Goldfish Bowl Gardening

Stuck for ideas about gardening indoors ?  Here’s a novel and innovative way to use items which may have long been retired from their original use, courtesy of Alan Titchmarsh.

Now it’s no longer done to keep fish in tiny spaces, goldfish bowls sometimes turn up at charity shops and second-hand stalls.

If you find one, snap it up because it’ll make a wonderful place for the sort of indoor plants that are difficult – if not impossible – to grow otherwise. Bottle garden plants are the natural choice; you’ll find moisture-loving species such as small ferns, pilea, polka dot plant and cryptanthus sold in tiny pots in the ‘tots’ section of the houseplant area in a garden centre.

Just put a handful of multipurpose compost in the bottom and a few pieces of charcoal to keep it ‘sweet’, then landscape it tastefully with a contrasting selection of plants plus some pretty pebbles or a bit of driftwood for decoration. Or go one better and grow club moss – also know as selaginella.

This frothy, mossy plant has very ancient origins; it evolved before flowering plants, at the same time as ferns and horsetails, so it’s a small descendant of the giant plants that helped lay down the coal seams, and predates dinosaurs by roughly 100 million years. (How’s that for living history on your windowsill?) But if you want to go really exotic, head for an aquarium specialist and look for tropical underwater plants.

There are various elegant ferny-leaved species available, but the jewel in the crown is the Madagascan lace plant – not easy to find, but amazing to look at. It makes a neat rosette of large elongated-oval leaves but what’s amazing about them is they consist entirely of ribs and cross-hairs.

The whole plant looks as if it’s been hand-made from the most delicate lace. And a goldfish bowl full of water is the perfect place to grow it and show it off. If you can’t find a real goldfish bowl, florists’ shops stock glass vases in similar shapes and sizes, or you could use a small fish tank, a glass fruit bowl or a large Kilner jar. Whichever you choose, and whatever you grow in it, stand the finished result in a bright spot that’s out of direct sun. It’s a great novelty.

Article courtsey of www.alantitchmarsh.com

TOP TIP :

Planted up as above or with added cut flowers, this makes a wonderful decorative table centrepiece.  It would also make a fabulously creative unique gift for someone, so plan ahead and if you have a birthday or celebration coming up for someone special, start now and ensure your offering has the WOW factor!

For home decoration, position fairly lights behind the glass to illuminate the planting, then sit back and admire your creativity!