Indoor water garden

Before proceeding with this tutorial, I’m listing some facts and information regarding this types of plants that I found to be interesting. Keep in mind, all this info was taken from the internet and it DOES NOT make me a professional on this matter:

– Because these plants are invasive, never throw them into rivers or any other natural water deposit.
– Commercial potting mixes are not recommended for these plants. Try heavy clay loam soils.
– Don’t use tap water directly. Prepare it with some kind of water conditioner available at aquarium stores.
For more great tips on water plants visit the Brooklyn Botanic Garden website.

So now for the tutorial, all you’ll need for this project are: water plant, gravel, coal, pre-moist soil and two plant containers (one for the plant and the other for the water).

Before I planted my water lily, I started by cleaning the plant, removing any dead root or leaf and setting it aside. After this, I placed a couple of coal pieces on the bottom of my plant vase so it will help keep the water clean for a longer time acting as a filter. Then, in comes the pre-moist soil and the plant. Because I bought this water lily at a nearby nursery, I used the same soil it came in. This part of the process is almost the same as replanting any plant on a new pot. After I firmly pressed down the soil, I then put the gravel (also from an aquarium) on top of the soil. These will help keep the plant down.

When this part of the garden was all set, all I needed to do is to place the cylindrical white section inside the vase containing the prepared water. I did so slowly to prevent water from overflowing. Though I’m in love with my new indoor water garden I should note that a smaller plant or a bigger water container would have been a better choice. Also, a closed vase for the plant instead of the white one used here, since on this one some soil came out from the little apertures making the water cloudy at the beginning. Besides these small issues, a water garden is a good choice to bring some green indoors with a different approach on gardening.

How do you bring nature inside your home? Do you prefer regular plants or do you have a unique approach to indoor gardens? Let me know about it.