Beautiful Terrariums

Terrariums are all the rage right now. And why not? They're easy and beautiful. The glass adds to the magic of the terrarium. They have been around since the Victorian period. They were used to house the (tropical) plants picked up from the tropics to protect them from the ocean air and the changing climate. They were also in the living rooms of the rich to house ferns, for decoration. The Wardian Case, which looks like a miniature greenhouse, is the most traditional terrarium. They are named after Dr. Nathanial Ward, a physician who loved botany.

http://www.hpotter.com/terrariums/wardian-case-terrarium/

Today, there are several options for terrariums, all of them glass. There are spheres, fish bowls, giant snifter glasses, and half-moon shapes with a tall back and an angled opening. I bought my terrarium at Hobby Lobby; it's an example of the latter. I loved the contemporary shape to it. I also think the glass and metal terrariums are very easy to look at. Hobby Lobby has those as well. They just weren't big enough for what I was looking for. The Anchor Hocking glass heritage jar are also popular (and inexpensive) options. You can find a 1-gal heritage jar at Wal-Mart for under $10!!

Terrariums are super easy to make. Common houseplants or small tropical plants work very well. Just make sure they're small enough to fit in a terrarium. Stein's Garden and Home, up here in Wisconsin, even has some small plants called terrarium plants. They were unfortunately sold out when I was there to pick out some plants.

I didn't have the terrarium with me while I was shopping, so I didn't have the opportunity to test out plant sizes. So, I recommend bring that along so you know what will fit. I bought three plants anyway: Peperomia ripple, Dwarf palm neanthe bella (parlor palm), and Croton petra.

I spread everything out on my kitchen table so I had everything at hand. Good thing I rolled out a piece a brown Kraft paper: I had soil spills, and I had to dump out my pebbles and activated charcoal. For those who'd like to know which plants are which, I will tell you. Back left is the Neanthe bella palm, back right is the Croton petra, and in front is the Peperomia ripple. Plants for terrariums are relatively inexpensive: usually under $5 each.

The first layer in the terrarium is your drainage material: for this, it's the pebbles (from Hobby Lobby). On top of that, you'll need and want a barrier. I cut out a circle of brown craft paper. Coffee filters or construction paper will also work. Something that water will drain trough. I learned this "trick" from the book in the picture. At first, I put the activated charcoal right on top of the pebbles, and they settled into the cracks and crevices. There went my nice layers. So I poured it all out and started over. 

Next you add the potting mix. I bought standard Stein's brand potting mix with peat and perlite. I scooped it in with my hands. Add enough to cover the root ball of the plant. I discovered not all three plants would fit, so I decided I could only use one. I chose the Peperomia ripple because it fit the best. It has textured leaves with a little bit of red and red stems.

I added some decorative elements: a doe, a fawn, and a Japanese toro lantern. So, my deer are Japanese deer, ha ha ha.

My terrarium looks right at home on my sofa table nestled into my Buddha collection. I put it in front of the window so it can get several hours of sunlight. I'll only need to water it about once a week. Use a spray bottle, on the jet-stream setting, and aim for the base of the plant.

As for the plants that didn't fit? I replanted the Croton and that sits in my mudroom, which is the brightest room in the house.

I will keep the palm on my kitchen table as the centerpiece. They like low light and that will be a good low light spot. I just need to buy a pretty planter and replant him in that.

Thanks for reading about my latest adventures into the world of terrariums and plant life.