Garden in a pot. Miniature Japanese Gardens

A mini garden in a pot is an unusual element of decor and very an exciting hobby which is becoming more and more relevant. Create miniature garden not as difficult as it seems at first glance. Important Tips on the selection of materials and the choice of plants, as well as step by step master class help create original decoration for the interior of a summer house or apartment.

This hobby is suitable for all those who love indoor floriculture. After all, in order to create a unique and original composition, you need desire, love for plants and a little imagination. Recommendations and tips from designers will help you make a mini-garden in a pot with your own hands correctly:

Choosing flowers for planting

For ornamental gardens, the most suitable different plants. However, experienced gardeners recommend choosing those that grow slowly and do not need special care.

Also, flowers must be chosen based on the design of the miniature composition. For example, to create a Japanese stone garden, it is better to choose plants with a powerful root system that could penetrate any stone cracks in search of water. These will be some types of the succulent family:

  • Saxifrage.
  • Stapelia.
  • Gasteria.
  • Argyroderma.
  • Stonecrop or Echeveria.
  • Echeveria.

For compositions in park styles, you can use dwarf trees, for example, Money Tree, ornamental ficuses or myrtle. Thanks to its beautiful decorative leafy crown, the composition will look more elegant and majestic.

If the mini-garden is intended for a summer cottage, veranda or balcony, then experts recommend choosing dwarf varieties coniferous plants:

  • Cypress Lavson.
  • Juniper ordinary.
  • Canadian spruce.
  • Thuja western.
  • Pseudotuga Menzies.

In the event that the composition will stand at home, then the most unpretentious flowers should be chosen. These will be:

  • Gelksina.
  • Fittonia.
  • Ivy.

Such a “live” decoration will green up any miniature composition and container. But it is worth remembering that in order to avoid an allergic reaction, only safe flowers should be used.

plant care

There are no special rules in caring for a mini-garden, except for timely watering and following the recommendations for caring for a particular flower. However, there are several general advice, which will help the composition to strike on the spot with its elegant appearance and wonderful fragrance.

Master class on creating a composition

Having studied all the features of such a mobile garden, you can proceed directly to its manufacture. But first you need to prepare all the necessary tools.

So, the main materials for creating a composition:

The first step is to lay the drainage and soil in the selected container. The soil can be bought ready-made in a specialized store, or you can cook it yourself. To do this, mix sand, peat and soddy soil in proportions of 2: 1: 1. To make the soil looser, vermiculite should be added. Then you need to compact the soil.

The next step is to move on to planting. Experienced gardeners advised to plant plants in separate plastic cups and then bury them in the soil. Voids should be filled with pebbles, expanded clay or crushed stone. This method helps retain moisture after watering.

Now you should consider the design of the garden. To make the composition unique, you should make as many elements as possible with your own hands. So, a well or a house can be made from matches or toothpicks. Benches, a gazebo and a swing are made from barbecue sticks, and a fence can be made from willow branches.

Alternative option is to use doll furniture. And in order for the light to burn in the house at night, you need to put a small LED candle inside it.

To make a pond, a vessel is used, which is buried in the ground, and then filled with water. Since water deteriorates quickly, it should be changed every few days. However, you can make a dry pond. To do this, the bottom of the vessel is filled with shiny beads, shells and foil.

Free areas are decorated with paths and paths, decorative grass and small figurines of fairy-tale characters.

Thus, making a mini-kindergarten is creative and very fascinating process requiring a lot of patience, perseverance and desire!

For lovers of nature and greenery, who are forced to live in an apartment, there is one idea that is easy to implement. Create your own mini garden. Indoor mini-garden can be grown in a container, box, basin and even in a bowl! It is quite possible to create it with your own hands.

Capacity for the future garden

First you need to choose a container. There may be two options - either you will put different plants in one container, each in its own pot, and fill the areas between them with your choice of sand, soil, expanded clay or pebbles.

In this case, plants that require some kind of different care than others will be able to coexist with less demanding care.

The second option - you plant all the plants together in one container. In this case, choose plants of the same growing conditions, for example, moisture-loving marsh plants are unlikely to get along with succulents or cacti.

