference to decorative leaves. Flowering plants require the removal of wilted flowers and fallen leaves, which is quite difficult to do through the narrow neck of the bottle.
We think over the composition for a mini-garden
The most impressive in glass containers looks Variegata, calamus cereal. Its height is 25 cm, it grows slowly, tolerates the lack of moisture perfectly. Its creamy green leaves will brighten up any mini landscape.
Look good in glass varieties of royal begonias with small leaves. Plant height 15 cm, it is placed, as a rule, in the center of the composition.
Ideal Plant for mini-greenhouses - graceful chamedorea. This beautiful, slow growing palm tree with graceful leaves and slender stems will brighten up any garden.
For small containers, bromeliad cryptanthus is ideal. Its height is only 8 cm, while it has beautiful rosettes of leaves, green with small white patches at the bottom.
Often, a low, slender Sander dracaena is used for a garden in a bottle. Its unusual narrow leaves with large white spots immediately attract attention.
Different varieties of fern look good in undersized compositions. Especially popular are pteris xiphoid Victoria, maidenhair Ruddy, round-leaved pellet, and fine-haired maidenhair. Their beautiful greenery is ideal for creating "out of this world" landscapes.
Fittonia Verschaffelt is another plant that loves moist air and feels great in a closed glass vessel. She has unusual leaves: olive green with red veins. Her "friend" silver-veined Fittonia has white streaks on bright green leaves. Both beauties are very miniature: the height is only 7.5 cm.
Capricious arrowroot in a mini-greenhouse feels great. Its creeping stems and black-spotted green leaves look great behind glass.
You can use Spetchley ivy, Little Diamond or Tre Coupe. Its tiny leaves are very decorative in vertical gardening mini garden.
Pellionia beautiful is also often found in florariums. Its creeping reddish stems, combined with beautiful dark green leaves, look very unusual.
Pilea Kadie has a dwarf variety - Nana. It is valued for its unusual silvery specks on green leaves.
For a decorative soil cover, you can plant Salaginella Krausa. Its small leaves resemble moss from a distance. Against its background, the whole composition looks exceptional.
Other plants can also be used. The choice depends on the overall design idea. However, it should be remembered that only undersized varieties are suitable for growing in a limited space of a glass vessel, the height of plants should not exceed 20 cm. In addition, the “pets” you have chosen should love a humid “climate”.
To make a garden in a bottle with your own hands, you can’t do without an improvised tool. After all, all the work will have to be done through a fairly narrow neck of the bottle. We will need:
- a teaspoon fixed on a long handle will act as a scoop;
- sharp blade fixed on the handle right size, - plants will need to be cut;
- "press" for compacting the earth - an empty spool of thread, mounted on a convenient handle;
- two long sticks - for picking up, transferring, planting plants;
- a sponge for wiping the vessel from the inside;
- small sprayer.
We take a glass vessel. The more original it is, the more attractive the composition will turn out.
Pour drainage at the bottom. If an uneven “relief” is conceived, then a mouthpiece from a thick sheet of paper should be placed in the neck of the bottle, with the narrow end inward. With it, you can easily form hills and even real hills.
Now we pour a thin layer of charcoal or lay out activated charcoal tablets, this will protect our mini garden in a bottle from pathogenic bacteria, mold and waterlogging.
Now add a layer of fertile soil. In order to be sure that the plants receive all the necessary nutrients, the soil should be bought ready-made in specialized stores, based on what flowers you will plant. Soil volume - directly depends on how deeply the plants you have chosen are rooted. In any case, drainage, coal and earth should not occupy more than ¼ of the vessel. We level the layer, slightly “tamp down” using the “press” - an empty spool of thread on a long handle. You need to work as carefully as possible so that the walls of the container remain clean. If it doesn’t work, wet the sponge, attach it to a comfortable handle and wipe the glass thoroughly. Its purity is a guarantee good growth plants. And the beauty of the composition, of course.
