Mossy Gardens Part 2

For Part 1 go here.

Materials:
You'll have enough to make several good sized terrariums. Why not make some for Christmas gifts?

Activated Carbon ($5)
Keeps your Garden clean and stink free. Can be found in any aquarium section of a pet store. One bottle will treat lots of terrariums.

Dirt ($4)
Use some nice potting soil so you know its free of disease and bugs (Free if you've got some lying around)



Small rocks/gravel or sand ($3)
Keeps your carbon from going to the bottom of your jar.



Covered Jars (less than $2/piece at thrift store)
Covered is key here, less maintenance and makes your garden virtually kill proof.



Moss (free)
Take a nice walk with your family to a local park and watch the ground as you walk. You'll be surprised at the different varieties, textures, and colors you can find! Bring a ziploc baggie with you to transport the moss home. Be careful of not taking too much moss form any one place, we don't want to mess up nature's beauty!



Bigger Rocks
Pick these up on your walk too, or if you have some of these glass gems lying around, feel free to use those!



Spray Bottle
For watering. I bought one of those little travel size spray bottles (like for hair spray) for about $0.50 and keep it next to my mossy garden. If you are giving your gardens away, it's nice to include a spray bottle as well.

So how do we put it all together? First wash your jars in hot soapy water. Then layer your ingredients in this order:

• A thin layer of larger rocks, enough to cover the bottom
• An even thinner layer of gravel/small rocks or sand. Just enough to fill in the large crevices of your previous layer. This is to keep your dirt and carbon from falling to the bottom of the jar, and for drainage
• A small handful of carbon (it does not need to cover the previous layer)
• Add a nice even layer of potting soil. You can create "hills" by adding more soil up against a wall of the jar
• Now gently tear pieces of moss to your desired size and place on top of the soil. Add interest by mixing up the different kinds of moss.
• For the first watering I like to use a cup to gently pour water into the terrarium and make sure everything gets watered. A little water goes a long way.
• Cover your jar and you are done!
• Water with your sprayer once every 2 weeks or so. Just a couple of misting sprays is all it takes!

This is my favorite jar ever! $1.75 at the thrift store and it is mushroom shaped! Perfect for a Mossy Garden!


Look at all the different textures!

DIY Christmas Tree preservative

Every year we try to get a real Christmas tree. Nothing brings holiday warmth like the scent of a fresh Christmas tree. But how do you keep it looking fresh and beautiful? Well most places that sell Christmas Trees will also sell commercially packaged Christmas tree food. If you are like me, you will always forget to pick some up!

I decided that there must be a way to make your own at home. After a quick search on the internet I came across dozens of recipes. I was weary of trying out some recipes that call for mixing vinegar, lemon, and bleach - can you say toxic fumes?

Cut trees need a couple of basics:

• Water
• A food source
• An acidifier - reduces the pH of the water
  
• A disinfectant - prevents the growth of algae and bacteria
  

So after reading a couple of different recipes I decided on my own mix:

• 1 quart (4 cups) warm water
  
• 1/2 - 1 cup light corn syrup - acts as food
  
• 1 tsp bleach - acts as disinfectant
  
• 1 penny - acts as acidifier

Mix all ingredients in a container that will not be used for human consumption (empty milk gallon) and label it: Tree Food - Do Not Eat. Leave the penny in the bottle and reuse it when you need to make more.

Use this recipe to refill your tree as needed. It helps to water the tree with warm water/preservative.