Floating gardens, simple hydroponics with living soil for difficult plants

[partisangardener]

My friend Knorbs simplified this system a bit. Just some plastic coated mesh instead of a rim around the edge.
I wanted to make an island for some more airy variation and so I used his method for this new island. It is meant for Ephedra minima and some more plants with the same preference.
I put some pumice pebbles on the Styrofoam and covered this with micro-fiber fleece. Around the edge I fixed then a ring of plastic coated mesh with a staple.

Then I place some Dormouse moss on the mesh. Tomorrow I will fill in acidic substrate and set the first plants.

[partisangardener]

This island was mainly destined for Ephedra.
For structure I added some dead Erica twigs and then I started planting.
Finally I added substrate (peat, moler, sand and some Perlite) and covered it with moss.

[partisangardener]

One of my smaller islands on my windowsill (15 cm). I started this one in December, because I needed some space for new Pygmy Drosera gemmae. The Utricularia is U. monanthos mostly hardy under my conditions (6b) but a backup is never a mistake.
While eating a exeptionally good Strawberry I saved one nut and lo it germinated there. Must be transplanted soon.
Such places are always handy

That is how it looks like now.

[partisangardener]

On quite a lot of my islands I lost a good amount of Pinguicula winterbuds. The ones covered by dead leaves were still there.
It was mice.