If you decide to plant all the plants in one large container without holes in the bottom, do not forget to pour a large amount of expanded clay on the bottom - otherwise the plant will rot.

Create a composition

For the aesthetic perception of your garden, you need to create a composition. To do this, you need to pick up several plants, different in size.

Background

For the background, plants that are taller than the rest are usually taken. It can be ficus, palm, philodendron, monstera - any more or less large plant.

Centre

In the center of the composition, you need to create an accent - for this we use a plant with leaves unusual shape or colors, such as begonia or chlorophytum.

Foreground

In the foreground, you can plant undersized, creeping or ampelous plants, say ivy or tradescantia.

If your plants are each in their own pots, which will provide an opportunity for them to create different care, then in the foreground you can use cacti or succulents.

accents

Any snag picked up in the forest, beautiful stones of an unusual shape, a clay figurine or a sea shell will enliven your composition.

It is important not to overdo it with accents so that your eyes do not run wide looking at your composition. it is better to create several mini-gardens, each with its own cute detail.

If you live in an apartment, you probably envy those who have the opportunity to grow garden plants on their own land, and even in a climate where there is enough light and heat. Fortunately, you have a way out, but it requires some work.

Even if you live in an apartment, you have the opportunity to grow your own mini garden. Alternatively, you can grow plants hydroponically, that is, without any soil. There are some tips that will come in handy for the future "indoor" gardener.

The most important thing for plants is the amount of light. Plants need light for the process of photosynthesis that takes place in their leaves, they need a sufficient amount of it.

Too little light causes them to malnourish, and too much light can cause leaf burns and even kill the plant. Therefore, you need to consider the amount of light that plants need.

You can provide the plants with enough light by purchasing fluorescent lamps or special phytolamps, which are sold in flower shops. Then you do not have to place your garden on the windowsill and look at it through the curtains - you can place your garden in a corner of the apartment.

The second important thing is the volume of the room where you are going to grow plants. You need to take into account the amount of space that you are willing to give to the garden, but do not overdo it, otherwise you may later get the feeling that the plants have survived you from the room. Choose a place that can be accessed from all sides, not a corner that is difficult to approach.

Very important for plants temperature control. If you can regulate the temperature in your apartment or house, then this is great, since most plants need a temperature of about +20 C for normal "living".

If it gets too cold or too hot, your plants can get sick and even die. Humidity is also a very important factor - in heated rooms in winter the air is too dry and it is very important to maintain the humidity of the earthen clod during this period, and spraying is simply necessary for some plants.

And finally, let's talk about the soil for your plants, or the possibility of growing plants in hydroponics. Each type of plant requires its own specific soil composition in order to provide the plant with a sufficient amount of nutrients.

If you decide to grow your garden hydroponically, which is also possible, then you should carefully study this topic. Its essence is that you contain plants in sand or stone soil, providing them with nutrition with the help of a liquid, which includes a sufficient amount of nutrients. Surprisingly, many plants grow better in hydroponics than in soil pots.

Remember that before you decide on your garden in the apartment, you must first work out all of the above conditions, and only then purchase plants.

Examples of mini gardens

See also the options for indoor mini-gardens in the selection below and good luck in your work!

Oh, I was fascinated by this beautiful miniature bowl garden! The most interesting thing is that such a garden can be set up anywhere. Even in one-room apartment. Why, even in a rented room, you can organize a living vegetable corner. And enjoy your plants.

A mini-garden in a pot is an original decoration and an exciting hobby for those who need relaxation. Try starting with the simplest composition to see for yourself.

If you like arranging a summer house, but acquiring a suburban area is not yet possible, include miniature gardening in your list of hobbies. Creating a beautiful mini-garden with your own hands in a pot or in another suitable container is much easier than equipping a real garden plot, but the pleasure of working on a small copy is no less. To care for miniature flower beds and beds will not take much time and effort, but they will always be waiting for you in a city apartment.

What do you need to learn a new hobby?