We proceed to the most important thing - we plant flowers and place decor elements. For planting, we use an ordinary fork and spoon. We make indentations with a spoon, transfer the plants with a fork and bury the roots. Don't be discouraged if you don't succeed on the first try. A little patience - and you will succeed. Little secret. If the roots of the "seedlings" are too powerful, they should be ruthlessly cut off. This will stop the growth of plants, and also allow them to be planted with minimal losses. "Landing" and the soil is wetted from the spray gun. We make sure that the spray is microscopic, in no case do we use jet irrigation.
We wipe the walls of the container with a sponge, close it tightly with a lid.
Most often, the florarium compositions are made up of 1-3 plants. If you want to plant more, take a larger vessel. For example, an old aquarium. See what the garden in a bottle looks like in the photo below.
Flowers in a bottle garden do not require special care. Abundant condensate sometimes appears on the walls of the vessel. This is fine. Be sure to open the lid and dry. Strongly overgrown plants need to be cut from time to time so that the composition does not lose its aesthetic appearance. Due to the fact that a special ecosystem is formed behind the glass, watering should be kept to a minimum. In most cases, the moisture that the leaves evaporate is enough for plants.
Plants need light to grow and develop properly. If the florarium is located in a poorly lit place, you should consider additional sources Sveta. The best solution is a fluorescent lamp. It does not give much heat, which means it will not dry out the garden "residents".
A garden in a bottle is a great alternative to growing houseplants on a windowsill. It is beautiful and unusual, besides, thanks to the closed ecosystem, it calmly “endures” the long absence of its owner.
Growing tropical plants at home can sometimes be a difficult task. Many "exotics" require high humidity, warmth and lack of drafts. It was this feature of the tender ferns, which were incredibly popular in 19th century Europe, that led the British to look for ways to artificially recreate the climate of the humid tropics. And the solution was found! It turned out to be Ward's box, which is a box with walls made of sheet glass connected by metal strips. Sunlight penetrated Ward's box perfectly, but the air, which was restricted, was not. Due to the fact that the water in a closed vessel did not evaporate to the outside, but settled on the walls and plants, a constant high humidity formed inside. This allowed the enterprising English to grow many exotic plants: ferns, orchids, bromeliads, etc.
The invention of Ward's box turned out to be so successful that it has not been forgotten even now. Modern florists, wanting to grow whimsical tropical plants, place them in transparent vessels - florariums. Such a composition is called a "garden in a bottle", although the container used is not necessarily an ordinary bottle. Is it possible to make a garden in a bottle with your own hands? Yes, easily - just arm yourself with a suitable vessel and pick up plants for the composition.
When looking for a suitable vessel, you can give free rein to your imagination. Any sufficiently capacious container with a tapering neck and an expanding bottom will do. It can be a large bottle of wine or chemical liquids, a round aquarium, a jar for bulk products. For plants that prefer maximum humidity, you should select a container with the possibility of hermetic clogging.
In this case, the narrower the neck, the more humid the microclimate can be achieved. However, the neck should allow you to perform procedures for caring for the internal contents - loosen the ground, remove dead plants or their rotten parts. Inside a non-hermetic florarium (an aquarium or a bottle without a cork), the humidity will be lower due to constant ventilation.
It is easier to grow plants in open florariums - constant ventilation reduces the chances of decay
Choosing plants for the garden in a bottleWhen looking for plants for a mini-garden, preference should be given to small, non-growth-prone species. Otherwise, after a few months, the large-sized unit will outgrow the capacity and will either have to be cut or replaced with a new one.
Since a garden in a bottle serves as a decoration, it is undesirable to fill it halfway with soil mixture. The soil should occupy no more than ¼ of the volume of the bottle, and even less is better. Therefore, florarium plants should have a small surface root system that does not require a lot of soil.
