Terrarium
24 Mar 2012 Leave a Comment
in 2. Garden Ornaments Tags: Indoor Tropical Plants, Terrarium
We always have a terrarium. It had only Peperomia caperata and it was getting too full. Yesterday I decided to redo it and I put completely different plants: African Violet, Peperomia columella, Drimiopsis sp, tiny little fern and some moss. I transplanted the Peperomia caperata in an old shoe planter that my friend V gave me a while ago.
To grow small and pretty indoor tropical plants that need high humidity is very hard to achieve in colder areas like here in Melbourne. To solve the problem, it is a good idea to grow them inside a glass container, or just simply cover the whole pot/plant with a clear glass bowl. If you have an unused fish tank, it will be big enough to grow larger plants to suit the size of the tank.
Terrarium can be completely covered (sometimes with a little opening for ventilation) or an open one. Personally I like the fully covered one as I grow tropical plants in it. For growing little cacti or succulents, it has to be the open one to have dry air and to prevent condensation.
To learn how to make a Terrarium:
Hangy Thingy…. Cute and Funny
20 Oct 2010 Leave a Comment
in 2. Garden Ornaments Tags: For Planters and Pots, Little Ornaments, My garden
I did not buy them….. They were given to me by a friend. You can hang them on the side of garden pots or planters. They are little cheeky gnomes, froggies or snails.
It is just amazing to have so many things that you can buy these days. Things that are not necessary in life and some call them junks….. yet they can bring little fun and joy to those who love them.
Garden Ornaments – Quirky or Pretty?
08 Jul 2010 Leave a Comment
in 2. Garden Ornaments Tags: Garden Decorations, Knickknacks, My garden
Some people love them and some hate them. They are garden knick knacks or decorations like gnomes, fairies, or any other statues or figurines. They can be a fun addition to any garden or courtyard. I love garden gnomes and we have quite a few of them around our garden. Some are small and some are rather big. Our three giant gnomes sit near the back door and they are our night watch. They keep nasty goblins away. Ha, ha….
Gnomes are dwarf little creatures similar to human with long beard and pointy cap. They suppose to roam forest bushes and gardens and taking care of the plants and the wildlife. I like to imagine that they always sleep on the daytime and awake at night. They are not only hard workers but they are also fun loving. This is why garden gnomes are made in all sort of fun position and some really quite mischievous.
Garden Cherubs are also nice for the garden. The small angel statues are there to bless all the plants in the garden. It is believed that a pair of cherubs guarded the Garden of Eden. Cherubs are supposed to be baby or child angels with wings. We have two garden cherubs, one is a baby one and the other that is much larger one is a boy.
Lately in some garden nurseries, I saw life-size statues of African wildlife animals like elephants, giraffes, zebras and lions. Some are things you will see in Asia like for example a water buffalo pulling a plough or an Asian lady with a pointy bamboo hat. Native Australian animals are also popular.
I think we have to be careful to decorate our garden with statues that clearly represent a certain place. Like for example animals. We have a little rabbit and an old turtle. With these two animals, I suppose I can put them anywhere in my garden. These two animals are commonly found everywhere all around the world. However, if for example you only have Australian native plants, it will be better if you also choose Australian native animals. It will be a bit odd to have a great big elephant or a giraffe. It is the same thing with an English cottage garden for example, it will be silly to decorate it with a ploughing buffalo and it is more suitable to have gnomes, an angel, a fairy or a cherub.
It is very true that garden ornaments can add charms and curiosity but it will look absolutely quirky, silly or out of place by over doing it. Also pay attention where you place the decorations. Don’t place a small and low statue in the middle of the lawn, as it can be dangerous that someone will trip over it when it is dark at night. The garden bed is always the best place to put your garden decorations.