To create your first mini-garden on the windowsill, you need desire, love for plants and a little imagination. This hobby is suitable for those who like indoor floriculture. This type of cultivation of potted plants allows you to get the most decorative effect with the minimum area involved. If you do everything right and take into account the features of each instance, then the care of the composition will be minimized.

Various plants are suitable for mini-gardens, but it is best to choose slow-growing species with small leaves. Of the succulents, the following are considered ideal: stone rose, sedum, diamond. Fittonia, stonecrop and peperomonia look good in potted "dachas". Bonsai trees such as ficus or myrtle are great. If you are going to install a pot in the bedroom, use only safe flowers for this room.

To decorate a mini-garden, various items may be required, but the list of required materials can include:

  • container for growing (pot, bowl, bowl, basin, container, box);
  • universal soil;
  • drainage;
  • sand;
  • pebbles or decorative stones(pebbles for aquariums are suitable);
  • chips for mulching;
  • plants;
  • toy furniture, houses, windmills, natural decor and other decorations.

If the pot does not look very attractive, it outside it is recommended to decorate with mosaics, pieces of glass, small shells or pebbles.

Fundamentals of apartment farming

First of all, you need to understand that a mini-garden in a pot will require, albeit simple, but regular care. You need to choose plants based on your capabilities and the time you are going to devote to home plantings.

To minimize care, choose unpretentious plants, succulents or stone gardens, if you want to not only admire the result, but also deal with your green friend as often as possible, give preference to plants that require regular watering, weeding, spraying.

The second important aspect is the choice of the style of the future composition. Do not rush to grab ideas from different sources - decide on the direction of landscape design, for example, it can be country, Provence, Japanese or Chinese garden. Think of an idea - what you want to see - a miniature of the whole garden or its individual element, for example, alpine slide or a flower bed.

The most spectacular look both in life and in the photo are mini-gardens that repeat the landscape personal plot. In this case, a country estate is recreated with a house, a garden, a pond, flower beds, small architectural forms, garden paths, and animal figurines. This is a real mini-world in which you can completely dissolve and forget about problems.

Before you make a mini-garden, consider where it will be located, and whether all its sides will be equally visible. If the composition will be visible only from one side, then it is better to think small hill, a flat surface is suitable for 360° and top view. Also, the choice of the shape of the container depends on the available space - a comprehensive view allows you to use almost any dish, and for a garden on a windowsill, rectangular and square pots are more suitable.

From words to the garden of your dreams - how to create a potted garden

Having decided on the installation site, the shape of the pot, the style of composition and plants, proceed to create a mini-garden with your own hands.

  1. At the bottom of the selected container, pour a drainage layer of crushed stone, expanded clay or pebbles.
  2. Fill the container with soil mixed with sand.
  3. Consider design. If a house is provided in the landscape, then start with it - it will be easier to beat the "estate" according to all the rules.
  4. Plant plants according to the plan and focusing on photos of mini-gardens created by other "gardeners".
  5. From above, decorate the areas with paths, “lawns”, complete the design with small architectural forms, fences, toys from children's chocolate eggs.

Try to make as many elements with your own hands as possible. Cute wells are easy to make from toothpicks, benches from barbecue sticks, and a fence from twigs.

To simplify the care of plants and prevent entanglement and root rot, we recommend planting elements in separate pots. This rule is ideal for succulents and other specimens that prefer tight spaces. In this case, bury the pots in the ground so that they are not visible.

For decor, miniature doll furniture that can be painted is suitable. The house and various details will not be difficult to make from polymer clay or salt dough. LED garlands are suitable as night lighting; soft light is easy to achieve with luminous paint. To revive the house, put an LED candle in it.

Creating a miniature garden flower pot turns us into real wizards: after all, a whole world with real plants, thoughtful landscape and fabulous inhabitants is created with their own hands. For a while, we return to childhood, when we were overwhelmed with fantastic ideas, and our hands were not afraid to work miracles and experiment.

Mini-gardens are becoming an island of calm in the daily hustle and bustle for urban residents, an interesting and useful hobby. In the absence of a suburban area, gardening can be done on a miniature scale in your apartment, because caring for such a composition will not take much time.

