Create a Woodland Dish Garden and Table

8 Materials
$42
1 Hour
Easy

Find tips to create a woodland dish garden as a centerpiece for a table or to enjoy a touch of green indoors. This is the kind of gardening you can do no matter what the season and it makes a great gift at a fraction of the price from a dish garden from the florist. You can customize your dish garden depending on what plants are available and make one as small or large as desired.

To create a centerpiece, I used the same method as with my DIY Indoor Dish Garden.


I started with a wood bowl I already had and an assortment of indoor plants from Lowe’s that were $3 a piece. . .

🌿 Rex Begonia (3)

🌿 Florida Ivy (2)

🌿 Rabbit’s Foot Fern (2)

🌿 Moon Valley Friendship Plant (1)


For best results, when creating a dish garden, choose plants that have similar light and water requirements.

I started by watering my plants thoroughly before beginning, allowing them to drain and then lining my bowl with a layer of plastic to protect it. Place your plants inside your container arranging them as desired. You can use whatever basket or bowl you have or one that matches your décor.


As I had two pots of ivy and two pots of fern, I placed like plants on opposite sides across from one another, so the edges would spill over and soften the container. The begonias were added in the middle for height and friendship plant tucked in along the side.

I like to remove my plants from their plastic pots and place them in plastic bags, which allows room for more plants to fit in my container. Placing each plant in its own plastic bag also makes for quick and easy removal if you need to replace a plant later.


If you want a more permanent dish garden, choose a waterproof container, add a layer of gravel on the bottom for drainage, then plant your plants in potting medium in the container.

After you have your plants arranged, the fun begins! I used an assortment of moss~ sheet moss, reindeer moss, mood moss and lichen, to add different textures. Tuck the moss in around your plants, filling in the gaps and to add the finishing touch to your dish/container garden.

Our River Birch tree sheds bark so I collected pieces for an additional ‘woodland’ note, along with some pine cones I already had, for added texture.


I found my moss at Hobby Lobby. Download their mobile app to your smart phone so you have access to their weekly 40% coupon when you shop.

I took my cue from mushrooms that can be found, sprouting along the forest floor and found Gold Mushroom Planter Figurines from Smith & Hawken, at Target. They’re tucked in among the lichen to add a little whimsy to the woodland dish garden.

The mushrooms were top heavy, so I cut a wine cork into thirds with a kitchen knife. I placed the sharp end of the mushroom figurine through the lichen first to conceal the cork, and then through to the cork to support the weight and hold them upright. The mushrooms were then tucked in the top of the dish garden among the other moss.

Place your woodland dish garden where it receives indirect light. Mist the foliage occasionally with a spray bottle of water to keep it fresh, adding additional water as needed. Take care not to over water and remove any browning foliage, replacing individual plants if needed.


You can water directly through the moss, or remove the moss, to water the plants underneath. Moss is very forgiving so it’s easy to move it and piece it back together if needed. The moss can also be re-used for future projects if you’re creating the dish garden for yourself.

Here is my dish garden as a centerpiece for my woodland table. All details, sources and more photos can be found at the blog link below. Would love for you to stop by for a visit!

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Mary @ Home is Where the Boat Is
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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