Moisture-loving violets with a small root system - a good choice for the garden in a bottle
In a glass greenhouse, regardless of whether it is completely closed or not, the air humidity is increased. This means that only moisture-loving plants accustomed to tropical rains or marshy soils can feel good in it. Obviously, it would be reckless to grow desert cacti in a bottle garden - the probability of their decay is too high.
The easiest way to cultivate decorative leafy plants in an airtight bottle. Flowering species should be grown in a container with an open neck or a round aquarium without a lid, removing faded flowers in a timely manner so that they do not start to rot. Among these flowering plants for a garden in a bottle, orchids and saintpaulias have already become traditional. Fittonias, ferns, ivy, chlorophytums, pellets, royal begonias, bromeliads, some dracaenas and dwarf ficuses, mosses, etc. are also suitable for "green" compositions.
Step 1. We prepare the substrate for planting
We lay a drainage layer 1-2 cm thick at the bottom of the selected container. It can be expanded clay, small pebbles or crushed stone. Then we pour the soil substrate mixed with charcoal (activated charcoal can be used) with a layer of 5-10 cm. Coal is needed as a disinfectant, antiseptic that prevents root rot. As for the substrate, it should be light and breathable. No clay and heavy soils! The roots of plants in a bottle garden need to "breathe".
Step 2. Planting plants
Using a teaspoon, fork or spatula, we make indentations in the substrate and carefully plant the plants. If the neck of the bottle is too narrow, then it is most convenient to use large medical tweezers to place the plants.
Between the plants, you can place several unusual stones, ornate snags, garden figurines suitable for composition. Such an imitation of the natural landscape will make a mini garden in a bottle a full-fledged alternative to a real garden.
Step 4. Caring for a garden in a bottle
After the plants are planted, it's time for the first watering. Spill the soil carefully - in this matter, it is important to observe the measure so that excess water does not stagnate for a long time in the drainage layer.
Close the sealed bottle garden with a lid or cork. After some time, condensation may form on the walls of the vessel - this means that waterlogging has occurred. Drops on the walls should be wiped off and the lid of the vessel should be opened for a while. Once the condensate has been removed, the bottle garden requires virtually no special care. Sometimes (in the summer - about once a week) the lid will have to be opened and the plants sprayed. At the same time, the humid climate will be preserved.
If the bottle garden does not close, then it will have to be watered more often. In any case, with the right composition of slow-growing plants, a bottle garden will retain its decorative effect for a long time with little or no effort on your part. Of course, florarium plants will not be as unpretentious as artificial plastic flowers from bottles for the garden. However, you can afford to leave for a week, without fear that the plants will die without watering.
Bottle garden optionsWe have selected for you a few examples of how you can decorate a garden in a bottle (photo) - we hope they will inspire you to create your own mini greenhouse.
Florarium in a glass teapot can be ventilated at any time - just open the lid
Composition in a glass - impeccable taste
A few small bottle gardens - an alternative to flower bouquets on a serving table
Florariums in the design of the living room
Many people want to grow real tropical crops at home, but this is often simply not possible. Almost all plants of this group are demanding for care, they do not need drafts, they need the highest possible humidity. Because of this feature, the British, back in the 19th century, began to look for a way to recreate such conditions, because they really wanted to grow amazing plants. The solution to this problem was a glass box, more like an aquarium with a lid. Light passed through it perfectly, but the air was closed.
Due to the evaporation of moisture in a closed space, the "aquarium with a lid" always kept the same humidity. This method made it possible for the demanding British to grow most exotic crops at home.
Such a box not only turned out to be an excellent invention, it even migrated to our century. However, it has been improved a bit. Today's florists plant exotic plants in transparent closed containers, which are called florariums. Another name for this amazing art is a garden in a bottle. But as practice shows, not only a bottle can be a container.
Perhaps you think that such unusual miniature compositions are bought in a special store, but it is impossible to make them yourself... This is a real delusion! To make a florarium with your own hands, you need to stock up on the right vessel and suitable exotic plants.