On the suburban area a mini-garden, arranged in a flowerpot or clay pot, can be placed on the street, “cruising” around the site. It will look great anywhere: on the terrace, at the entrance to the house, on the garden path or near the pond.

To make the miniature look holistic, you should not combine the elements you like in one composition different styles. First of all, you need to thoroughly consider the idea. It can be just a piece of a garden with dwarf trees, a miniature rock garden, a tropical island, etc.

You can complicate the composition and add a house, then the territory will be more “lived in” - tiny benches and a table with cups, a well and a fence, stairs and stacks of firewood are added. Again, it is worth considering whether this will be a fairy house or a medieval castle.


Japanese style bamboo mats, gazebos with a roof, lanterns and a bridge over a dry stream made of stones are emphasized. Blooming sakura from beads will be a great addition here.

Using cacti, you can recreate the plot of the Wild West by adding figures of cowboys and horses to them, wooden house and tumbleweed balls woven from twigs.

For charming and light french style can be woven from metal wire, painted in White color, "forged" benches, flower arches and a table for tea parties. Any idea, even the most unusual one, can be translated into reality, as all tiny pieces of furniture can be easily made by yourself.

Video: Miniature garden - interesting ideas!

What plants are suitable for a mini-garden?

The main characters of the miniature composition are plants. They should be short, unpretentious, slow growing and with small leaves. Dwarf ficuses and myrtle will look great as trees. Their beautiful crowns ideal for park style, but they will have to be pinched regularly. Complement their original park lights and benches, garden sculptures and paved with stone garden paths.


If the miniature garden will be placed on open area, perfect choice for him will be dwarf coniferous trees: junipers or cypress. For rocky garden plants are selected with such a root system that, in search of water, will make its way through any gap - these are pachyphytum, gasteria and saxifrage.

Among succulents, it is worth stopping at a stone rose, sedum, stonecrop. You can’t do without ground cover plants: free areas can be filled with creeping gypsophila, small-leaved pilea, Rowley’s ragwort and, of course, mosses.

Of the flowering ones, cyclamen, saxifrage, alyssum and streptocarpus are suitable. They will liven up and brighten up your mini-garden, and are easy to replace with other plants when they have faded. The choice of plants will depend on the theme of the composition, and if the garden will decorate city ​​apartment, then on the safety of plants for human health.

Choosing a capacity

In principle, any container can be used for a mini-garden, the depth of which does not exceed 15 cm. The larger the horizontal surface, the greater the scope for creativity. Suitable pots, flowerpots, basins, pallets, etc. You can also play with any form, but you need to decide whether they will admire the garden from all sides or some part of it will be closed.

Based on this, the composition is built, especially if a house is involved in it. For more decoration of the pot, you can glue it with pebbles, shells, multi-colored pieces of glass or tiles. Required drainage holes.

Stages of creation

Having decided on the container and decorating it, expanded clay drainage is poured onto the bottom or pebbles are used for this. The soil mixture is prepared from 2 parts of coarse sand, 1 part of soddy soil and 1 part of peat. To give it friability, add a small amount of vermiculite.

Plants are planted directly in the ground or dug in pots so that the roots do not intertwine. Then at any time a single plant can be replaced or simply removed. This method also solves the compatibility problem different types. It is better to bury the pots so that they are not visible. The soil is not added to the edge of the container by 2 cm. In order for the neighborhood to be successful, it should be taken into account whether plants like the sun or shade, an abundance of moisture or dry soil.

After planting the plants, the most interesting thing begins - decoration. Empty areas are covered with small gravel, decorative pebbles, and garden paths are laid out. These activities also help retain moisture and prevent the emergence of weeds.

To create a "reservoir", a small low vessel is suitable, which is dug into the ground, and the bottom is covered with small pebbles. The illusion of water in a stream and a river or the sea surface can be created using transparent blue glass balls.

