Floating Indoor Garden

Gardening expert Rosemary McCreary demonstrates how easy it is to assemble a floating indoor garden.

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Filed under: Houseplants, Gardening, Decorating

This bog plant, which normally grows in ponds, looks lovely with a marble fill around the roots. Hold the plant in place while you add marbles around it.

Floating indoor gardens eliminate the hassle of dirt and the constant watering that is necessary with potted plants.

Nearly any houseplant can be used in floating gardens. The key is to remove all the soil before placing the plant in water. Work the roots gently, using a chopstick or fork to get all the dirt out (see photo at right). Don't worry if some of the roots break off.

Rinse the roots to remove the last of the dirt. Healthy roots will be nice and white. Trim off any brown roots, since they are dead.

Trim a too-tall dracaena plant and use the root-less section for your water garden.

Use distilled water instead of tap water for your garden. Fill a container with distilled water and arrange a variety of cleaned plants in the container. Add a little liquid fertilizer.