Gardening in a Bottle
A cool way to garden is gardening in a bottle, as a child growing up, I would often see plants such as pothos vines growing in bottles of water. I would be fascinated with this as I watch the roots lay still in the water to me this was pretty interesting because I was always accustomed to plants being grown in the soil.
Growing plants from a bottle with water only is not new but has been around for some time as I mentioned earlier this was something that fascinated me as a child. These gardens have become popular as many plant species are now being used.
Growing plants in a bottle indoors or starting a water garden of this sort is a good way to connect with nature by bringing nature the inside. These gardens can be used for beauty or to provide food giving those favorite dishes that much-needed flavor. Below are other benefits of having an indoor water garden.
The benefits of gardening in a water bottle garden
Here are a few benefits of growing plants from a bottle
- Growing plants from a bottle does not take up much space
- You can save $$$$$ because there is no need to purchase garden soils
- No need to clean up debris which can be time-consuming and you get to save $$$$$ because there is no need to hire anyone to do the job for you
- Because these gardens are small the insect pest issues are little to none
- No need to purchase soil amendments because with this type of garden plants are grown in water
- These plants are protected from the elements such as winter frost and other adverse conditions because they are grown indoors.
- These gardens are protected from wildlife feeding on them because they are grown indoors
- Because your plants are growing in water only no need to worry about plants being stressed because of a lack of water
I believe these are more than enough reasons to consider investing in a water garden what do you think?
A unique water garden
Here’s a great idea of a water garden that can be so much fun both for kids and adults. It’s a water garden that I have seen in many plant nurseries or garden centers. But before we touch on this what I want to say here is my former co-worker got a kick out of making these types of gardens which was pretty amazing.
Several persons from different departments would ask her to construct these water gardens for them which she took great delight in doing and I was pretty impressed with the job she was doing. So let’s have a look at how this is done before we move on to growing herbs from a water garden.
What you will need for your water garden
- A tall glass container like a vase, bowl, or cylindrical which can fit on your desk or table
- River Rocks or Pebbles
- Aquatic Plants such as a water lettuce
- Betta Fish or Ceramic Fish
- Water that doesn’t have chlorine or is filtered
Steps to take
1. Ensure that the glass container is clean, the use of soap and water will accomplish this.
2. Rinse the container thoroughly.
3. Add a layer of pebbles or river rocks.
4. Next, add the water, fill the container, and be careful not to overfill it.
5. Let the water stand for 2-3 minutes to allow for settling of the pebbles if they start to float.
6. Next, add your betta or ceramic fish.
7. Lastly, add your water lettuce.
Maintenance of your water garden
- Place your water garden in an area that gets bright indirect light
- At times you will have to add or top of the water as it evaporates
- If the water gets a bit cloudy or murky then change it
Note: Some people use ceramic fish instead of real fish because it said that” your water plant will remove or limit the amount of oxygen that your fish needs in order to survive”.
Growing herbs in a water garden
Growing herbs indoors in a water garden is a great idea in starting an indoor garden. Herbs are some of nature’s wonders that can benefit our bodies in so many ways. Herbs can be used to season food giving that WOW or to make delicious teas that can help to promote your health.
Here is a list of herbs that can be grown in an indoor water bottle garden.
- Basil
- Thyme
- Oregano
- Peppermint
- Sage
- Rosemary
- Stevia
- lemon balm
Steps to take
To have success with these gardens it is good not to use clear glass because clear glass along with the sun’s rays causes the water to get murky, causing algae to form it is best to use glass that is opaque or colored. If the clear glass is all that you have then cover the side that will be exposed to the sun’s rays with a dark piece of paper.
Water
It is best to use tap, spring, or rainwater. Distilled water will remove essential elements that are important for plant life.
Herb Plants
If you are growing herbs outdoors then it is as simple as going in your herb garden and getting a few clippings or purchasing them from a grocery store. Clip the herbs stem about 6 inches long, measure about 4 inches from the bottom of the stem, and remove the leaves. When it comes to using herbs that were brought from the supermarket cut off the bottom part of the stem.
