Dish gardens · planter baskets · mixed plant gardens
A dish garden or planter basket is a little collection of houseplants growing together in one container. Each one is designed by hand from whatever is fresh and healthy that week, so the plants in yours may be different from the photo.
Because every garden is different, this guide covers the care that works for almost all of them. If you want to know exactly which plants are in yours, look at the plant tags if there are any, or call or text us a photo and we’ll tell you.
Every one is a little different. Every garden is assorted. We choose the plants by hand from what is freshest that week, so yours might have pothos, peace lily, croton, dracaena, ivy, bromeliad, fern, arrowhead plant, Chinese evergreen or others, sometimes with a blooming plant tucked in. If your basket also holds fresh flowers, care for that side like any arrangement: see our fresh flower tips.
Find out how it is planted, then water lightly
Dish gardens in a ceramic dish or a single basket are usually planted together in one bed of soil, and the container usually has no drainage hole. Garden baskets and double baskets usually keep each plant in its own pot, tucked in under moss. If you are not sure, gently pull back the moss and look: separate pots can be lifted out, watered at the sink and drained before they go back.
For a shared bed with no drainage, water a little at a time — about a quarter cup to a half cup for a small dish, more for a big basket — only when the top inch is dry. Water that collects in the bottom is what rots these gardens, and too much water is a far more common problem than too little.
Finding the right spot
Most of the plants we use are happiest in the light near a window, not in it.
- A spot a few feet from a bright east or north window suits almost every mix.
- Keep it out of direct afternoon sun, which scorches the soft-leaved plants first.
- Turn it a quarter turn every week so every plant gets its share of light.
- Keep it away from heat vents and cold drafts.
Everyday care
Dish Gardens & Planter Baskets
Mixed green and blooming plants
- Light
- Bright to medium, indirect light. Low light keeps most of them alive but slows them down.
- Water
- Check every five to seven days. Water only when the top inch is dry, and water lightly if there is no drainage.
- Humidity & temperature
- Normal home temperatures, 65–80°F, and never below 55°F. Ferns and ivy appreciate a little extra humidity in winter.
- Feeding
- Very little. Half-strength houseplant food once in spring and once in summer is plenty in a shared container.
- Grooming
- Trim back any plant that is crowding the others, and pull off yellow or brown leaves so they don’t sit on the soil.
- Blooming plants
- A mum, kalanchoe or other flowering plant in the mix is meant to bloom for a few weeks. When it finishes, you can lift it out and fill the gap.
Many common dish garden plants, including pothos, peace lily, dracaena, philodendron, ivy and Chinese evergreen, are toxic to cats and dogs. Unless you know every plant in yours is pet-safe, keep it out of reach. If any part is eaten, call your veterinarian.
When one plant outgrows the rest
The plants in a dish garden grow at different speeds, and after six months to a year one of them usually starts to take over. That is the time to give them their own pots.
- In spring, slide the whole planting out and gently tease the root balls apart.
- Pot each plant on its own in a small pot with drainage holes and regular houseplant mix.
- Look up each plant’s own care guide below. Most of them will be with you for years.
The eastern North Carolina year
What to do through our Johnston County seasons.
| Season | What to do |
|---|---|
| SpringMarch–May | Growth picks up. A light feeding, and the best time to separate plants that are crowded. |
| SummerJune–August | Check the soil twice a week in the heat, but still water lightly. Keep it out of hot afternoon sun. |
| FallSeptember–November | Growth slows. Water less often and skip the plant food. |
| WinterDecember–February | Heat pumps dry the air. Water only when the top inch is dry and keep it off cold window sills at night. |
Repotting
Most dish gardens do well in their original container for six months to a year. When the plants are crowded, roots fill the dish, or the soil stays soggy, it is time to separate them into their own pots (see above).
Quick fixes
One plant wilting while the others look fine
It may simply need more water than the others, or its roots have rotted. Feel its soil and adjust.
Yellow leaves, soggy soil, sour smell
Too much water in a container with no drainage. Tip out any standing water and let it dry.
Crispy brown edges
Dry winter air or too much sun. Move it back from the window and add humidity.
Plants stretching toward the window
Not enough light. Move it closer and turn it weekly.
Blooming plant fading
That is its natural life in a mixed garden. Lift it out when it finishes.
Tiny flies around the soil
Fungus gnats, from soil that stays wet. Let it dry out more between waterings.
Common questions
How often do you water a dish garden?
Check it every five to seven days and water lightly only when the top inch of soil is dry.
What plants are in my dish garden?
Every garden is assorted and varies with what is fresh. Check for plant tags, or text us a photo at (984) 250-7771.
Can I separate the plants?
Yes. After six months to a year, in spring, gently pull them apart and pot each one on its own.
Does a dish garden need drainage?
Many don’t have a drainage hole, which is why light watering matters so much.
More plant care guides
Pothos
Epipremnum aureum
The easiest houseplant there is. Medium light, water when the top two inches are dry.
Read the guide →Peace Lily
Spathiphyllum
Medium light, a drink when it droops, and filtered water for clean leaf tips.
Read the guide →Dracaena
Dracaena fragrans and relatives
Medium light, light watering and filtered water. Slow, steady and long-lived.
Read the guide →Croton
Codiaeum variegatum
Lots of light for color, steady watering, and no cold drafts.
Read the guide →Succulents
Echeveria, jade, aloe, haworthia and more
Lots of sun, a deep drink when bone dry, and then leave it alone.
Read the guide →About pets and plants: The pet notes in this guide are general plant knowledge from our florists, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet chews or swallows any part of a plant, contact a licensed veterinarian right away, or call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. If a person swallows any part of a plant, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
“So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.”1 Corinthians 3:7
Questions about your plant?
Call or text us. We are always glad to help, whether you bought it from us or not.
Call or text (984) 250-7771 Clayton Florist · 11440 Clayton Blvd, Clayton, NC 27520claytonncflorist.com