Airy-fairy tillandsias

THESE SWEET LITTLE AIRY FAIRIES ARE A UNIQUE AND VERSATILE ADDITION TO YOUR INDOOR GARDEN

as they dance in the air, tillandsias seemingly defy the rules of nature, but these clever little plants get all the nourishment they need without hitting the dirt. The best-known air plant is Spanish moss but there are thousands of others, many with richly coloured leaves. A living ornament in your home, they need as much care as your usual dusting. Just put them in bright, indirect light and spray regularly with water.

PROJECT 1

TILLANDSIA ROCK GARDEN

Gather your supplies

• Rose-coloured aluminium wire

• Natural stone decorative pebbles

• Selection of tillandsias

You’ll also need Side cutters; round object such as a pencil or wooden handle

Here’s how

STEP 1 Wrap wire around pebble, twist ends together to join, pull the wires up and wrap shorter end around longer end.

STEP 2 Create loop at top of longer end, big enough to hold base of tillandsia. Cut wire with side cutters. Bend loop so it’s at right angles to column.

STEP 3 Insert tillandsia.

STEP 4 Choose another pebble, wrap the wire around it, twist ends together to join, cut one of the ends at the base and lift the other end up.

STEP 5 Loosely fold long end at halfway point and loop around thumb. Wind wire around itself down to pebble. Bend loop so it’s at right angles to column.

STEP 6 Insert tillandsia

STEP 7 Wrap wire around another pebble and twist ends together to join. Cut one end and wrap longer end around round object to make spiral.

STEP 8 Insert tillandsia.

AS ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST FASCINATING PLANTS, TILLANDSIA ARE CONSIDERED THE ARISTOCRATS OF THE BROMELIAD FAMILY

PROJECT 2 TILLANDSIA TERRARIUM

Gather your supplies

• Large glass vase

• Fine washed sand

• Seashells, sea urchin shells, coral

• Tillandsias

• Small branch or piece of driftwood

You’ll also need Fishing line; scissors

Here’s how

STEP 1 Clean inside of vase, then pour in sand to a quarter of depth of vase.

STEP 2 Place seashells and coral in sand.

STEP 3 Tie fishing line around base of tillandsia.

STEP 4 Thread fishing line through hole at base of sea urchin shell.

STEP 5 Tie fishing line around branch or driftwood and sit branch on top of vase.

PROJECT 3

TILLANDSIA PICTURE

Gather your supplies

• 25mm wire mesh

• Picture frame

• Picture hanging hooks

• Branch with branchlets

• Aluminium (florist) wire

• Tillandsias

You’ll also need Side cutters; staple gun; secateurs; water sprayer

Here’s how

STEP 1 Cut mesh with side cutters slightly smaller than the outside of the frame.

STEP 2 Fix mesh to inside of frame with staple gun.

STEP 3 Attach picture hanging hooks to frame.

STEP 4 Put branch over mesh, arrange artistically and trim branchlets with secateurs if necessary, while still allowing some branchlets to stick out from frame.

STEP 5 Tie branch to mesh with wire, cutting ends with side cutters.

STEP 6 Hang tillandsias on branch and branchlets and secure with wire.

STEP 7 Spray tillandsias with water.

STEP 8 Hang frame.

so tiny but so impressive as a bunch, tillandsias are perfect for growing between a rock and a hard place because they don’t need soil to survive.

DIFFERENT COLOURED PEBBLES can be substituted with small pieces of cork bark, driftwood or small paperbark (Melaleuca spp) branches. for PROJECT SUPPLIES, see OUR stockists page

STEP 3

STEP 1

STEP 6

STEP 8

STEP 5

STEP 4

STEP 7

SPANISH MOSS IS WELL KNOWN BUT IS THE MOST DIFFERENT OF ALL THE TILLANDSIAS.

MAKE MISCHIEF BY HAVING AN OCTOPUS-LIKE SEA CREATURE FLOAT IN AIR.

STEP 5

STEP 4

STEP 3

STEP 1

STEP 2

DON’T THROW IT AWAY ... REUSE AN OLD FRAME FOR A UNIQUE WORK OF ART!

GRAHAM ROSS Join me as I create these garden beauties on BHG TV on Friday, 2 August, at 7pm on Channel 7. (Apologies, may be subject to change) Go to bhg.com.au for more gardening tips and tricks.

STEP 4

STEP 2

STEP 5

STEP 8

STEP 6

STEP 7