The new or fresh cut is important so that your stem will have an easier time taking up water. The bottom of the herb stems whether harvested from your outdoor garden or purchased from the supermarket should be removed because this method will allow your stem cuttings to absorb water and produce roots.
Place your water bottle garden in an area that gets anywhere from 5-6 hours of sunlight. Remember if you are using a clear glass cover the side that is facing the sun with a piece of dark paper.
Harvest Time
As your leaves mature or once they get to full size harvest them. This will encourage your stems to produce more leaves.
The final word
There you have it, your very own water garden in a bottle. This is a great way to not only grow herbs from your garden but also to start them indoors, this method has caught like wildfire. Give these water gardens a try, whether for beauty and entertainment or to increase your food production to save a few $$$$$ these water gardens are worth the investment.
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About the author
Norman loves being in the garden, both at home and for his job....
he is 'Natures Little helper' being outdoors, growing his vegetables and flowers from an early age.
Now having spent over 22 years in the profession he want to give some of his knowledge to others...
his vast array of hints and tips you will find scattered over this site will help you no end growing plants in your garden.
I love the idea. I love plants but unfortunately I live in an apartemnt and do not have a garden. The desire for a garden has alsways been one of my dreams and now that you gave me this briliant idea I mght not have to wait for a real garden but i can start my own little indoor green area just following your advice thank you so much
Hello, Barbara, it is so good to meet you. What makes these gardens so amazing is no matter the space you can have success with these type gardens. So happy that I could help have a good day.
Sounds great! I once dated a girl that grew herbs successfully in bottles and I could never figure it out since we parted. But I picked up on something. I have been using clear bottles. DUHHH I know to keep my beer in brown bottles why not my plants LOL
LOL so happy to see you. These gardens are pretty amazing. So glad that I could help.
Great post, Norman. Though I’m an IT Professional, however, I have interests in everything that is agriculture. I have a small garden where I planted tomato last year. I watched some videos last year on Hydrophobic and was fascinated with what I saw. I agree with you on the numerous benefits of planting inside water. However, I have a concern about this, if one is using a plastic container, do you have to perforate the container to allow for fresh air?
With these type of gardens, it is best to use glass bottles as stated in my post because of the benefits that these bottles offer. Just reread my post again and follow as directed. Hope this helps. All the best to you and have a good day.
I absolutely love this insightful article because it is full of great information. This is fascinating and interesting to me.indoor water garden is a nice garden go have with proper monitoring ,it’s can be much fun for kids and adult. This article explain it’s maintainace, what to use for the garden and how to set it up.with this garden it will increase food production and helps to save more money. .thanks for the review, it’s very informative. Best regards
I believe that everyone should have these gardens to reap the many benefits they offer so glad that you found my post helpful.
This information just gave me a great relieve. This is because have been nursing the idea of having a water gardens for awhile now but I couldn’t considering the space ,the time and the cost of having one.This information I got here just gave me the best way out and I am sure taken this method of getting my on water bottle gardens
With these gardens, you don’t need much space and these gardens are so beneficial. Now you can start your indoor water garden and enjoy the many benefits. Please let me know how it goes. All the best to you and have a good day.
Gardening in a bottle is very good and I have found so much benefits to it. When I garden in a bottle, I will not have to worry about weeds since its water gardening. Secondly this type of gardening helps to save a money. You are not going to worry about insecticides so much because the garden is right by your house.
The next is that I will not buy some things since I already have them in the garden. This will help to save money more.
Indoor gardens have so many benefits and I think that we should take advantage of these gardens so I encourage you to give these gardens a try. You will be happy that you did.
This is such a fun idea!
Those of us living in apartments with no backyard and smaller living spaces could really benefit from the water garden idea. It would be like bringing the outdoors inside!
My husband loves to cook with fresh herbs but we have never heard of growing them in a water garden! You have now inspired us to try this.
Thank you for an interesting article on something that we had never even thought of before.
Love it!
Best wishes,
Colette