I am getting ready to "re-do" my terrarium. I know there's a dedicated terrarim forum, but it seems really s-l-o-w. When I started the terr forum up a number of years ago it was quite active. The slowness is, I think, unavoidable. Afterall, one can only make so many terrs before running out of room. :) And since they tend to be low maintainence, there again is less reason to constantly be in attendence. So since yours is so super lovely, I am going to ask you because I am not an expert. While flattered, I hope you aren't putting me in the 'expert' category! LOL! There are many folks out there with truly breath taking terrs & vivariums. Its in a 35 gallon aquarium. I cemented all sorts of stuff to the glass in the back and on the sides...mainly cork bark pieces and grapewood pieces etc, and stuffed sphagnum moss into the crevices. My biggest failure (kill me now) was not installing the "octopus" tubing to make the back into a drip wall. Hindsight is always 20/20 as the saying goes. Are you thinking of redoing it, or modifying it or skipping the drip wall? One third of the floor is a layer of gravel overlayed with a layer of treefern shreds about 2 inches thick. The gravel is under water, the treefern isn't. In the middle is a "waterfall" of fossil coral I've collected from Mexico, SOuth FL, etc, and a chunk of driftwood. The other 1/3 is tumbled river rock, neat shells, etc, which are in water. There is a mini-fountain pump hidden there that pumps water over the coral waterfall in the center. That sounds cool! I really wanted a waterfall in one of my terrs but think I'll have to forego it -- it would take up too much room I fear. All I have in there at the moment is a very well established Angraecum orchid, and one bromeliad. Ah, the minimalist/understated approach! :D But I have a ton of stuff out in the greenhouse I could put in there, like Dischidias, Scindapsis, Hoya, other creeping mini-orchids like mini-dends, bulbos, etc. And with a tank that size it won't take much to fill 'er up. LOL It always surprised me how fast an empty tank becomes full. When empty, ya figure "Wow. There's all kinds of room in there." Then you start putting a few items in and all of a sudden it's full and you didn't even do half of what you thought you would. For the vines, would you suggest actually planting little rooted sections in tiny pots of soil and sinking them into the treefern? I will probably also put in some aquarium plants (swords, etc) in the water part. Most vines, assuming they like the terr lifestyle, will likely require frequent trimming. (Just a heads up though you've already thought of this I'm sure.) In a 35 gal, personally I'd still plan on using miniature plants and small-leafed vines. Ferns I've planted in small pots to restrict their spread by rhizomes/runners. If you have a vine that spreads this way a pot might help prevent it fom popping up where you don't want it. Otherwise you could probably just plant the vine directly in the media. As long a the treefern stays moist -- and it sounds like it should -- the vines should root just fine. If the roots would stay confined to the pot there could be some advantages there, but we now they won't be that cooperative! LOL I'd thought about maybe getting a couple of fire belly newts. they're cute lil things! I'm not sure if you would need to do water changes, use a filter, or if you could establish a healthy enough microfauna to breakdown their wastes. [Though I know in a larger tank it can be done] I have a double hood on top, one has a straight Natural Sunlight tube, the other a Flora Glo. I'm not sure if that will prove sufficient for flowering plants. However, lighting is still something I'm experimenting with. Presently using cfls -- 6 in both my 55 gal and 90 gal terrs. Don't know yet if I'll need to put 2 more in the 90. Started off w/ 13W [equivalen to 60 W incandescents] but am shifting them over to 23W (100W equivalents) as they burn out or as the burnouts of other lights in my apt give me places to use the 13Ws. The AVs bloomed under the lower wattage but some other plants haven't. I have stuff like Ludisia, Macodes etc out in the greenouse I could pull from and put a few starts in there. I suspect the Ludisia would get too big for a small tank but it sure couldn't hurt to give it a go. Should it not grow too rambunctiously, the color contrast would be very nice. I'd like to see more photos of your different plants in yours, for ideas. I'll try to get some pics taken and post for ya, Bihai. :) Right now, I hand mist from a spray bottle every day. The temp is pretty much 75F, all the time. You're much more dedicated than I! I should mist daily but generally don't. I'm sure some of my plantss wuold perform better if I did. Well that's all for the moment. Not sure if I adequately addressed you questions, Bihai. Let me know. :)

Hi I have been growing currants for years and have all colors. Red are some of the easiest to grow. Did you mulch it? That is important. Also weeding your currant. I know we all had a lot of water this spring, but many currants Like mine, look rather dead right now but they are not. If you look closely and see tiny brown buds on the stems that means it has already set its leaves for next year. Wait until next spring and if there are no signs of growth start again. They are a great fruit to grow. Also next spring move your currant plant to an iron free pipe dripping area if possible. If there is another heat-drought situation, hand water. Nothing lives without water. Mrs. G

All my roses are in pots for the reason that I'm a renter and that I like to rearrange roses periodically. I'd echo many of the points already made. I agree growing roses is generally easier in the ground but can be successful in pots. I'm not personally familiar with Austins. The one I recall growing years ago, Graham Thomas, was a sprawling monster not suited to being in a rose bed with bedding roses, let alone in a pot. It also blackspotted horribly, but that's an issue only of concern is some regions and climates. Selecting compact varieties certainly helps. Drainage and good potting medium are key. As already mentioned, lots of tap roots are not helpful in pot culture. I'd just add that this is precisely why I try to avoid roses grafted on Dr. Huey. I don't know what Australia's roses tend to be offered on as far as rootstock. But Dr. Huey rootbounds for me after 2 years. Growing roses on their own roots is my preference for pot culture. They seem to adapt more easily to pot life. If I can only find a variety I'm looking for on Dr. Huey, I'll get it but watch it and plan on root pruning every couple years, or, when appropriate, rooting a cutting from the grafted plant to replace the original. Occasionally a rose doesn't grow well on its own roots. I either give up on it or get it grafted on multiflora or fortuniana. Both have plentiful feeder roots and few to no sprawling taproots. Sometimes I procrastinate about root pruning, but usually by at least 4 year intervals I will do it at winter pruning time and partially replace the soil at the same time. That seems to rejeuvenate the roses. If it doesn't, I replace the offending rose. There are always new varieties on my wish list eager to take the spot. Though potted roses are more trouble in general, one advantage is I can control and ensure good drainage much more easily. Another is that I never struggle with invasive tree roots, which often happens in the ground. Mike

Eternal Warrior, Larry Grace, Nordic Night, Westminster Lace, Chris Salter are ones I'm thinking about. BUT before I jump and buy any more I was researching which ones to avoid paying top $$ for. I don't mind taking a chance on plants but don't want to lose a chunk of change when the dl dies. I do have some Salters but most are too new to tell how they will be until this year. These are the ones I do have: Bahama Butterscotch David Kirchhoff Ed Brown Grace and Grandeur Coming this spring is Painting the Roses Red, Moonlit Caress. I appreciate all the feedback. Julia