Dish gardens: plant one for a friend—or treat yourself

Sunset, Dec, 2002 by Ann E. Ellingson

Even if you don't have a patch of ground, you can quickly create an indoor dish garden to brighten your home or give as a living gift. Small specimens of cactus and succulents are ideal for these tabletop gardens, and many plants can coexist happily in the same container.

Part of the fun in designing a miniature garden is choosing among myriad plants, pots, and textured mulches. Cactus and succulents have shallow roots and don't need deep containers. We used rectangular ceramic pots 3 inches deep, 6 1/2 to 8 inches wide, and 9 to 11 inches long. One dish takes about 20 minutes. Cost starts at about $20.

Make it yourself

MATERIALS

* Container with drainage hole

* Potting mix for cactus

* Gloves

* Assorted cactus and succulents

* Small trowel

* Mulch (decomposed granite, gravel, or coarse sand)

DIRECTIONS

1. Partially cover the hole in bottom of pot with a pottery shard to prevent soil from spilling out. Fill the container with potting mix to 1/2 inch below the rim.

2. Wearing gloves to protect against spines, arrange potted plants on the soil until you like the design. Place shorter or trailing plants around the perimeter of the container.

With a small trowel or your lingers, scoop out planting holes as deep as rootballs, then slip plants out of their nursery pots and set them in the holes. Gently tamp the soil around the base of each plant.

3. Spread mulch evenly over the soil surface. Water thoroughly but infrequently, letting the soil dry out between waterings.

Good choices for dish gardens

Look for specimens of the cactus and succulents listed below in 2-inch pots at garden centers and nurseries. Determine where the dish garden will be displayed, then choose plants suited to the light conditions in that location. Containers situated near windows should be placed several inches away from the glass to avoid foliage burn.

CACTUS

Bright light

* Echinopsis

* Hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus)

* Parodia

* Any with a lot of wool or hair

Low light

* Chin cactus (Gymnocalycium)

* Wickerware cactus (Rhipsalis)

* Any with a lot of skin showing

SUCCULENTS

Bright light

* Aeonium

* Agave

* Aichryson

* Aloe

* Crassula

* Echeveria

* Sedum

* Sempervivum

Low light

* Haworthia

Poinsettias with fresh looks

Although red poinsettias are still big sellers (70 percent of the market), varieties in other colors and patterns are gaining in popularity. Soft colors such as pale coral and salmon give people more decorating options, says Lauric Scullin of premier poinsettia grower Paul Ecke Ranch in Encinitas, California. Here's a sampling

Lauren Bonar Swezey

Colorful poinsettias in stores now

'Marblestar'. Clearly defined salmon and white markings on the bracts (modified leaves that look like flower petals) make this variety, pictured at left, one of the best of the "marble" types.

'Strawberries and Cream'. A reversed pink and white bicolor (dark pink on the outside and cream in the center) with unique oak leaf-shaped leaves. (Supply is limited this year.)

'Plum Pudding'. The first true purple poinsettia. Its unique color attracted attention last year, when it was first introduced in small numbers; this year 'Plum Pudding' is widely available. Display it on its own in a decorative pot, or pair it with a pink or white poinsettia.

'Winter Rose Red'. Incurved red bracts give this variety the look of an old-fashioned rose. A similar variety now comes in pink.

Big trees in small packages

Now you can send somebody the world's biggest tree--Sequoiadendron giganteum--in the mail for only $25, including shipping. The giant sequoia is just one of the trees sold as 1- to 2-foot-tall seedlings by an Oregon nursery. The nursery offers other conifers, including Colorado blue spruce, deodar cedar, Douglas fir, and coast redwood. The gift-boxed trees come in 3-inch pots with a card and planting instructions.

Most of these conifers grow to be quite large. If space is an issue, choose another favorite whose ultimate size will be more manageable.

Order from New Growth: www.newgrowth.com or (800) 605-7457

Jim McCausland

Garden shoes

Every gardener needs waterproof shoes. Two types are available: clogs (open-heeled) and slip-ons. Shoes come in men's and women's sizes unless noted.

CLOGS

Best for quick trips outdoors, not for heavy yard work. Open heel is good for aeration, but dirt can enter here. All brands can be hosed off after removing insoles, which (except for Birkenstock's) are washable.

Pictured: Anywears (A) are made from polyurethane, with 1/2-inch-thick cushioned insole and wide toe box. About $42.

Everywears (B) are more streamlined, accommodate higher arches. Women's sizes only. About $45. Anywear Shoe Company; www.anywears.com or (888) 425-0077.

Other choices:

* Outdoor Clog, from Baffin. Flexible rubber with 1/8-inch-thick insole, slip-resistant outsole. About $20. www.baffin.com or (888) 223-3467.

* Premium Garden Clog, from Sloggers. Flexible polyvinylchloride with 1/4-inch-thick cushioned insole. Women's sizes only. About $25. www.sloggers.com or (877) 750-4437.

* Super Birki Clog, from Birkenstock. Polyurethane with a removable cork-and-latex insert. About $60. www.birkenstock.com or (800) 761-1404.