String Garden vs. Kokedama: What's the Difference?

The term string garden appears frequently in plant and design conversations, often alongside — or interchangeably with — the word kokedama. Social media is filled with images tagged as both, and it can be genuinely confusing. Are they the same thing? Different things? Related things?
The answer is simpler than you might expect. A string garden is not a different object from a kokedama. It is a way of displaying kokedamas — specifically, by suspending them from strings, wires, or threads so that they hang in the air like a floating garden. A kokedama is the object; a string garden is the arrangement.
Understanding this distinction is not just pedantic. It changes how you think about both — and it opens up one of the most beautiful and creative ways to display living plants.

What Is a String Garden?

A string garden — sometimes called a hanging garden or, in Japanese, kokedama tsuri (kokedama hanging) — is a display method in which one or more kokedamas are suspended from above, creating the illusion of plants floating in mid-air.
The concept is exactly what it sounds like. Take a kokedama — that self-contained sphere of plant, soil, and natural fiber (at MORI, coconut fiber). Attach a length of string, twine, fishing line, or wire to it. Hang it from a hook in the ceiling, a curtain rail, a branch, or any overhead structure. The result is a plant that hovers, its roots enclosed in natural fiber, its foliage cascading or reaching upward, the whole thing appearing to defy gravity.
When you hang multiple kokedamas at different heights — varying the plants, the sizes of the kokedama balls, the lengths of the strings — you create a string garden. It is, at its best, one of the most arresting ways to display plants indoors or out.

Where Did String Gardens Come From?

The practice of suspending kokedamas has its origins in Japan, where it evolved naturally from the kokedama tradition itself. Once you have a self-contained, pot-free plant sphere, the question of how to display it opens up — and suspension is one of the most compelling answers.
In Japan, suspended kokedamas have been used in garden design, shop displays, and domestic spaces for decades. The practice found a wider audience when Japanese garden designer Fedor van der Valk brought the concept to international attention in the early 2000s, creating installations of suspended moss balls that he called string gardens. His work was widely photographed and shared, and the term caught on in the Western design world.
The appeal is not difficult to understand. In a culture increasingly drawn to biophilic design — the integration of natural elements into built environments — a string garden offers something that no shelf of potted plants can: the presence of living green at every level of a room, not just on horizontal surfaces. Plants above eye level, plants at face height, plants at waist height — a vertical garden that requires no wall, no structure, no installation beyond a few hooks.

How a String Garden Is Made

Creating a string garden begins with making kokedamas — the process of wrapping a plant's root system in soil and natural fiber (coconut fiber for MORI kokedamas) is the same regardless of how the finished piece will be displayed. The difference is in what comes after.

Choosing the String

The string material matters more than you might think. The most common options are:
Natural twine or jute — This gives the most organic, rustic look. The rough, earthy texture of the twine complements the natural fiber beautifully and creates a visible, intentional connection between the kokedama and its hanging point. The downside is that natural fibres can eventually weaken with repeated moisture exposure.
Fishing line or monofilament — Nearly invisible, which creates the most dramatic visual effect: the kokedama appears to float entirely unsupported. This is the preferred choice for installations where the illusion of weightlessness is the goal. The line is strong, water-resistant, and long-lasting.
Wire — Thin florist wire or copper wire offers durability and a subtle metallic accent. Wire can be shaped and bent, which gives more control over the kokedama's position and angle.

Attaching the String

The string is threaded through the kokedama ball, typically using a long needle or a thin stick to create a channel through the centre of the ball. The string passes through, and a small knot or toggle on the underside prevents it from pulling through. Some makers wrap the string around the outside of the ball, incorporating it into the binding thread — this creates a secure attachment without piercing the soil ball.
The attachment point should be roughly centred so the kokedama hangs evenly. Depending on the plant's growth habit, you might adjust the angle slightly — a trailing plant might benefit from hanging straight down, while a plant with an upright habit might need to be tilted to show its best face.

Hanging and Arranging

This is where the art happens. A single suspended kokedama is beautiful. A group of them, thoughtfully arranged, is transformative.
The key principles are simple:
Vary the heights. Hang kokedamas at different levels — some near the ceiling, some at eye level, some lower. This creates depth and visual interest, and it prevents the arrangement from looking like a flat row of hanging objects.
Vary the plants. Mix trailing and upright species. Combine different leaf textures and shades of green. A string garden with a cascading Boston fern, an architectural ficus, and a trailing pothos creates a composition that is rich and layered — each plant bringing something different to the whole.
Consider the negative space. A string garden is as much about the space between the kokedamas as it is about the kokedamas themselves. Do not hang them too close together. Let each one breathe. The empty air between them is part of the composition.
Think about the light. Suspended kokedamas often catch different light than shelf-level plants. A string garden near a window, with light filtering through the leaves and casting moving shadows on the wall, creates an effect that is almost theatrical.

Practical Considerations

A string garden is not difficult to maintain, but it does require some thought.
Watering is the primary consideration. Suspended kokedamas still need to be soaked — which means taking them down, submerging them in water, draining them, and rehung. This is not as burdensome as it sounds (most kokedamas need soaking only once or twice a week), but it is worth planning for. Hang kokedamas at heights you can reach, or use hooks with quick-release mechanisms.
Some people place a shallow tray or towel beneath their string garden to catch the occasional drip after rehanging a freshly soaked kokedama. This is practical rather than inelegant.
Weight is worth considering. A kokedama is significantly heavier when fully soaked than when dry. Ensure your hanging points — ceiling hooks, brackets, rails — are rated for the weight. A medium kokedama, freshly soaked, might weigh one to two kilograms. For multiple kokedamas, the combined weight adds up.
Rotation is helpful. Plants grow toward light, and a suspended kokedama will gradually develop a lean if it always faces the same direction. Give each one a quarter-turn every week or two to maintain balanced growth.

Where String Gardens Work Best

The beauty of a string garden is its versatility. It works in almost any room, but some spaces are particularly well-suited.
Near windows — The combination of natural light filtering through leaves and the floating quality of the kokedamas creates something genuinely magical. East- or north-facing windows with bright, indirect light are ideal.
In kitchens — A string garden of herbs above a counter or island is both beautiful and functional. Reach up, pinch off what you need, and enjoy the display the rest of the time.
In bathrooms — The humidity suits moisture-loving plants like ferns, and the typically small footprint of a bathroom means vertical display is especially valuable.
In living rooms — A string garden in a corner, near a reading chair, or beside a window creates a focal point that draws the eye upward and adds life to the room without occupying any surface space.
Outdoors — String gardens work beautifully on covered porches, balconies, and pergolas, provided the plants are suited to outdoor conditions and are protected from direct rain and harsh sun.

More Than a Display Method

A string garden is, at its core, a simple idea: hang kokedamas from strings. But in practice, it is something more. It is a way of reimagining what a plant collection can be — not a row of pots on a shelf, but a living, three-dimensional composition that inhabits your space in a fundamentally different way.
It draws on the same Japanese aesthetic principles that give the kokedama its power: simplicity, natural materials, the beauty of imperfect forms, the pleasure of living things. And it translates those principles into something you can create in your own home, with a few hooks, some string, and the right plants.

Begin your string garden with our Ficus Kokedama — handmade in Lisbon and ready to hang.