Mirror mosaic magic

Inspirational

Combine the fashionable mosaic look with a traditional Gardenia to create an attractive fragrant display. Create your own stylish mirrored pot, perfect to hold a deliciously scented glossy-leaved gardenia.

What you’ll need to decorate the container

• A terracotta pot
• 20mm square mirror tiles (For the container we made, sized 15cm x 15cm x 14.5cm, we used 150 tiles. allowing 30 on each side, 20 around the inside and 10 broken up for the top)
• Tetrion Fix ‘n’ Grout (Size No. 1 pack which comes with a spreader)
• An old thick newspaper
• A kitchen cloth
• A hammer
• Tweezers

Step by step…How long? 4 hours

1 With the pot face down on a sheet of newspaper, work on one side of the square container at a time. On a round pot, work on one-third at a time. Using the notched end of the spreader that comes with the fixative, spread a layer over the whole side. Drag the notched end firmly down the whole surface, leaving ridges. Working from the edges inwards place the tiles onto the fixative. Press firmly in a twisting action to make sure the tile makes good contact. Cover the surface with tiles, then start on the next side. Any blobs or excess fixative can be removed with a damp cloth before they set. Press each side as it is completed with the palm of your hand to position tiles into place. When the first two sides are complete, leave to dry until the fixative is hard. The first two sides need to be set firmly before moving on to avoid the tiles breaking away.

2 When the sides are covered, work around the inside rim. One tile deep will be enough to make sure no terracotta shows when the container is planted. When tiling the inside it is easier to put a blob of fixative onto the back of each tile and carefully press into place. Work around the inside until the row is complete. When the outside and inside are tiled, wipe with a damp cloth to remove any excess fixative.

3 While the surfaces dry, make the chips for the top. If you have tile nippers you can cut the mirror tiles with these, although be careful and wear protective glasses as the glass shards are sharp. Without tile nippers small fragments can be made with a hammer. For this size container we broke up 10 tiles. Using a kitchen cloth, folded in quarters, place five tiles at a time between the layers. Place the cloth with the tiles inside on a thick newspaper and, on a hard surface, hit the tiles once with a hammer. With the tiles wrapped inside the cloth no shards should fly about. Do not pick up the tiny pieces of mirror tile by hand, use a pair of tweezers.

4 Cover the top of the container with the fixative. Use the tweezers to place small fragments around the whole edge. When you have covered the top with fragments, wrap the cloth and remaining pieces and shards in the newspaper and put them straight in the bin! Leave the whole container to set for about six hours or overnight before grouting.

5 Using the straight edge of the spreader, smooth a layer of fix ‘n grout over one surface at a time. Wipe any excess of the spreader and then pull it firmly across the surface to fill all the gaps between the tiles. When each surface has been grouted, leave to dry for about 40 minutes. When the grout is firm to the touch, use a damp cloth or sponge to clean all the tiles. When the grout is completely set (overnight), the tiles can be polished with a spray glass cleaner.

6 Finally, add your Gardenia plant. If the plant is in bud or flower just place the plastic pot inside the mirrored container. A shock, like repotting could cause the buds to drop off, so only finally pot up when the plant has finished flowering and rested for a month or so.

The Valentine touch

To add a Valentine twist to our mirror tile make-it we’ve added small heart-shape glass bottles filled with fragrant dried rose petals. The heady Jasmine-like scent of the gardenia and the delicate fragrance of the rose petals combine to fill a room, creating an evocative atmosphere that’s full of romance for a Valentine’s Day celebration!

Useful suppliers

Small mirror tiles
(20mm square) mirror tiles in boxes of 100 cost £2.45 per box plus p&p. As a guide, we used two boxes.
Mail order from Framework Art and Craft, 63 Pembroke Centre, Cheney Manor lndustrial Estate, Swindon Wiltshire 5N2 2P0
Tel: 01793-513 069

Teflon waterproof Fix ‘n Grout
Mail order as above – Framework Art and Craft. Phone or fax for details

Heart-shaped glass bottles
For your nearest supplier, call Design Objectives Tel: 01202-679 976

Dried rose petals
Fleur d’Ecosse sell by mail order a whole range of pot-pourri, dried flowers and essential oils. For a catalogue and free pot-pourri recipes write to: Fleur d’Ecosse, Broadlands, Kirtlebridge, Lockerbie, Scotland DG11 3NB. Tel: 01461-500 287.
(50g @ 94p, 100g @ £1.71, 250g @ £3.89, 500g @ £7.07, all plus p&p)

Garden Ideas advice

Gardenias (Gardenia jasminoides) are a bit tricky to look after, but if you follow a few basic principles you can maintain a healthy plant quite easily. They need warmth, good light and acid soil conditions.

Keep in a warm spot (not less than 18ÞC (64ÞF). If you want to keep a Gardenia in the window make sure it is on the room side of the curtains, as a sharp drop in temperature can cause the buds to drop. Place in a bright spot out of direct sunlight – behind net curtains would be ideal.

Maintain high humidity by standing the gardenia container on a small tray of pebbles, filled with water to below the bottom of the pot. Water will evaporate increasing the level of humidity around the plant.

Gardenias are acid-lovers. Keep the soil moist using rain water, warmed to room temperature, or boiled and cooled water from a kettle.

As far as repotting, only do this when the roots are busting out! Use a peat-based compost suitable for acid-loving plants, normally ericaecous compost. Feed with a dilute liquid fertiliser suitable for acid-loving plants such as Miracid.