By Dee Archibald
I first discovered these rustic Kokedama string gardens on Pinterest and fell in love with them straight away but I’ve seen them about in home decor stores lately and on the block so they are becoming quite on trend!
You will need:
- Clay-like soil (I used is the Bag Boys top soil available in all Palmers stores)
- Regular soil or use the remnants from the plants you choose
- 3 different textured plants or more if you want a whole lot of hanging plants (I chose a succulent and 2 fern-like plants from the indoor plant range)
- A whole roll of string or twine (you will need to use a lot)
- Some moss (any moss will do but it does use a lot more than you would think so buy a large bag) this is available at all Palmers stores.
Step 1
Take your plants out of their pots and gently remove most of the soil leaving enough on the roots to keep them together. I then added some sphagnum moss at the roots to keep the moisture in.
Step 2
Use a bucket and add 2 parts top soil to 1 part regular soil. Mix them together with a little water until it reaches the consistency of pizza dough. (this gets messy so you might want to wear gloves).
Step 3
Next, make a large ball with the mixture patting it in to shape. Break the ball in half and mould each half around the roots of your plant to form the ball again.
Step 4
Now it’s time to add the moss (you almost need an extra set of hands for this bit!) I found it easiest to do in sections wrapping the string around tightly as you go to hold everything together. Be sure to wrap the string horizontally, vertically and diagonally in between so that the moss is secure all over. Leave some string at both ends to tie together and hang.
Step 5
Choose a place to hang your Kokedama garden either free from a wall or create a living wall like I have on my bamboo room divider. If you chose outdoor plants you could hang them from a pretty tree!
Helpful hints!
These mossy hanging structures can be made for indoors or out so choose your plants accordingly. Most plants can be used but I think the spiky ones look best and best not to choose plants that are quite thirsty as giving them a lot of water can be tricky. To water these sit the bottoms of them in a bucket of water for a few minutes and then let them drip into the bucket afterwards. You can also spray them with a mister if they are a plant that doesn’t require much water.
Happy crafting! x