There are three ways to organize a mini-garden:

  1. In a flowerpot: where all the elements are located on the surface of the earth in the same plane.
  2. In a broken pot: a part of the pot along the side is carefully beaten off with a hammer and several small fragments are separated from it. The broken wall is dug into the ground, and steps are laid out from the small parts from the base to the top - an interesting two-level garden is obtained.
  3. A multi-tiered composition of 4 pots, different in size. A large pot is left intact, filled with drainage and earth. In the next largest pot, they beat off a part and dig it into the ground, do the same with the next one, but dig it into the previous pot. One broken part is installed on top and the smallest pot is placed in it, and small tiles for steps are broken off from the remaining piece. Thus, the area for planting and decorating is greatly increased.

As decor, you can use children's toys and doll furniture. Houses and small elements are beautifully molded from salt dough and polymer clay. Inside, you can put an LED candle or use luminous paints.

Original fences, benches are obtained from wood or wire, decor is also easy to create from matches, plasticine, skewers, twigs, bottle caps and other improvised material. There is also a place for a fire with a bowler hat, swings and ladders. Wheelbarrows and carts, garden arches, bridges, straw baskets and hats, bird nests, "forgotten" watering cans and shovels will be a nice addition to the overall picture. You should not just get too carried away with decor and overload your corner of nature with them, because, first of all, this is a garden with living plants, albeit in a miniature version.

Gardening stores sell a lot of all kinds of objects that can decorate the garden, complementing what is created by nature. But what if you don't like the banal figures of gnomes and other "sculptures"? Do you want to show excellent European taste?

Pay attention to large pots and planters, from 60-80 cm high. Did you know that these impressive items are not only for planting flowers? They can play many roles, the main of which is to create a spectacular and original corner in your garden.

Where to place such large and even huge pots? Which ones to choose so that it does not look trite? What to add to enhance the effect? How can large planters fix "problem areas" in your garden and around the house? What secrets are known to landscape designers, if we are talking about patio?

Answers to all these questions, top 25 design techniques and 50 photos of large pots with examples of harmonious landscape design - in our new guide. Discover another amazing garden feature!

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First, let's talk about what probably worries you the most - where to place large pots and planters . We have found 10 interesting tricks.

1. Front entrance.

Old as the world, but still effective: put two identical plant containers on either side of the entrance to the site. And admire how your yard has changed! By the way, capricious plants can also be grown in such containers - as soon as the temperature drops, just bring them into the house.

2. Punctuation marks.

How does this relate to our topic? And so that plants in large containers can make the garden more structured, as do periods and commas in the text. They can mark a turn in the path or point to a bench in the shade.

3. Like sculpture.

Another "punctuation mark", but in the role of the central element of some of the sections of the garden. Adds order and European elegance, especially if you choose a large pot in the old style.

4. Point of attraction.

And the third way to designate the structure of the garden is to install a large planter at the end of the path or where it bifurcates.

5. Mediterranean notes.

Decorating your garden or patio mediterranean style- with characteristic round areas like waves, think about how to fit into them large vessels or pots made of unglazed earthenware in a natural tone. Add a round mini flower bed (pot in the center) or surround it with small pebbles.

6. Attention to corners.

Vegetation in the corners small area always appropriate, helping to give it smooth shapes. Add a large pot to one of these areas - with plants or even without them. This focal point is sure to catch the eye and showcase your out-of-the-ordinary taste.

7. Change the proportions.

Around the house, as a rule, there is little land, and all the vegetation is either under your feet or above your head. Balance this picture by adding a "middle element" - at eye level or just below (a large pot of flowers or plants). You will be surprised how much more harmonious it looks now.

8. Among the foliage.

Agree, quite unexpectedly to meet a huge vessel in the far corner of a wild garden. Rising above the low foliage, it looks like it was conjured by a wizard, and treasures await inside.

Tip: for such areas, choose pots of soft colors natural nature(gray, beige, green), this will enhance the "magic" charm.

9. Non-banal garden.

We have already talked in detail about. And here we propose to supplement it with a large pot-vessel. Such a high element adds decorativeness to trivial beds.

10. Creative (devil) order.

Instead of accentuating the space, huge pots and planters can create it themselves, breaking the excessive order and introducing new lines.

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Now for some ideas on how choose a large pot or decorative vessel to make the most impactful experience.

