Create a mini garden with cacti: design ideas for a florarium, plant bowl and flower pot

Whether together with succulents in a florarium, with ground cover plants in a flower pot or with crystals, gravel and stones in a plant bowl: cacti are real team players and can be creatively arranged to create colorful desert landscapes. We'll show you some design ideas for a mini garden with cacti and give you useful tips on which flowers and plants you should consider, as well as how to properly care for the cacti and get them to bloom. Be inspired by the suggestions in the photo series and bring nature into your home, office or balcony with an exotic desert garden in a small format!

Create a mini garden with cacti: The desert plant is fairly undemanding

Cacti have enjoyed great popularity and are often found in gardens in desert areas in the United States and Mexico. In Germany they are popular roommates and bring a touch of nature into your own four walls. Those that come from South AmericaSucculents are considered easy-care houseplantsand therefore often adorn the homes of busy singles or occasionally enthusiastic hobby gardeners. In order for them to feel comfortable, the undemanding exotics need a suitable location, a water-permeable substrate and moderate watering.

1.The location. Cacti need sunlight and warmth for several hours a day, so a south-facing window or winter garden is optimal for the plants. On the other hand, the east and west window sills, which only receive sun for a short time each day, are less suitable. How much direct sunlight each species can tolerate depends on several factors. Basically, hairy or thorny cacti are more light-hungry than leaf cacti.

All South American desert plants can thrive in temperature fluctuations without any problems. Locations that heat up significantly during the day and cool down quickly in the evening are also suitable for them. These include, for example, glazed staircases or greenhouses.

The plants definitely need a place protected from the wind in summer and a place that is draft-proof in winter.

2.The water-permeable substrateis available in three versions: for cactus species that do not tolerate humus, a mineral mixture of lava stone or broken expanded clay, pumice and sand is offered. A humus-rich mix consists of compost (at least four years old) and peat. For mountain cacti, the experts recommend a mixture of potting soil with a high clay content and broken expanded clay or lava stone. No matter which substrate the hobby gardener chooses, all three variants have one thing in common: the pH value is between 5 and 5.6.

Depending on whether the mini garden with cacti is created in a large bowl or in a small florarium, the appropriate grain size can be selected. The rule of thumb is: the smaller the pot, the finer the grain. Basically, the proportions should not be larger than 1 cm.

3.fertilizeris given to desert plants as needed during the spring and summer growing seasons. Most of the time the plants need fertilizer when they are planted in a small pot and therefore theNutrients of the earthconsume quickly. In this case, they can be given special cactus fertilizer once a month.

4.Pour.Cacti store water in their tubers for longer periods and therefore need water less frequently than other plants. When the sandy substrate dries out completely, the plant is watered thoroughly. The hobby gardener should then wait until the soil dries and only then water the plant thoroughly again. Care should always be taken to ensure that no waterlogging occurs. No cactus can tolerate this. If you're not sure how often your succulents need water, it's better to water too rarely rather than too often.

5.Stew and Repotting.Cacti usually need to be repotted every 4 to 5 years. This is necessary because the plants use up their substrate for the period or because they have become too big for the old pot. Repotting can promote growth and flower production. The right time for potting and repotting is from mid-February to the end of March or in autumn, just after the end of the flowering period. Experienced gardeners recommend that you stop watering the plant for at least a week before repotting so that it can then be more easily removed from the flower pot. Styrofoam plates or special gloves can protect hobby gardeners from thorns when repotting.

6.Cacti overwinter.In winter the plants take a break. Especially during this period, the plants can get by with significantly less light and heat and can easily be stored in unheated rooms. Their water requirements are also significantly lower; they need to be watered every 3-4 weeks. Since their growth is restricted during this period, they do not need fertilizer.

The basic principles of a florarium

A small desert landscape in glass looks very decorative and brings a touch of exoticism into your own four walls. In order for the mini cactus garden to thrive in a florarium, the right substrate, drainage and the number of plants play a crucial role. We give you step-by-step instructions for a mini garden in a glass.

A florarium is aTerrarium in small formatthat is planted. Although special glass florarium containers are sold on the market, a deep glass bowl or a preserving jar are just as suitable.

Materials:For a florarium you need white decorative gravel, colored sand, substrate for cacti and succulents, activated carbon (reduces odor) and expanded clay, decorative stones and crystals (if desired), an open glass vessel such as a vase, a bowl or a terrarium, cacti and other succulents of your choice.

Directions:The lower, 2 cm high layer serves as drainage and consists of decorative gravel. This is first followed by a finger-thick layer of activated carbon and expanded clay and then a 3 cm high layer of cactus substrate. The plants are then planted. If desired, a covering material (in this case the colored sand) can be laid over it. It protects the earth from drying out and seed weeds. Finally, the florarium can be decorated as desired with decorative stones and crystals.

We have already mentioned several times that cacti prefer a sunny location. However, if planted in the florarium, you should place it in a partially shaded location. Otherwise, the intense sunlight shining through the glass walls of the florarium can burn the plants. Since the container is closed at the bottom, you should also water the mini garden less and less frequently than usual.

Create a mini garden with cacti in a bowl

A planter is a shallow flower pot that is perfect for an arrangement of cacti, sun-loving ground covers and other succulents. Plants of different heights with different leaf shapes and in different colors bring variety and make the green plant splendor more exciting.

If you ensure a minimum distance of 2 to 3 cm between the cacti and succulents in the bowl, then most desert plants get along quite well. The following species are often chosen as team players by hobby gardeners:

The non-rooted plant Aztekium hintonii, the compact plant with narrow leaves Agave victoriae-reginae, dwarf cacti Sulcorebutia and the plant Haworthia attenuata can be overwintered cold and have similar requirements in terms of substrate and watering.

However, all cactus arrangements have one major disadvantage: transplanting them is much more difficult. There is always the risk that the plant roots will be damaged when digging. If this task is too time-consuming and difficult for you, you can plant the individual cacti in mini plant pots and then arrange them in the florarium. The flower pots are then “hidden” with a layer of decorative sand. The hobby gardener can then replace individual plants if necessary and create a new arrangement in no time. In this case, the plants are removed monthly and individually immersed in water.

Whether as soloists in a mini garden or as part of an exotic arrangement in a plant bowl: cacti look good everywhere. We have put together further examples of imaginative design for you in the photo gallery.