A Wandering Botanist: More Plant Possibilities

Sunday, April 5, 2020

More Plant Possibilities

Last week I posted pictures of ambitious plant projects, like bonsai and topiary (link), that one could do while working from home or staying in. Here are some more:

Arrange flower pots in designs, butterfly above, numerals below (it was New Year's):

pots with red flowers arranged as numbers

Plant a couple of seeds in a bunch of cheap pots and have flowering plants to arrange in a mass in a month or so. Or help out your neighborhood plant store.

Then there are other decorating possibilities. If you have a cabinet or bookshelf that doesn't work well: fill it with plants

Hotel at Denver International Airport

I've tried this with a bookcase: don't put books (or anything else water might damage) below the plants. Adequate light is also required, my problem with filling the bottom shelves with plants.

Of course you can also do this outdoors. Climate is a consideration. If your climate is moist it works well. If it is dry, be careful to water or use succulents.

Another possibility is to trim your shrubs until they are smooth and symmetrical. The rounded shapes of these shrubs and small trees are almost certainly human-assisted

public garden in Japan

Or trim your roses into lollypops

rose bushes, northern California

Another project would be to create a fairy garden. Everyone loves miniatures.

They can be indoors, in pots. This one was at the Conservatory of the US Botanic Garden, Washington, D.C., one of several they had on display