If growing conditions are good a bottle garden will require minimum attention.

Bottle Garden

Creating a Bottle Garden or a miniature garden in a terrarium or tiny aquarium can be great fun, and makes an ideal home for small plants that require enclosed and moist conditions.

A little care is needed to pick out the correct plants to use, and some ingenuity and dexterity to get the plants into position within the glass container, but all this adds to the enjoyment.

Specially made bottles are available and are worth considering, for the container will be an attraction in its self, drawing peoples attention to see what is inside.

Demi-johns used for wine making, a large gold fish bowl or the old type glass sweet jars, either stood up or laid on their side are cheaper options.

A whole range of tiny plants are available for the bottle garden or miniature garden enthusiast. You can grow your own from houseplant cutting or from seed. Choose your plants to give a mixture of colour and form, do not plant too close together allowing the plants room to grow.

Some suitable plants are: ferns, bromeliads, dracaenas, parlour palms, African violets, ivy, spider plants. All these plants being the small or miniature types.

Watering will probably be only needed every three to six months. Plenty of light is needed but do not stand in direct sunlight or scorching may occur.

Trim back any plants that are growing too fast and remove any dead leaves immediately to avoid any disease getting hold.

Planting a Bottle Garden

Wash out the container and dry and clean the inside thoroughly, you want to be able to see the plants not greasy marks or smears.

Good drainage at the base of the container is essential. Place gravel or similar to a depth of 2.5cm (1"). Cover with a layer of peat based potting compost, moistening the compost lightly first.

Try and avoid touching the inside of the glass whilst planting, it's harder to clean once filled with plants. Use a funnel made with newspaper to put the compost into the bottle.

Use a narrow piece of stick to spread the compost and to make holes for the plants. If planting in a carboy or a narrow necked container, you will need to improvise to lower the plants safely down to the base of the container and you may have to remove some of the soil around the roots of the plant.

Using two canes or a fork attached to a cane will help. After planting firm the compost around the roots of the plants using a cotton reel on the end of a cane.

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