11. With a touch of time.

A large vessel can be a great focal point if it stands out from the crowd. The bigger the pot, the better. Vessels, on which the imprint of time (patina) is clearly felt, look especially luxurious.

12. Game of contrasts.

If you have a lawn or a flower bed, feel free to put large planters and pots there. Right in the middle of the green. This will certainly attract attention and give your eyes a rest from a solid green canvas. Containers can be very diverse, but they must have something in common - color, shape or material.

13. At the behest of nature.

Take a closer look at the landscape - perhaps there is already an answer to the question of what containers should be. For example, as here: a heavy rounded vessel resembles stones in shape, and an exotic, unusual dark color plants prompted the shade of the pot - black.

14. A piece of exotic.

Among the great variety of leaf colors, blue shades are very rare. Especially in our latitudes. That is why take a closer look at the bright blue containers or trendy color teal - against the background of greenery, they will look incredibly exotic. Want to enhance your impression? Install artificial leaves or feathers inside, painted in a similar tone.

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Did you know that with the help of decorative planters and pots you can solve the problems of the site or garden ? Find out a few ways to do it.

15. Harmony does not tolerate emptiness.

Every designer knows: there should be no empty corners. If you still have them - put a large container with plants there (or an empty one - as a decor). A group of such containers will help disguise unaesthetic utilitarian items: an air conditioner module, a generator or utility hatches.

16. From scratch.

Perhaps you are puzzled about what to do with a boring white fence. Or with the barn wall, which, with its screaming emptiness, offends your aesthetic feelings.

Just imagine this surface as a canvas and yourself as an artist. And create! Put several identical, but certainly spectacular containers with greens along the wall. Now enjoy your creation with fashion touches current trends decor!

17. Provisional measure.

If there are still few plantings on the site, large pots with flowers and plants will perfectly save the situation and get rid of the impression of uncomfortable emptiness.

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Now let's talk about what to add to large pots and planters or what to plant in them if you like original solutions.

18. Curious instance.

Large forms - for outstanding content. Try growing a tree with interesting branches or even fruits in a huge container. This is not at all the same as planting it in the ground - a huge pot will highlight the plant, tell everyone about its uniqueness. And you will only have to admire this excellent specimen.

Tip: Before planting a tree in a pot, think about its future needs. After all root system and the crown will grow, and the container may simply not withstand the pressure. Therefore, carefully study everything regarding the development of this plant.

19. Mexican landscape.

Have you dreamed of some exotic landscape for a long time? Take large pots, place pots of succulents in them and fill them with gravel on top. Put it on a site with the same coating, and put the containers in the house or winter garden for the winter.

20. Add water.

How about getting a garden fountain made from a huge ceramic vessel? You can, of course, look for ready-made models. But it’s really possible to do it yourself - from a large pot and a special set for arranging small garden fountains.

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And in conclusion, we offer spectacular ideas for decorating the patio - also with the help of large pots and decorative vessels.

21. Magic bush.

Regret that bushes with beautiful flowers located far from your favorite vacation spot? Plant young plants in large pots and rearrange wherever you want.

22. Berries at hand.

In large containers, not only flowers or greens can grow, but also berry bushes. Find out from horticultural firms which varieties are best to choose and get such a “delicious” decor.

23. Blooming stairs.

This trick adds a sense of celebration, turning the daily climb of the stairs into an exciting event that pleases the eye. Use the same pots with the same contents - this will reflect your impeccable taste and professional approach to design.

24. In a slender framework.

Very large pots with plants can perfectly zone individual elements patio. For example, limit the barbecue area or become an interesting alternative to a garden fence. But, unlike the fence, it is pleasant to admire them.

25. Southern European chic.

And if you have special places for eating or relaxing, limited stone walls, mark the entrance with a pair of unglazed terracotta pots. Plant inside beautifully flowering plants or bushes with picturesque small leaves like boxwood.

We hope this detailed guide how to use large pots, planters and decorative vessels in landscape design will inspire you to create original elements garden and patio. We wish you success in this and admiration of the guests!