The idea for string gardens (which can be translated as "string gardens") came to Europe from Japan. Kokedama ("moss ball") is a Japanese method of growing plants without containers, in a ball made of soil and usually surrounded by moss, for ornamentation and easier water retention around the roots.Japanese plant balls are usually kept on decorative stands, for some time it has also been popular to cultivate them in a hanging form as an interesting decoration of a flat or garden.
Hanging green balls were popularized by Dutch artist Fedor Van der Valk. His spectacular works include exotic plants, e.g.anthurium, philodendrons or orchids, flowering lilies or tulips, and even small seedlings of pomegranate, pear, apple, olive and chestnut trees.
These unusual decorations can be admired in cafes, offices and green installations in public spaces. The balls will work well in small spaces where there is not much space to grow plants in a traditional form. The Hanging Gardens are conquering the whole world!Also in Poland, you can find workshops where participants learn the technique of string gardens.If there are no such activities in our area, you can also make the crutches yourself. In home cultivation, it is best to start with small plants.
If you hang the balls in your home, remember that after watering, some water may drip from them, so you should carefully choose a place where they will not disturb or damage your home appliances.The balls can also be hung on the balcony or in the garden, for example under the treetops or under the roof edge in a gazebo.
The life span of plants grown in this form may be similar to plants grown in pots, provided, however, that they are suitable for light conditions and we do not neglect their care. The balls should be watered regularly, remove dry leaves and faded flowers.If the plant has grown a lot, we can remove the moss and string and increase the amount of substrate surrounding the roots.
Water the hanging green gardens by immersing them in a vessel of water for about 15 minutes. After such a bath, it is necessary to put the ball aside for a while so that the excess water drains off.From time to time, we can also add some fertilizer to the water to provide the plant with the most important nutrients.The hanging gardens can be additionally sprinkled with water from the sprinkler to moisten the quick-drying moss.
String gardens step by step
Necessary materials: plants, flower bed, string, moss, water.
1.Take the plant out of the pot and gently remove most of the substrate, taking care not to damage the roots.
2. We cover the plant with the prepared substrate and shape it into a ball, putting pressure on it. While making the balls, gently sprinkle them with water to make them easier to shape.
3. We carefully wrap the ball with a sheet of moss.Cut a sufficiently long piece of string and carefully tie it around the ball so that the moss sticks to it tightly.We leave one or two ends of the string for hanging the ball. Before that, however, we water the ball by immersing it in a vessel with water.
Which plants should I choose for a kokedama?
For string gardens, it is best to choose plants that do not shed leaves for the period of dormancy, look attractive all year round, have a not very expansive root system and relatively low cultivation requirements.Balls made of succulents, hanging plants or plants with an interesting habit look impressive. If we wrap our ball with moss, choose a shade-tolerant plant and place it in a place that is not very sunny - due to the moss requirements. Shade-loving plants that are perfect for such cultivation include ivy and ferns.
