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Today Costa is taking a lesson from a professional horticulturist who’s mastered both the art of kokedama and giving beginner gardeners the confidence to level up their tricks and tools. 

Tammy Huynh teaches workshops on gardening outdoors and indoors, including really easy ways for anyone to get started with plants. Her favourite is kokedamas.

KOKEDAMA:

Kokedama (meaning “moss ball”) is a style of bonsai that “originates from Japan, and it involves binding a plant in moss and twine, transforming plants into mini works of art.” They are particularly great as alternatives to pots for indoor and tropical plants. “It’s a cool way to display them”

 PLANTS :

“Personally, I like things with large, green leaves for kokedamas, like philodendrons, calatheas, devil’s ivy variations – they’re great trailing over the edge, or even a spider plant – it looks like pineapple! Easy care too and some are good in low or bright light."

 PROCESS :

MATERIALS: 
Basic jute twine (can add coloured twine) 
Moss or coconut coir
Plant 
Scissors 
Stocking (footless is best, or cut end off old one) 
Large bowls  
Potting mix suitable for indoor plants or seed raising mix 

STEP 1 : Soak the moss or coir in water for a few minutes to revive it. Squeeze out the excess before using. 

STEP 2  : Tammy thinks she’s found the easiest method of creating the ball, which involves encasing everything in an old stocking – “the traditional way [without something to hold the soil in place as you work] is messy – so I’ve found keeping it contained makes it easier to wrap, and it’s porous.”  
Unless the plant already has plenty of quality soil in its current pot, you’ll need to add 2 handfuls of potting mix into the stocking. Then take the plant out of the pot and plant the root ball into stocking. 

 STEP 3: Loosely tie a piece of string to sinch in the top of the stocking to the base of the plant. Place on top of pre-cut pieces of string laid out on the table. 

 STEP 4: Line the outside of the root ball and stocking with moss or coir, gently pressing into the sides, and wrap the string around as you go to keep the moss in place. 

STEP 5: Keep adding moss until it’s full and wrap up with twine so that the moss doesn’t feel like it will come loose. Tammy embraces the rustic feel “with twine going in all directions, just like the patterns on a ball of twine – you can make it really decorative.” 

The finished product can be strung up and Tammy’s “little hanger is just simple knots… but you can add nice macrame hangers too.” “When your partner, friends, roommates are telling you, ‘you got no more space!’ actually you do! They’re not heavy, you can hang them from curtain rods, basic hooks on the wall.” If you don’t hang them, they are still lovely ornamental displays on tables and desks, “just sit them on a nice plate or saucer so the moisture doesn’t ruin the surface.” 

CARE:
Position and care requirements depend on the type of plant chosen. Generally indoor plants “like low or indirect light and keep moist”. They’re lighter than ceramic pots so you can pick them up and “when it feels really light it’s telling you it’s time to water them, which is great for beginner gardeners… you can also tell when the sphagnum is dry and just dunk it a bucket of water which makes it so easy, you just have to remember not to leave it there too long because I always think I’ll just leave it there for 10 minutes (ideal time) while I do some washing and then 5 hours later you’ve forgotten all about it!” You can also add seaweed solution or liquid fertiliser to the water every so often to give them a feed. 

FEATURED PLANTS:

MONSTERA Monstera deliciosa

PHILODENDRON Philodendron ‘Rojo Congo’

RUBBER PLANT Ficus elastica ‘Ruby’

UMBRELLA TREE Schefflera actinophylla (Check before planting: this may be an environmental weed in your area)

DEVIL’S IVY Epipremnum aureum ‘Marble Queen’


Filmed on Gadigal Country

About Gardening Australia:
Gardening Australia is an ABC TV program providing gardening know-how and inspiration. Presented by Australia's leading horticultural experts, Gardening Australia is a valuable resource to all gardeners through the television program, the magazine, books, DVDs and extensive online content.

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