Gardening 101: Making a Terrarium

It’s a brand new year.  You’ve given thanks, purchased and opened gifts, eaten turkey and stuffing, drunk eggnog and champagne and begun de-decking the halls. 

Almost all of the pine needles have been vacuumed away and the poinsettias are barely hanging on.  You’re dying to add some hip, horticultural element to your home, but can’t place your finger on just the right statement. 

It’s terrariums, cloches and mini-greenhouses.  They’re fun, inexpensive and oh so easy to personalize.  You’re going to love this project- I just know it!

George and I were really impressed with the terrariums and little greenhouses that my friend, Mark created for his home.  We saw them at the Holiday House Tour in Lafayette Square. We vowed to find the time to assemble a few beauties of our very own. 

As luck would have it, we were both free a few Sundays ago to putter to our hearts content.  We went to Bowood Farms in the Central West End for the terrarium plants.  They had a great selection and we had no problem making up our minds. 

Additionally, you can find a great selection of suitable plants at Missouri Botanical Garden, Home Depot and Lowes.  After purchasing our plants, we were off to Homegoods in Kirkwood. 

I have to admit it- I’m a Homegoods junkie.  It’s rare when I enter the door and don’t walk out with some fabulous item that I just can’t live without.  And, yes, Homegoods didn’t disappoint when we were looking for interesting glass containers. 

George’s taste is very contemporary and he hates anything that hints at being the least bit “fussy.”  We passed up some great glass jars with elaborate lids until we found a few that were just right.  Believe it or not, the containers we purchased were under $10. George already had a cloche (also known as a bell jar) at home, so with our purchases in hand, it was time to assemble our terrariums.

George spent a fair amount of time online before we assembled the terrariums to make sure we had all the materials on hand.  One website that offers lots and lots of information and creative terrarium ideas is www.containergardening.about.com.

In addition to regular, good-quality potting soil George used some of the items he uses for his aquarium.  He swears by activated charcoal and gets it at Tropical World Pets on Watson Road in Webster Groves.

By placing it in the bottom of the container, it will retain moisture, reduce soil compaction, eliminate foul odors and assist in absorbing nutrients.  It’s simply a must for creating a great terrarium habitat. 

We placed about ½” to 1” of the charcoal (I suggest using a large spoon) in the bottom of the terrarium.  George also added an aquarium product called “Fluorite.”  It resembles brown aquarium gravel, and is beneficial to aquarium plants. 

We’re testing it to see if it’s beneficial to terrarium plants as well. If you happen to have some fluorite, you might want to give it a try, but it’s not a necessity.  I am fond of experimenting with projects and look forward to seeing if adding the fluorite makes a difference.  Visually, it does give a nice, earthy color to the terrarium.

The next layer of material was good quality potting soil.  Again, we used a large spoon, placing the soil in the center of the container and working out towards the side of the container.   We used a total of 1” to 2” of soil. 

At this point feel free to add layers of colored sand or aquarium gravel to your terrarium.  You can get an interesting “striping” effect by mixing colors of sand and gravel. Why not add some colored glass pebbles as well!  Now the fun begins!  Grab your plants!

We used 3 to 4 plants per terrarium.  The best arrangements are those that have a nice contrast in color, texture and shape.   Some great plants for terrariums include: Swedish ivy, Bird Nest Fern, Miniature palm, most varieties of Ferns, tiny varieties of African Violets, and miniature Cyclamen. 

If you want an open terrarium, try Succulents and Cactus- just know that you’ll need to water these. Once you go shopping, you’ll see that the possibilities are endless!

The first terrarium we made consisted of a miniature Phalaenopsis Orchid, Ferns, Ivies and some miniature variegated Carex.  We placed the plants, still in their pots, into the terrarium to see if the result was pleasing.  With a little fiddling, we liked what we saw.  Out came the plants!

We’re over halfway finished; now’s the time to ready the plants for placement.  The first step is to remove as much soil from the plants’ roots as you can.  Obviously, you don’t want to butcher them, but you want to encourage the roots to spread horizontally as well as vertically. After you’ve loosened the soil (fingers work best!) from all the plants for your terrarium, go ahead and place them.

Another great tool for making terrariums is a set of chopsticks.  You can maneuver the roots easily, even if you have a tiny opening in your terrarium. Keep fiddling with the placement of the plants and roots until you are satisfied with the way they look.  Now, it’s on to personalizing your terrarium!

The final step is to make your terrarium unique and like no other.  Do you collect rocks, crystals or interesting moss?  Now is the time to display them! 

My friend, Bruce, moved to Oregon and shipped the most beautiful box of moss to me.  As an added bonus, there were little ferns growing in the moss, too!  We used pieces of moss, potting mix for orchids, a small geode and a nice-sized piece of the bark from my cottonwood tree. 

Polished glass pebbles, tiny mirrors, glass reptiles, and seashells make your terrarium charming and uniquely yours.  The only rule is to “Be Creative!”

You’ve fiddled; you added seashells (because you LOVE the beach!) placed a tiny glass cardinal (because we won the WORLD SERIES!) under the fern and found some beach glass from your last vacation to top it all off. 

Stand back.  Take it all in.  Is everything pleasing to your eye?  If so, there’s only one step left. 

Give it a little water.  You can use a turkey baster to put the water directly above the plants.  Begin with an ounce or so, adding more until the plants look saturated.  I find that the best way to get your terrarium off to a great start is to have moist, but not dripping plants. 

Do you wonder how to regulate the moisture in your terrarium?  It’s all about trial and error.  There is a definite learning curve and you’ll get there fast. 

If the old leaves look withered and the new ones are nice and sturdy, this means that something happened in the first week or so regarding water.  More likely than not, there was too much moisture.  The terrarium has a way of handling this on its own. 

I have a terrarium that I water once every 6 months.  Really.  It’s no maintenance!  Moisture will accumulate inside the terrarium when the sun is bright and it will dissipate as the room darkens. 

If you never get moisture to accumulate inside the glass, you might need some water.  Use a mister spray bottle, misting a little at a time.  You don’t want to drench the leaves. 

Stand back and admire your work.  Admit it- you had a ton of fun.  If you made a few terrariums, why not bunch them together on a table, the front entryway or the mantle above your fireplace.  Perhaps you have a deep windowsill that would benefit from some greenery. 

Many plants for terrariums love the low light conditions of a bathroom or basement.  The possibilities are endless. This is a great project to share with your kids, your parents or a good friend.  Start 2012 off right by making some terrariums AND great memories!

The list of ingredients you’ll need follows:

• A glass container, with or without lid
• Activated charcoal
• Potting soil
• A large spoon and chopsticks
• Moss (fresh is best!)
• Pea gravel, fluorite, pea gravel, and/or orchid bark
• Plants: green, succulent or cactus
• Decorating accessories: glass, quartz, figures, etc.
• Water