What capacity is suitable for creating a florarium?Here you can use your imagination. For this purpose, a different container is suitable, the main one is that it is rather big, with a wide bottom and a narrow neck. She can serve as a bottle of alcoholic beverages, various vessels, an aquarium or a jar for cereals. If exotic plants prefer maximum humidity, then opt for a vessel with a hermetic seal.
The smaller the throat, the more moisture there will be. But do not overdo it, as the neck should completely allow you to care for the crops in the florarium. Inside a non-hermetic container, ventilation will be regular, so the humidity in it is low.
How to choose the right plants for your garden in a bottle
Buy only those plants that do not grow. Otherwise, you will have to transplant cultures to another florarium, and you will lose time and extra money.
Do not forget that this container with plants plays a decorative function, which means that it does not need to be heavily covered with soil. It should be only at the bottom, even 1/5 of the capacity is a lot. It is for this reason that plants in the florarium should not be with a wide root system.
Only moisture-loving cultures will feel comfortable, because glass containers will always have high humidity. This means that plants should love moisture and marshy soil. It’s not even worth saying that growing cacti in an airtight container is the wrong thing to do, the plant will simply die.
It is best to cultivate decorative and deciduous plants. Flowering crops are best grown in open-necked containers, as it is simply necessary to remove faded flowers. These include: saintpaulias and orchids. Other compositions in the mini-garden can be made from dracaena, dwarf ficuses, royal begonias or pellets.
How to make a florarium with your own hands1. Preparation of high-quality fertile soil. At the bottom of the bottle we lay 2 centimeters of drainage (expanded clay, small pebbles, crushed stone). After that, the soil substrate + activated or charcoal is poured (about 8 centimeters). Coal acts as a disinfectant, it does not allow the appearance of rot on the root system. Separately, the soil substrate should be distinguished; it should not contain clay and heavy soils. The earth is allowed only light and breathable. A garden in a bottle must breathe, only in this case it will grow and flourish.
2. Planting plants. Using a small cutlery, we make a recess in the substrate, carefully plant an exotic culture in it. If you cannot do this because of a very narrow neck, then use tweezers.
3. Garden decoration in a bottle. You can use a couple of unusual snags, stones, or any miniature garden figures. This similarity will make a garden in a bottle a complete replacement for a living garden.
4. Caring for the florarium. The first watering is carried out immediately after planting exotic crops. The soil must be watered very carefully, as the water should not stagnate for a long time. Water is poured along the walls of the container.
Do not forget that airtight bottles should be closed with a cork, after a while condensation may appear on the walls of the vessel. He says that there was waterlogging. Wipe off these drops with a dry cloth and open the lid for a short time. As soon as you get rid of the condensate, you do not need to carry out special care for the garden in the bottle. In the summer, once every 10 days, the lid is opened and the plant is sprayed. By observing all these conditions, you will notice that the humid climate persists.
If drops appear again on the walls of the vessel, then it must be ventilated.
For example, you chose not a closed, but an open garden in a bottle - then you will have to water it much more often.
It doesn't matter what capacity you prefer, if you choose the right slow-growing plants, they will retain their decorative effect for a long time. Naturally, a garden in a bottle is not as unpretentious as simple artificial flowers, however, you can easily leave them unattended even for a week! And not every grower can afford this.
The main qualities of a grower are originality and creativity. To justify these honorary titles will help him luxury flowers in a bottle. Growing plants in this way is very painstaking, but quite exciting. Florariums have been widely known since the Victorian era. Today they have acquired a new look and original performance. A small master class from professionals will help the gardener to create such charm in his house.
Flowers in a bottle under development
First, flower growers choose the appropriate container for a miniature garden. To surprise guests, most often they use transparent bottles of a bizarre shape and with a wide neck. The lid or cork in them should fit snugly into the hole.
Mostly housewives use voluminous:
- vases;
- decanters;
- glasses;
- chemical flasks;
- banks;
- glasses;
- bottles.
