Tillandsia Garden Art

I’d been gardening away for a client up in the San Francisco Bay Area this past May planting posies and pruning like a maniac.

One of my usual stops on the way home to Santa Barbara is a destination spot just south of San Jose for those who crave pottery, fountains, statuary and the like. They have a markdown area on the way back where I always find a pot I must have.

Instead, I found garden art which now is embellished with tillandsias.

This time I found something right outside the front of the store which was not marked down but that didn’t matter. I wanted it! I knew this terra cotta star ball (which is actually meant to have a light inside) would look great unadorned in the garden or all dressed up. I might eventually paint it but for now it remains as is.

You’ll find a video at the end which shows me at my work table creating this piece.  If you wanted to make something similar but couldn’t find one of these balls, then a lantern with cutouts or a birdcage would be a fine alternative.

This project is really easy to do.  I started by arranging the top, which is a melody of air plants, and worked my way down.   It’s a matter of what looks pleasing and somewhat balanced to your eye.  I attached the plants with wire or just worked them into the star with a little Spanish moss because this is not a permanent piece.  You could secure the air plants on with a dab of E6000 waterproof adhesive.

As you can see, I’ve used Spanish moss in some of the stars.  In places it helps to anchor in the tillandsias and in others I used it merely for aesthetics.  If you want a jazzier look, then use the preserved moss which is available in a wide rainbow of colors.  Purple of hot pink perhaps???

Here are more fun tillandsia projects:

• 7 Easy Air Plant Adornments
• An Easy Piece Of Art With Driftwood, Tillandsias, and Succulents
• Creating With Tillandsias
• How To Care For Your Air Plants

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Nell Foster

Nell, the founder of Joy Us garden, was born into a gardening family and grew up in Connecticut’s countryside. After living in Boston, New York, San Francisco, & Santa Barbara, she now calls the Arizona desert home. She studied horticulture & garden design, working in the field all her life. Nell is a gardener, designer, blogger, Youtube creator, & author. She’s been gardening for a very long time & wants to share what she’s learned with you.

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