One of my favorite articles from the winter 2012 Lowe's Creative Ideas for Home and Garden magazine was Tabletop Gardens. (You can sign up here for the magazine, it's free!) The tabletop saucer garden was my inspiration for this month's Copycat Challenge at Debbiedoo's and Marty's Spring Cloche Party.
The supply list for this project is: 2 pendant light cones, a 16" terra-cotta saucer, tiny plants, river rock, seashells, and coral. Easy enough! But y'all know I wasn't ever really going to run over to Lowe's and just buy all of this, right? The Horror. That would just be No Fun At All. No, we're going to thrift for it! Dig plants out of the yard! Search the attic for what we already have! Now that's what I call Fun.
First stop, Goodwill. They always have random, odd assorted glass globes (or pendant light cones, as specified in the Lowe's article). For $2.99 each!
Next stop, the back yard, for a cutting of ajuga, and some lamb's ear.
From there I dug through my floral stash for some river rock and pea gravel, leftover from a project last year. I also found some reindeer moss, shells, and tiny pine cones. Finding a clay saucer had me stumped though, until I realized that it didn't make sense to use that anyway. For this to be sitting on my kitchen table or coffee table, I needed something more waterproof as a base. I substituted a glass tray that we already owned.
This was so fun to put together. I laid a layer of pea gravel, then started playing around with the placement of my plants.
The easiest way to secure the tiny plants was in peat pots, which I tore in half to reduce the height.
Sprigs of the newly rooted ivy went into each of the globes, and the lamb's ear and ajuga were nestled into the tray. I love the variation of texture in each little plant.
Another layer of pea gravel went in, along with some river rock, the tiny pine cones, and some glittered shells. I made sure to camouflage the peat pots with the larger rocks and some moss.
It would be nice to have one of these in every room, made in different types of containers. I have been trying to add more live plants to our home, due to their ability to clean pollutants and toxins from the air. I'll probably just water this with a spray bottle, and be sure to set it outside (or in an east-facing window) once or twice a week to get some sunlight.
Total cost, $6 for the two globes :) I hope you'll try a tabletop garden of your own!
You'll find this and so many more ideas at
Debbiedoo's Copycat Challenge
Roeshel's DIY Project Parade at DIY Showoff
Stephanie's Sunday Showcase at Under the Table and Dreaming
Tisha's Show and Tell Monday at Delectable Home
Nita's Mod Mix Monday at Mod Vintage Life
Susan's Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Marty's Spring Cloche Party at A Stroll Thru Life
Beth's Tutorials and Tips at Home Stories A to Z
Donna's Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors
That was awesome. You did a great job Andrea. I bet it looks so pretty on a table too. Thanks for joining the copy cat party. Always fun to have you. Enjoy!
Posted by: debbie | March 11, 2012 at 06:15 PM
I love your tabletop garden. What a great idea to use the light globes. I have a couple of those. Didn't know what I was going to do with them. I think I will copycat your copycat!
Posted by: Barb | March 11, 2012 at 06:31 PM
This is awesome! I love your copy cat! Do you know how many of those light globes I have stored in a box? I would of never thought of doing something this beautiful! Great inspiration!
Posted by: MariaElena | March 11, 2012 at 07:12 PM
I love these tabletop gardens, and you certainly nailed this challenge with yours! I remember that article, and I think yours could have been in the magazine.
xo,
Ricki Jill
Posted by: Ricki Jill Treleaven | March 11, 2012 at 07:44 PM
I would love to copy your copy! I have been wanting a tabletop garden and what a great price! It's perfect!
Debbie
Posted by: Debbie refreshrestyle | March 11, 2012 at 09:32 PM
very nice. I have been obsessed with terrariums lately, and have been playing with tallandsia (I'll write about that this week) but this would be a cool way to show them off.
Posted by: Stevie (@Garden_Therapy) | March 11, 2012 at 09:54 PM
Wow, this is beautiful! I have some of those globes lying around right now from some old ceiling fans...I think I'll give this a try. Thanks for linking up @ the Delectable Home.
Posted by: Tisha @ Delectable Home | March 12, 2012 at 07:18 AM
I love your version! So clever! :) Thanks so much for sharing! ;)
Have a great week!
Posted by: Roeshel | March 12, 2012 at 08:37 AM
Beautiful! I've been toying with the idea of making one as well, and this has just given me the inspiration I needed!
Posted by: Liz Chaisson Thompson | March 12, 2012 at 12:05 PM
Very cute idea! Your copy is great!! Love using the globes!
Posted by: Jan @SouthernJunkin' | March 12, 2012 at 01:01 PM
Very clever and so pretty!
Posted by: Dee | March 12, 2012 at 04:14 PM
Just love this idea. I think you will inspire a whole lot more people to copycat your idea, too. :)
Posted by: Barb @ Grits and Glamour | March 12, 2012 at 05:38 PM
Stopping by from the Sunday Showcase Party. I love this! I have been a little obsessed with terrariums, but this is lovely. I'm going to make one with succulents I think. I like the glass over the terra cotta bottom anyway - I think it's prettier. Thanks for the idea!
Posted by: Gleeful | March 12, 2012 at 05:45 PM
FAbulous, A copy cat and a cloche too. This is so creative. I love it. Very pretty. Thanks so much for joining the party. Hugs, Marty
Posted by: Marty@A Stroll Thru Life | March 12, 2012 at 06:33 PM
That's beautiful, Andrea!
Posted by: Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions | March 13, 2012 at 05:37 PM
Wow! It's really quite lovely. I want to start making these.
Posted by: Mimi | March 16, 2012 at 03:10 PM