You do not need to spend money on expensive pots, decorative plants, or interior items to decorate your home. Often, old things lying around the house can add beauty to your living space. People who enjoy gardening are constantly forced to buy new pots, which can be expensive. If one of them breaks, many people do not want to throw it away.
If you have a broken clay pot or an old jug at home, do not throw it away. You can turn it into a mini-garden by decorating it with small plants, colorful stones, and beautiful steps, which looks very effective.
The feature of this garden is that its creation does not require buying a new pot or taking up much space. It can be placed on a balcony, roof, near a window, or in any bright corner of the house. It will resemble a small hilly area or a fairy-tale cottage.
Most materials for creating this DIY project can be found at home. You will need the following items.
First, thoroughly clean the broken vase or clay pot from dirt, moss, or soil. Then separate all the fragments. It is important not to throw away all parts of the vase, as they will be used to create small steps and different levels in the garden. You must also ensure that the bottom of the pot has drainage holes so that water does not stagnate and damage the plant roots.
Next, fill the lower part of the vase with soil that does not retain water. For this, you can mix regular garden soil with coconut substrate, vermicompost, and fine gravel.
After that, slightly tilt the largest fragment of the vase into the soil; it will serve as a small wall. Then, using small pieces of clay, create steps higher and further away from this wall. Compact them thoroughly into the soil so that they do not shift.
You can make the steps indirect, slightly curved, so that the garden looks like a mountain path. At the same time, make sure that the arrangement of the fragments does not completely block the path for water and soil drainage.
Now it's time to fill the garden with greenery. Choose small plants that do not require much watering. Succulents, such as geraniums, sedums, and echeverias, are excellent for such mini-gardens.
Plant plants that require more light on the upper part of the vase. Small plants can be placed between the steps and along the edges to add beauty to the place. When planting, do not damage the roots and gently press down the soil.
An important point is that the water and sunlight needs of all plants are different. Therefore, in one vase, you should plant plants whose care requirements are similar. You should avoid combining succulents with plants that prefer high moisture.
When the mini-garden is ready, it is time to decorate it. Sprinkle fine white gravel around the steps. You can also create a small path from fine sand, imitating a path through the mountain.
A small toy house can be placed on the top of the garden using an old toy. Placing small stones among the plants will make the composition more attractive.
If you want to give the garden a different look, you can decorate the exterior of the vase with natural flowers. However, before fully painting the clay pot, make sure that the color used is safe for plants and soil.
Creating a mini-garden is only half the battle; proper care is also necessary. Place it in a spot where the plants receive the necessary amount of light. Succulents should be protected from intense midday sun, especially if they are not accustomed to direct light exposure.
Before watering, check the soil moisture by touching it with your hand. If the soil is moist, watering is not required. Overwatering succulents can lead to root rot. When watering, use a sprayer or a small bottle so as not to disturb the paths made of soil and gravel.