DIY Project: Make a 'Kokedama' String Garden

Bring the outdoors in with a Japanese-inspired string garden – here's how you can make your own

Shaunna Nygren 8 January 2015

Houzz contributor. I am the editor in chief of Pacific Weddings magazine based in Hawaii. I enjoy exotic travel, yoga, strong coffee and Neil Young on vinyl. Inspiration: Americana revisited, printed matter, design blogs, road trips, the beach, the sea, my friends

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The first time I saw a wonderful display of kokedama, a variation of Japanese bonsai, hanging against a stark white wall, I never imagined how easy it would be to create this plant-and-string look. ‘Kokedama’ means ‘moss ball’ in Japanese; it is made by transferring a succulent, small fern or other plant into a ball of soil held together with moss and colourful string or twine, which is also used to hang the plants. These string gardens look great hanging in homes and are a fun way to bring the outdoors in. Follow along with floral designer Mandy Grace of Hawaii as she walks us through how to make a cool hanging-plant string garden.

Ashley Camper Photography

Materials and tools:

Tiny plants (succulents and baby ferns work well)
Peat soil, cacti soil, clay mud
Dry sphagnum moss
Scissors
100 per cent cotton thread
Nice, colourful packing string (twine and hemp are favourites)
Gloves (it will get messy)
Jar of water
Bowl (optional)

Ashley Camper Photography

Remove as much soil as possible to expose the roots of your chosen plant. Be very thorough during this process, but also be very gentle.

Ashley Camper Photography

Mix peat soil, cacti soil and mud clay together; a bowl will help contain the mess. Then add just enough water so the soil begins to form a dough-like consistency. You should be able to form a small ball that won’t fall apart.

Ashley Camper Photography

Keep the ball of soil as small as possible, but make sure it is large enough to accommodate the roots of your plant.

Ashley Camper Photography

Take a bunch of dry sphagnum moss and wrap it carefully around the roots of your plant to form a circular, compact shape.

Ashley Camper Photography

Then tie cotton string around the sphagnum moss to hold it in place.

Ashley Camper Photography

Make a small hole in your soil ball and gently press the plant inside it. Be sure to ‘close up’ the soil to reform the spherical shape.

Now it’s time for the fun part. Take small sheets of moss and press them firmly into the soil. Don’t leave any open spaces.

Ashley Camper Photography

Wrap the string or twine around the ball as if you were packing a present, leaving enough extra string on each side to allow you to hang the plant. You can use natural or white string or else choose a colour to go with your decor or the season.

Choose a nice spot that gets indirect light, install a hook and hang your wonderful planet of moss.

Ashley Camper Photography

Different plants require different amounts of food, water and sunlight to survive, so there are no one-size-fits-all rules, but here are some general guidelines for your indoor hanging garden.

Watering: Weight is a good indicator of when your hanging plant needs water. Hold the ball in your hand and see if it feels heavy. If it does, then the ball has enough water for the roots. If the ball feels light, then watering is needed. Fill a bowl with enough water to cover the ball. Place it in the water and let it soak for two to three minutes. Remove the ball and gently squeeze it to allow the water to soak into the center. This should be enough watering for several days.

Lighting, temperature and ventilation: Choose a hanging plant that will thrive on the amount of light you can provide. Most indoor plants prefer a humid atmosphere and indirect light. Proper ventilation is needed for growth.

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Klelia Nikolakaki

what the heck.

1 Like 12 January 2017 at 7:41am

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roserustler

Isabelle, if you are still wondering about the plant my best guess is that it is a type of palm used in outdoor planters and pots. The ones in the nursery I use were called ponytail palms. Ponytail palms are trees if grown under the right conditions so I cannot say for certain but it looks like the ones I used in my pots.

Like 20 October 2017 at 2:57pm

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Kathie Waters

Links to shopping for items needed would be helpful, but I will be doing my own research because this looks like great fun. Still too cold outside for spring gardening so THIS would be a great in between project

Like 31 March 2019 at 11:52pm