Flower Aquarium Portfolio

My sister-in-law, who is a fantastic gardener and landscaper, gave me a flower aquarium as a Christmas gift one year (see Flower Aquarium). The flower aquarium is manufactured in Germany, and consists of a round, 7-inch globe with a 2-inch opening at the bottom, a silicone base that serves as the flower frog and forms a watertight seal over the opening, and a base that acts as a stand. I have had hours of fun experimenting with this underwater garden.

Following is a gallery of some of my creations, and notes about lessons learned – what plants work best, what to avoid, and tips and tricks. Most arrangements last for a week, but then typically start to turn brown, possibly because I've never managed to eliminate all the air from the globe.

Winter greens and berries	Pink azalea and camellia
Pink cherry blossoms	White azalea
Oak leaves	Ivy
Petunias	Toyon

Lessons Learned:

• Camellias look beautiful underwater but always detach from the stem and float to the top of the globe within hours. I'm looking for a solution.
• Juniper lasts very well, as do most leaves and greens.
• Cherry blossoms exude a lot of air, and the petals are released from the stems fairly early to form a ring at the top. 
• Azaleas look lovely in water – like gossamer paper floating in liquid. They start losing their pigment and take on a translucent quality.
• Sometimes less is more. Arrangements with multiple flowers and plants are fun to make, but the globe space is limited. My favorite arrangements showcase a single flower or species.