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.Instructor Pam Baytos assisted class participants in creating their Kokedama garden's on Sept. 11 in Fellow Riverside Garden's Tyler Classroom.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.A flyer depicting the information about the class was set up on the table infront of insturctor Pam Baytos on Sept. 11.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.Instructor Pam Baytos explained to the class how to create the Kokedama sculpture on Sept. 11 at Fellows Riverside Garden.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.Kokedama class participants used their hands to round the dirt and root before adding moss on Sept. 11 at Fellows Riverside Garden.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.One finished Kokedama sculpture created by class instructor Pam Baytos was on display for students to reference on Sept. 11.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.Kokedama class participants used their hands to mold dirt and roots into a round shape to create thier "hanging garden," on Sept. 11 at Fellows Riverside Garden.
By JESSICA HARKER
Mill Creek Park hosted a Kokedama gardening class on Sept. 11 at Fellows Riverside Garden.
Instructor Pam Baytos led the class, using plants and other natural material to create sculptures.
“You just use your hands to create a natural piece of art,” Baytos said.
Kokedama is a form of Japanese gardening related to bonsai.
“You can keep these small, where as with a bonsai you really have to know what you’re doing,” Baytos said.
During the class each member was given a plant, pins, fishing wire and moss.
All supplies were provided by the metro parks and paid for using class attendees fees.
Participants molded the dirt and roots of the plant into a ball, and surrounded it with moss.
To keep the sculpture in place the class placed pins in the dirt, then wrapped fishing wire around it.
After the plant was firmly in place the groups members were offered decorative string to wrap around the ball again.
According to Baytos this allowed for extra support as well as adding color or decoration to the art.
Baytos said that to keep the plant, it needed water when the moss started to feel dry.
She added that eventually the roots will grow out of the moss, and when that happens to either unwrap and rewrap the moss over the roots, or to trim them back.
After participants were done with the project they were given a stand to display their art at home.
Six people attended the Kokedama event. All adult classes through Mill Creek MetroParks must be preregistered.
For more information on classes or to register, go to www.millcreekmetroparks.org.