|
Author: Ravikumar Uppaluri Article source: http://www.kabish.com/. Used with author's permission.
Women take pride in home decoration and gardening and want some unique and prized possessions that are not part of the neighboring dwellings. Gardening offers opening as there is no end to creativity, especially in the fields of flower arrangement, bonsai, mini-rock garden etc. But a sure and unique possession is a bottle garden. Many of us have seen a ship inside a bottle. This creative craft has given rise to the concept of bottle gardening. Bottle gardening can be compared to an aquarium where fishes survive with regular inputs of water and feed. Like wise, a bottle garden has the essential requirements of soil and water for the survival of plants that are housed in it, but with occasional care and maintenance. Apart from these essential requirements, the bottle garden has reservoir of water which keeps readily available moisture to the plant and also enables a humid environment in the bottle. Bottle gardens if effectively designed can fetch very high price. Selection of plants to be planted for the bottle garden is very important and in quite a few cases people fail to appreciate this fact and try to incorporate any plant they can lay hands up on! An ideal bottle plant is of slow growth and dwarf habit. Because combinations of plants are housed in a bottle garden all the plants selected must be slow growing and dwarf, so that smothering can be avoided. Extremes of temperatures should be avoided and hence the bottle garden should be placed in such a location where there is adequate availability of sunlight. Also the soil or the compost, used in bottle gardens be just adequate for survival of the plants and should not induce vigorous growth.
Bottle gardening can be taken up in many different shapes and sizes and one can even go for custom made glass containers of the size and shape of choice. But containers of the shape of a normal bottle with narrow neck are the most effective for bottle gardens as it helps in proper maintenance of humidity and also for the appearance when the garden gets established.
The first step is to clean the container thoroughly by using water and detergent. Rich compost is avoided, as the plants are chosen for slow growth and dwarf habit. The compost, which is moistened enough but not wet, is put into bottle by means of a paper funnel, preventing the compost from spilling on the sides of the bottle by adhering to the wet surface. It will be beneficial if a layer of crushed charcoal or small sized gravel is put before running in the compost. This layer of charcoal or gravel acts as water reservoir and replenishes the compost or soil with water as and when needed. Small amount of water can be added by the aid of a straw fitted with funnel or running down the water carefully along the inner surface of the bottle.
Coming to planting in the bottle gardens, the plants should have previously grown in small pots so that they have a compact ball of roots with adhering compost. A thin rod or stick be taken to make holes of suitable sizes on the compost layer and the plants are dropped in to these holes, after carefully pressing through the bottle neck.
To increase the aesthetic appearance of a bottle garden, natural things of beauty such as colored and suitably shaped stones or pieces of bark can be placed in the bottle garden. Care must be taken to sterilize such things before introduction as these may carry pests and your bottle garden may get destroyed.
After planting, the bottle neck is plugged with cotton wool. During the day time when the plant receives sunlight, it is advised to turn the position of the bottle periodically to maintain the symmetry of the plants in the bottle, otherwise, asymmetry may be caused because of elongation or more growth of the portion of the plant towards light.
The bottle garden rarely needs watering, but maintenance in terms of removal of accumulated dead leaf and shoots and occasional pruning are necessary for a healthy bottle garden. Direct sunlight causes heavy growth and may even raise the temperature inside the bottle and hence extreme temperatures be avoided.
Few of the plants which can be taken up for bottle garden are Pilea, Selaginella, Peperomoia, Maranta etc.You can experiment a lot, keeping in strict adherence to the rule that the plants grow slow and have a dwarf habit.
If you have the creativity, time and resources, you can develop a beautiful and unique bottle garden, which can be named after yourself. If you don't have such patience, time, energy, creativity or resources, but want to pride yourself with one, there are many stores around that can offer you a fantastic range! Ravikumar Uppaluri hails from Kaikalur, Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh State in India.The author Holds a Masters degree in Agricultural Sciences.The author is based in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India and is cofounder of an organization involved in Nature conservation and sustainable development. The author can be reached at uravikumar@yahoo.com
Expand your Website to Improve Traffic
One problem with websites is that they often go neglected or don't get updated for extended periods of time. This is a surefire way to reduce your rankings on t...