Serious problems for the grower will be created by vessels with a long or narrow neck. In this case, you will have to use tools with an elongated holder. You can independently increase the size of the handle using knitting needles or sticks.
The next step in creating a garden in a bottle with your own hands will be the selection of a suitable plant variety. It is worth giving preference to miniature, dwarf indoor crops. It will be necessary to put a taboo on fast-growing varieties, as well as succulents.
To grow a mini-greenhouse, farmers recommend:
To give the florarium a special color will help different kinds moss, as well as Selaginella Krausa. A terry cover of greenery will bring notes of mystery and fabulousness to the interior of a mini-garden.
Low-growing and slow-growing flowers in a bottle look very organic. With such varieties, the florist will not have to constantly cut the green mass, seeking to leave the glass walls of a miniature castle. In addition, you need to understand that a very humid microclimate is created in sealed containers. Therefore, plants that are afraid of high humidity and decay are categorically not suitable for such experiments. The third step in growing dwarf plants in a bottle will be purely technical.
The most dangerous phenomenon in such home-made florariums is moisture stagnation. A hydrogel or a drainage layer will help to avoid this. A porous, airy mixture (sand, expanded clay, pebbles, gravel) is placed on the bottom of a vessel up to 3-4 cm high. To do this, use a funnel made of a sheet of paper. The next layer is formed from charcoal (1 cm).
Then the moistened nutrient soil mixture is unloaded:
- peat;
- river sand;
- turf;
- clay.
The height of the layer of fertile soil directly depends on the chosen plant, how deeply the flower takes root. Experts advise filling the vessel with a mixture so that it occupies only the 4th part of it. Farmers advise leveling and lightly tamping the earth in a bottle with an empty spool tied to a thread.
With the help of a spoon or a fork, specialists form the landscape relief of a mini-garden:
- slopes;
- plains;
- gorges.
When choosing a soil, it is always necessary to take into account the varietal characteristics of the crop. Some varieties are suitable for a land with a neutral reaction, while others are suitable for an acidic one. A miniature garden in a bottle will quickly begin to grow if all procedures are carried out with the utmost care. The soil should not be on the walls of the vessel.
Regular activated charcoal tablets or charcoal will help protect a tiny greenhouse from exposure to pathogenic bacteria and mold. Since natural materials are adsorbents, they will regulate the water balance inside the flask.
Planting plants in a bottle - the mission of a florist surgeon
Planting a mini-garden is carried out with 6 varieties of flower crops. However, the number of copies used depends largely on the size of the bottle. This list includes one creeping and tree variety. With a knitting needle or a knife, funnels are formed for planting flowers in a bottle. 
The mini-garden is closed for the first 48 hours. Slight condensation on the walls of the container is quite normal. If the dew drops are large and do not disappear for a long time, the bottle is opened to dry.
Single specimens are often planted in small containers. The slopes of the desktop greenhouse are decorated with ground cover plants. Smooth stones, snags, shells or whole structures in the form of architecture, sculpture are used as decorations.
The health of plants in a do-it-yourself bottle depends on the microclimate, as well as humidity.
Miniature Garden Care
Now the grower can only maintain the proper level of humidity in his bottle bed. As already noted, opening and closing the lid will be a kind of "control lever" for this natural process. Light condensation should appear and then disappear within a few hours. 
If this synchronicity is not observed, there are two ways to solve the problem:
There is no need to water the garden, because flower cultures independently regulate the microclimate inside the flask. Leaves evaporate a sufficient amount of moisture. Nevertheless, some gardeners help plants by moistening the soil with a frequency of up to once every 2 months. In addition, they try to provide abundant lighting for the flowers in the bottle. Therefore, in winter period fluorescent lamps are used extensively. 
After such a master class, even beginners in floriculture will know how to make a garden in a bottle without the help of an expert. A bit of painstaking work, attentiveness and tenderness for plants, and a luxurious greenhouse on the window will become a landmark of the area.
How to plant and grow flowers in a bottle - video
