Decorative Water Beads

I have a slight obsession with these things!   They are little beads, that turn gel-like, to hold water for plants.  They start off very tiny and grow to the size of a regular marble when they are engorged with water. 

Not only do they make vases of flowers more beautiful, but they also don't get gross like standing water.  I use them for my Lucky Bamboo, for fresh cut flowers, and I have used them on top of soil to water my plants while I am on vacation.  I have just about every color available and I change the colors for holidays and seasons.  I am still looking for beads that are true red and do not turn pink when they fill with water.  The sellers I buy from don't have them, Ebay and Amazon purchases failed, but Walmart sells some that say red.  I will make one last attempt with the Walmart reds!  

 Mixed pastels

Purple

When you start with completely dry beads, the beads must be soaked in a bowl of water for several hours until they are completely filled with water.  They can then go straight into a vase, or you can store them in the refrigerator (in a sealed bag).  I store several colors in my fridge drawer.  This way I don't need to wait on soaking time, when I want to change my vases.  The beads will last, in a vase, for as long as a month, before they must be re-soaked.  You will see them dry up and shrink down. The beads keep the plant hydrated, by slowly releasing the water that they store.  I find that fresh cut flowers are very thirsty when you first get them, so I add just a tiny amount of water in the vase with the beads.  My bamboo stalks never require added water though.  

If there is a color or holiday mix I wont use for awhile, I dehydrate them and store them with my gardening supplies. 

The red, green, and white things pictured above are the latest "toy" from my seller.  They are LED lights that can be placed among the beads in your vase.  He gave me a red light in place of red beads. The light shines through the beads for a beautiful display.  They would be great as centerpieces for weddings and other events too!

 The video shows the different effects of the light in my vase of green beads.

 My current arrangements for St. Patty's Day.

The 2 sellers I have purchased most of my beads from are Corryscoolstuff (I buy from him at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show) and water beads and more (I came across her at the flea market in my town).   They are available in limited colors at Walmart (in the craft section) and can also be found various other places online.