Martha Stewart Living, June 1995
Potted plants add a lush swatch of green to a room, but the soil they grow in has never done much for any decor. A layer of small, round pebbles arranged over the soil's surface looks as neat and tidy as a Japanese garden and helps keep the ground beneath it moist and shady, which is just the way most houseplants like it. Bags of small black or white river pebbles can be bought from plant or garden stores and arranged in concentric circles in your pots.
i love this idea i had a plant but every day i had to water it because it was always in the sun i tried this and now i can go some were or spend the night at a friends without haveing to worry about going haome and watering it
I used this trick for my potted herbs outside. I discovered this also keeps squirrels and birds from digging in the pots!
I like the look and smell of small cocoa shells on top of plants. Brown and not too messy; huge bags at the garden stores can also then be used outside on your gardens too!
I like the look and smell of small cocoa shells on top of plants. Brown and not too messy; huge bags at the garden stores can also then be used outside on your gardens too!
It' looks a whole lot better than just dirt or potting soil, along with the fact that adding stones acts like a mulch, holding more moisture than if it had nothing.
I like the pattern going around. I have used seashells and colored glass pebbles on my house plants to jazz them up a bit.
great idea.
Can I use colored glass beads instead of pebbles?
Can I use colored glass beads instead of pebbles?
Can I use colored glass beads instead of pebbles?
Colored glass pebbles are also available from Big Lots. I used the green ones over a blooming amaryllis pot which I brought inside to enjoy on the dining room table..Looks great,clean and neat instead of looking at dirt!
I love this idea!
I love this idea!
THis is a great idea for dressing up my pots and keeping the soil moist.
Thanks Martha.
lezah
How simple but effective. I love it!
Great idea! Thank s for sharing this with us. I would like more information about ferns. Is there one kind that is easier to grow than others, or are they all about the same?
Oh and Martha you need to share more about the things you make yourself at home. Like Goat Milk Cheese .and butter. You are keeping valuable information from us. Not fair. lol
sorry about that folks...didn't realize i hit submit that many times!
I like this idea. I'm going to do it to all my house plants.
i think that this looks phenomenal!! i am wondering if pet supply stores would have the smaller size pebbles for aquariums?? would shellac-ing dried black beans be a good way to get that small uniform size? is there an environmentally-friendly product that would protect the dried beans from absorbing the moisture from the soil while not harming the plant??
i think that this looks phenomenal!! i am wondering if pet supply stores would have the smaller size pebbles for aquariums?? would shellac-ing dried black beans be a good way to get that small uniform size? is there an environmentally-friendly product that would protect the dried beans from absorbing the moisture from the soil while not harming the plant??
i think that this looks phenomenal!! i am wondering if pet supply stores would have the smaller size pebbles for aquariums?? would shellac-ing dried black beans be a good way to get that small uniform size? is there an environmentally-friendly product that would protect the dried beans from absorbing the moisture from the soil while not harming the plant??
i think that this looks phenomenal!! i am wondering if pet supply stores would have the smaller size pebbles for aquariums?? would shellac-ing dried black beans be a good way to get that small uniform size? is there an environmentally-friendly product that would protect the dried beans from absorbing the moisture from the soil while not harming the plant??
The shiny pebbles are also available at Michael's and some other craft stores. I have been doing this for a long time but I haven't arranged the pebbles in a circular pattern. I like this idea.
I love the way this looks...I wonder how hard it would be to find smaller sized pebbles...most of the packages of river stones that I have bought would be too large to do this in a regular sized house flower pot. Are these pots on the large size, and just look like medium ones in the pics?
cutout a circle of weed block material
I think this would also deter the cat who likes to paw in the dirt and do it's duty.. if you know what I mean. LOL
Joan
I like the look and I wonder if it would help retain some moisture? This goes on my list for the weekend. Thanks.
Oooo! I ike this. It will be perfect for my amarilys plants.
Has anyone tried this sort of top layer for orchid plants?