Six Simple Steps for Getting More Applications
When I first started out as a loan officer, one of the things I found to be the toughest, was taking an application over the phone. I just didn't seem to have t...
Online Dating Tips For Success
You have heard many successful stories from friends on internet dating. Online internet dating has been featured on TV and the magazine's. Now, you want to give...
Be Cool and Comfortable While Saving Money
Stay cool and comfortable in the home or office with money saving ideas about air conditioning.
Are You Ready To Be Your Own Boss?
Plan to be your own boss? Before you start, here is the checklist that can help you to ensure success in your new venture.
A College Degree or an MBA is NOT NEEDED to be Financially Free
Education can get a job with good income. Your understanding of your Money Strategy can make you "Financially Free" ...
Is Your Child Having Trouble in School?
Why doesn't every child seem to get on well in the school system? Does failure at school mean failure in life? Perhaps parents should look at schooling from ano...
California Power and Commodity Markets
Excess capacity occurs in many industries, such as power, electricity, water, oil, mainframe time, bandwidth, etc. When deregulation came to the California ener...
Reclaim Your PC from the Internet Spies
Viruses are, however, not the only malicious software programs out there. The newest addition to the evil software family is the so called Spywares and a good a...
How to Succeed When Youre in Massive Debt
Debt is a scary place to be; it is emotionally and financially threatening. It limits our ability to meet daily expenses, invest for the future, and creates a l...
Top Ten eBook Mistakes and How to Correct Them
Did you know that you already have an eBook inside you? And, like your coach, you can earn thousands of dollars each month? Even if you are a non-techie like me...
Mortgage Loans For People With Adverse Credit - How Much Should You Borrow
Here are some tips to help you know how much you should borrow if you are looking to get a mortgage loan and you have bad credit history.
The 6 Ps of Personal Marketing
If you want to be more successful in your small business you need to know the six "P's" of personal marketing. Brand your small business brilliance with the pow...
Exercise The Right Way - The Standing Calf Raise
It is crucial that beginning bodybuilders are shown how to perform the core exercises correctly. This article provides step by step instructions for the Standin...
Heart Healthy Baslamic Vinegar Salad
A fresh, crisp salad that is also good for the heart. This tasty salad goes well with just about any meat, poultry, or fish dish.
Ask for Referrals: And Get the Answer You Want!
Why are people scared to ask for a referral? Is it the fear of rejection, or do they think that it will annoy their client. If you have been giving 100% to your...
Writing Articles - Six Mistakes To Avoid
Writing articles is probably the single best way to generated free traffic to your web site. Just watch out for these mistakes.
Considering Daycare? Consider the Pros and Cons
When you're a parent it's a difficult decision to know whether to send your child to daycare or not. We have provided many of the pros and cons of sending your...
The Get Their Interest Presentation and the You Have Their Interest, Now Get the Money Presentation
There will be at least two presentations you make to a Venture Capitalist. The first is the "elevator pitch" or rather the quick, get their attention and inter...
5 Mistakes Men Make On The First Date
The number one mistake made by men on the first date is trying to buy love. The first date is not a marriage proposal; it's merely an opportunity to measure com...
Weight Loss Surgery: What are the options?
If you are considering some sort of weight loss surgery, here is some information on the current options along with their advantages and disadvantages.
Pendleton Blankets- Whats Behind This Famous Functional Art
You've heard the name Pendleton. Here's what's behind the famous name.
Stop and Go Marketing
Stop and Go marketing and ENERGY go hand in hand. Stop and Go marketing says what it is. We go out to market for time periods and then we get busy with our wo...
Teens and Sleep
Sleep is nature's way of renewing and maintaining balance—physically,
emotionally, and spiritually. Teenagers need about 9.5 hours of sleep
each night. It is...
|
Print this page