Living plants can become the artwork itself: shaped into a moss-covered kokedama, layered in glass, arranged in a shallow dish, or composed as a vertical or room-scale scene. These six approaches differ in humidity, watering, space, and setup; choose plants for the conditions of the display rather than treating the projects as interchangeable.
Choose a project that fits your space and plants
Before gathering materials, consider the light available, whether the display will be open or enclosed, how you will water it, and whether it needs to sit on a surface or hang vertically. Open and sealed terrariums create different humidity conditions. A wall composition also depends on wall orientation, local climate, and design intent. Start with the format that suits your conditions and the amount of care you can provide.
| Project | Display conditions and plant fit | Watering and practical considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Kokedama | A living plant supported by a moss-covered soil ball; choose a small-rooted or slow-growing plant and consider whether it will hang or sit. | Missouri Botanical Garden advises soaking until the ball feels heavy and soaking again when it feels light; its page says this is usually every couple of days. Treat that as its guidance, not a universal schedule. NParks notes that needs vary by plant species. |
| Open terrarium | A lidless container suits plants less able to adapt to humid conditions; NParks gives elephant bush and panda plant as examples. | Match light, growing medium, drainage, and watering to the selected plant and container. |
| Closed terrarium | A sealable glass container creates a humid display for compatible plants. | It still needs observation and care; the sources do not establish that closed terrariums never need watering. |
| Framed living-wall composition | A vertical planting arrangement; plant selection depends on wall orientation, climate, and design intent. | Plan the growing medium and watering approach. Mounting and waterproofing details depend on the specific installation and are not specified here. |
| Dish garden | A shallow dish or container arranged as a small indoor landscape. | Choose plants with compatible light and water needs; NParks presents dish gardens as one way to make an indoor garden more interesting. |
| Grouped indoor plant landscape | A scene made from several potted plants, using differences in height, leaf shape, and placement. | It is an adaptable display, but each plant still has its own care requirements. NParks recommends beginning with one indoor-garden type before progressing to more complex arrangements and an indoor landscape. |
1. Make a kokedama moss ball
Kokedama is a plant growing in a ball of soil wrapped with moss and secured with string or monofilament line. The moss and tie are functional parts of the support, not merely decoration. Missouri Botanical Garden recommends a small-rooted or slow-growing plant.
Gather the materials
- A small plant suited to the place where you plan to display it
- Potting soil and peat moss
- Sphagnum sheet moss
- Waxed string or fishing line
- A bowl, scissors, and gloves
These materials follow the Missouri Botanical Garden’s kokedama guidance; Illinois Extension also lists lightweight potting mix or peat moss, akadama or bonsai soil, moss, string, scissors, and water. Select materials appropriate to the plant rather than assuming one mix suits every species.
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Form and care for the ball
Moisten and shape the soil mixture around the plant’s roots, cover the ball with sheet moss, and secure it with string or line. The exact balance of ingredients and the way the finished kokedama is displayed can vary. For watering, Missouri Botanical Garden’s practical cue is weight: soak the ball until it feels heavy, then soak it again when it feels light. The garden says this is usually every couple of days, while NParks emphasizes that water needs depend on the plant species.
2. Build an open terrarium
An open terrarium has no lid, so it does not create the same enclosed, humid conditions as a sealed vessel. NParks identifies elephant bush and panda plant as examples of plants suited to an open terrarium because they are less able to adapt to humid conditions.
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Choose a clear, open container and plants that suit its light and airflow. The Royal Horticultural Society recommends bright, indirect light and an appropriate growing medium and drainage. Its guidance discusses peat-free multi-purpose compost and a drainage material such as horticultural grit; match the materials to the chosen plants and vessel. Water according to the species and the container rather than using a single schedule for every open terrarium.
3. Create a closed terrarium
A sealable glass container makes a humid display for plants compatible with those conditions. NParks describes sealable terrariums as one form of terrarium, and the RHS discusses terrarium growing conditions and materials. The important design decision is plant compatibility: do not put a plant into an enclosed, humid setting simply because it fits visually.
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Use a suitable growing medium and drainage materials, then place the terrarium in bright, indirect light as recommended by the RHS. Keep an eye on the plants and the conditions inside the vessel. A closed terrarium is not automatically care-free, and there is no universally correct watering interval established for every container and planting.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.4. Compose framed living-wall artwork
A framed living wall turns planting into a vertical composition. Longwood Gardens has offered a class called “Creating Living Wall Art,” an example of an institution teaching framed arrangements with living plants; that listing is not evidence of a currently available class. For a small DIY piece, think of the frame as a planting format, not a substitute for planning how plants will receive water and remain suited to their setting.
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Choose plants and growing method for the site
LiveWall says green-wall plant selection depends on wall orientation, climate, and design intent. Its planting guidance discusses soil and planter methods. Ask, “How do I select green wall plants?” by starting with the light and conditions at the intended location, then choosing plants and a growing method that fit them. A modular vertical planter is one possible approach, but a small framed project may not require a full system.
Plan care before hanging the composition
Watering and growing medium affect the setup, and a vertical display needs a workable way to deliver water to the plants. The available guidance does not establish a universal mounting, load-bearing, or waterproofing specification. Those details must be determined for the particular frame, wall, and installation rather than guessed from a planting concept.
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5. Arrange a dish garden
A dish garden uses a shallow dish or container to make a compact indoor landscape. NParks suggests dish gardens as a way to make an indoor garden more interesting, but its guidance does not provide a complete planting recipe.
Use the container as a design boundary: vary plant height and leaf shape, while grouping plants that can share the same light and water conditions. Choose the vessel and planting approach for the plants you actually intend to grow. The arrangement is decorative, but compatible care needs are what make it practical.
6. Build a grouped indoor plant landscape
A grouped indoor plant landscape is a living scene made from separate potted plants. Arrange them by height, leaf shape, and position: a taller plant can give the grouping a focal point, while lower or broader foliage can fill the foreground. Moving individual pots makes it possible to adjust the composition without replanting them together.
NParks recommends starting with one type of indoor garden before advancing to more complex arrangements and an indoor landscape. Treat this as a progression in design complexity, not a tested formula. Check the light and water needs of each plant, especially when several species share one display area.
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Match the materials to the project
- Kokedama: peat moss, potting soil, sphagnum sheet moss, waxed string or fishing line, scissors, a bowl, gloves, and a suitable small plant are among the materials listed by Missouri Botanical Garden. Illinois Extension also lists lightweight potting mix or peat moss, akadama or bonsai soil, moss, string, scissors, and water.
- Terrariums: the RHS discusses peat-free multi-purpose compost and a drainage material such as horticultural grit. Select materials for the plants and whether the container is open or sealed.
- Living-wall artwork: a modular vertical planter is an option described by LiveWall, but it is not necessary for every small framed arrangement.
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