DIY Gifts From The Garden

WORDS:: CHYKA KEEBAUGH

PHOTOS:: LISA ATKINSON + NATALIE JEFfCOTT

So often we find ourselves a little stuck for the perfect gift, so this year I’m going green!

Flowers are one of the loves of my life and so is indoor plants. From gorgeous cascading ferns to a sweet display of succulents, I’m all for bring the outdoors in. With indoor plants being at the peak of their popularity right now, I thought I would share with you some fun DIY garden ideas that will make a fantastic gift.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED...

Terrarium (from Ikea $12 - such a bargain!)
An assortment of ferns from a local nursery, smaller the better so you can have a variety of heights in your enclosure. I used Fish Fern, Maidenhair and Montana.
Little landscaping rocks
Potting mix
Gloves
Hand shovel.

HOW TO...

Add a thin layer of soil at the bottom of terrarium. 'African Violet' I find is the best indoor potting mix.
Squeeze the plastic of the pots to loosen the roots and then start planting!
It’s important to keep looking at the terrarium from different angles to make sure you are getting the look you want. Step back - how is it looking? Is there enough height? Is it looking full? You want a lush mini forest so keep working at it until you are happy.
Your final step is to cover the roots with pebbles and add a little more texture. Pebbles also help maintain the moisture as well as looking neat.

Watering tip! All you need to do is wet the roots, don’t saturate the plants! You don’t want the roots waterlogged, so a once a week spray with some water is plenty.

I loved making this as a little girl and I think they are perfect gifts for little boys or girls who love to play with a whimsical fairy garden

. I would spend hours decorating and redecorating, talking to my fairy’s or little ladybugs and just losing myself in the fun of it all. This is a simple and cute DIY, that it can be designed with any little person in mind. Don’t be confined to fairies, gardens for trucks, cars, tiny animals, bugs and so forth are also great options to explore. When it comes to finding little bits and pieces to create your garden, $2 stores a goldmine! You can go overboard with accessorising, but that’s half of the fun.

DIY POSIE, STRAIGHT FROM THE GARDEN!

Wouldn’t a garden posie just be adorable, heartfelt and treasured? A little more than a rose in a tube of plastic. Which by the way, if you do give that as a gift to ANYONE - you should be ashamed! My style is a little rustic and eclectic so when I think about the perfect posie, I think of a combination of herbs, garden foliage and the odd flower. Small and delicate, yet funky and homemade. It’s a simple thing to do and I promise that your mum will love it.

MATERIALS:

Mint
Rosemary
Gardenias, or similar
A small flowering bloom, like daisy - you choose!
twine
garden scissors

METHOD:

Pick your feature flower; this will act as the centre of your posie. All you do is keep adding and deleting, adding and deleting a small bundle at a time until you are happy with the charming bouquet. Use less of the herbs and more of the floral to make it a little more traditional, or more herbs if you want to create a more rustic posie.
Once happy with your bouquet, truss it with your twine and you are done. Easy!

SUCCULENTS ARE SO EASY TO COME BY THESE DAYS - YOU CAN EVEN FIND THEM IN SUPERMARKETS. HERE IS A CUTE LITTLE DIY PROJECT FOR THE GARDEN LOVER, OR FOR THOSE WHO WANT SOME GREENERY BUT WITHOUT THE MAINTENANCE.

For the garden lover who has a little trouble keeping their plants alive, succulents certainly a great plant to play about with. What I love most is how easy they are to plant and replant, all you need to do is break off a stem and replant - could it be any easier than that? They work well indoors and out, and with this trend of having plants inside these days you really could not get a simpler decorating tip. This little DIY was pulled together with a variety of succulents, a simple concrete pot, soil & some imagination. There really is no method to it at all, just have some fun.

MAINTENANCE TIPS

In summer, your plants still need water. Once a week should do the trick. Soak the soil and only water when the soil has since dried out.
Provide a little shade, even if you move them around every few weeks. Every plant needs a breather from the sun.
Want to make two plants out of one? Break off a succulent stem, let it dry in the shade for a few days then replant. Simple!
An indoor succulent still needs at least 6hours of sunlight a day to thrive, so follow the sun but be careful, they can still get sunburnt indoors.
Make sure your pot has a drainage hole in the bottom, as tough as they are - they need to drain.
Give them room to grow, change pots if they are starting to look a little squashed.