If you are like me, you fall in love with most things that
come in a mini size. After all, most things are cuter when tiny; puppies,
cupcakes, mini spatulas, baby toms and uggs, tiny play kitchens, and the list
goes on. But a mini garden… this sounded absolutely enchanting to me!
Obviously, you can see why I fell in love with the new craze for terrariums!
It’s a mini living world growing inside a glass container. And need I mention,
for those of you with a black thumb similar to mine, the promise that these
hearty plants only need watering every couple weeks?!
The amazing terrariums at high end nurseries can get quite
pricey. Although making my terrarium cost more than I was expecting, it was
still way cheaper than buying one, it was tons of fun designing, and it turned out
completely unique. If you are not sure this is the craft for you, search for
pictures of terrariums online or go to a nursery and you will instantly fall in
love and be inspired to design your own mini world in a glass! I promise!
Supplies:
A glass container- You can find very unique looking glass
terrarium vessels at various stores or I just bought a large candle holder for
$2 at world market. Even though a lid would look neat, moisture will accumulate
on the inside of the glass, so go for one with an open top.
Activated charcoal- Some pet stores sell it in the fish department.
I found a nursery that sold me 1 cup for
$1 (Thanks Mel’s!) My chemistry expert sister Bridget explained that the
charcoal gives off nitrogen, which helps with air filtration which is very good
for the soil.
Rocks/Pebbles- I biked down to the river to collect some
nice smooth river rocks.
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| Collecting river rocks (yes its dark and yes I'm wearing a helmet!) |
Cactus soil- You can buy this or just mix equal parts
potting soil with sand.
Sand- Another ingredient I biked to the river to get, you
can take some from a park.
Decoration- I had a sea shell that I wanted to showcase but
then I also found some neat moss that I included.
Succulents- Shop around. I didn’t have any luck at Home
Depot; they just had outdoor hen and
chicks. I bought my succulents at a nursery with a neat selection. But,
then I went to another nursery to get the charcoal and found that they had
succulents that were even smaller; too bad. Succulents typically run from $3-5/plant.
Be sure to bring your glass container with you for sizing. Otherwise, you will
do what I did, and think that you can fit way more plants than you can.
Kitchen spoons and a straw
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| My assorted supplies on the porch ready for creation time! |
Make any of your layers thicker or thinner depending on the
size of your container and how high you want your plants. I was hoping to be
able to see the different layers better in my container, but I did my layers
pretty skinny so that the entire plant would be encased in the glass.
The order of your layers is charcoal, rocks, soil, and then
your succulents. Tuck your succulents into the soil by digging a small hole for
the plant and then loosening the root ball once you remove it from the plastic
pot. You can either put some little pebbles on the top layer or some sand or just
stick to the soil as your topping. Then you can add any decorations such as
seashells, pine cones, moss, or other knickknacks.
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| Looking down inside the terrarium |
Terrarium tips:
-When putting your charcoal, soil, or sand in, do small bits
at a time with a spoon so that you don’t get the inside edges of the glass
dirty. Hand place rocks for the same reason.
-Once it is complete, use your straw to blow sand or dirt off
your plants. This way you don’t blow the sand into your face but you get plants
cleaned off. You can also use your straw to blow a neat wind swept look into
your sand. I also dipped my straw in a cup of water to water my plants without
watering the entire terrarium.
-Don’t put a lid on your terrarium as it will get very warm
inside, baking the plant and causing condensation.
-Keep your terrarium in a location that is sure to get some sunshine.
The fun thing that I like about the terrarium is there is so
much room for creativity. You can make yours look like whatever you imagine. I
think that next I want to try is to make mini terrariums in a jam jar or in a
bottle! I’ll keep you posted on my creations. Keep me posted on yours!
