Hydroponic Radishes - my first experience with growing radishes in hydroponic system

My first hydroponic radish experiment. There is no soil in there, only LECA pebbles to support the plants and hydroponic solution to provide nutrients and water. The radishes are 5 weeks old and there are several of them ready to be harvested. As it is winter here and we have almost no sun I used LED lamps.

DIY Crystal Succulent garden - beautiful tabletop centerpiece

I love all kind of plants both indoors and outdoors, especially Succulents. I have a lot of different Succulent species at home and from time to time I like to make different home decor arrangements or Succulent gardens as they are called. Last week I decide to combine two of my passions Crystals and Succulents and show it here. So here it is, my miniature Crystal Succulent garden :)

If you wish to know how to make your own Succulent garden see my previous tutorial post with DIY instruction!

Eventually these little cuties will grow, divide, produce babies and they will need to be re-potted into a bigger bowl so they can look like this :)

   More of my DIY projects

DIY Succulent gardens - how to instructions tabletop centerpiece

I love plants and I love succulents especially! Their shapes, colors and unusual looks always make me happy and amazed at the same time. I’ve already tried making succulent mini gardens before so when a couple of days ago I found amazing vintage bowls/vases at the local thrift shop I just had to do something about them :)

So here is a DIY instruction on how to make your own pretty succulent garden.

Supplies: bowl/vase/planter of your choice, succulents, cactus/succulent potting soil, decorative stones and pebbles, charcoal.

The pretty vintage bowls that I bought and some of the plants and cuttings that I've had at home...

Step 1: First, add a layer of pebbles to the bottom of your container. This will ensure that water drains to the bottom of the container and that the roots of your plants aren't sitting in water. If you have planters with drainage holes you can skip this step. Add a layer of charcoal (black sprinkles on the picture) above the pebbles to battle any possible smell issues.

Step 2: Fill the planter with potting soil up to an inch or two below the top of the planter. Plant succulents in planters. You can mix multiple types of succulents in each planter or use all the same. Arrange them any way you'd like.

Step 3: If there are spaces where the soil shows you can cover the exposed soil with flat rocks, pebbles, aquarium gravels, moss or other pretty greeneries.

... and here are my finished pretties :)

 

I loved how they turned out! So I made another one as a centerpiece for my mom (white oval bowl that used to be a nursery for my young succulents on second pic).

Some of the succulents and cacti that I've used in my arrengments: Sempervivum, Echeveria Lola, Echeveria Pulidonis, Haworthia Fasciata, Crassula Radicans, Crassula Ovata C. portulacea, Gollum Jade, Crassula perforata, Sansevieria cylindrica, Kalanchoe, Crassula rupestris, Adromischus cooperi Crassulaceae, etc...

I'm planning on making a Plant Terrarium next time, so stay tuned :)

More of my DIY projects

Acorns and Oak leaf handmade necklace. Pearls Citrines asymmetric wire wrapped in sterling silver pendant. Nature inspired jewelry by Arctida

As some of you may know, I’m a molecular biologist, meaning that I’ve studied a lot of so called *green* biology (flora and fauna studies). And even thought I work in the lab I love anything to do with nature which is also my biggest inspiration source for all of my Art. So here is my latest nature-inspired piece - Acorns and Oak leaf handforged necklace made of Citrines, Pearls and oxidized Sterling Siver.

 
While browsing thru other types of handmade acorns I found this very cool tutorial on how to make felted wool acorns by Tonya Utkina. Aren’t they simply adorable :)


Oh and did you know that acorns and oak tree are sacred in many cultures and has long been seen as a symbol of strength and power. Because the acorn only appears on a fully mature oak, it is often considered a symbol of the patience needed to attain goals over long periods of time. It represents perseverance and hard work.