Floating Indoor Garden

A tall dracaena surrounded by a pink spotted mosaic plant is a lovely combination for a floating garden. Trim a too-tall dracaena plant and use the root-less section for your water garden. 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.

Gardening expert Rosemary McCreary demonstrates how easy it is to assemble one.

• 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.

• 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.

Resources
Tabletop Gardens: Create 40 Intimate Gardens for the Home, No Matter What the Season
by Rosemary McCreary
Storey Books, 2003)
Order this title from Amazon.com.

Guests
Rosemary McCreary
Gardening Expert
210 Mass Moca Way
North Adams, MA 01247
Phone: 413-346-2178
Fax: 413-346-2253
E-mail: Dianne.cutillo@storey.com
Also in this Episode

Smart Solutions : Episode SSL-925
•	Inexpensive Door Repair
•	Cool Salsa
•	Floating Indoor Garden
•	Smart Solution of the Day