I've been really excited about creating a kokedama (Japanese moss-ball plant) recently, and since it seems to be doing well, I've made a few more! The top two are bamboo, and the next one is a bit of an experiment, with a pitcher plant.
I absolutely love the look of the pitcher plant kokedama, but the pitcher plant has very specific requirements. Some of these are very similar conditions to those that moss grows well in, like a humid environment, and filtered rather than direct light, which is why I thought it would make a good choice for kokedama. It also needs to be repotted only in peat soil or spagnum moss, which are two of the main ingredients in the kokedama soil ball.
I found out later that it does have some additional special needs: the pitcher plant is carnivorous, and it turns out it actually does need to eat insects for nutrition. If it doesn't get enough insects, it needs to be fertilised, but fertilising a carnivorous plant with plant fertiliser can easily kill it. Also, carnivorous plants can be killed by tap water! So this little guy needs distilled water only. It sounds a little high maintenance, but I do love those pitchers.
I pulled out this enameled copper bowl that I had made as part of a series a few years ago, with elephant legs transplanted from a stuffed toy. (You can see a smaller one from the same series above and to the right.) It was the perfect size to hold one of my kokedama, so now this bamboo character has legs!
Now, of course, the next exciting part is to make trays or bowls for the rest of them to sit on. The experiments continue!
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