Gardens Under Glass: How to Make Your Own Terrarium
Be the master of a mini ecosystem indoors — the low-maintenance, highly rewarding kind that fits any room
Terrariums have been popping up all over the place, from design portfolios to home store catalogs. What’s the attraction? It’s simple: convenience and style.
Terrariums require little watering, take up little space and are generally easy to care for — even for the black-thumbed among us. And these tiny, lush vignettes create interest and liven up a space in a way few single houseplants can match.
Terrariums require little watering, take up little space and are generally easy to care for — even for the black-thumbed among us. And these tiny, lush vignettes create interest and liven up a space in a way few single houseplants can match.
How to Make a Terrarium
Materials. Putting together your own living terrarium is relatively easy. Here’s what you need:
And to make the planting process a little easier, you will want the top opening to be large enough to fit your hand.
Materials. Putting together your own living terrarium is relatively easy. Here’s what you need:
- A clear glass vessel
- Decorative stones or river rock
- Horticultural charcoal (can be found at garden centers)
- A coffee filter or sphagnum moss
- Growing medium (soil used for growing cacti works well)
- Miniature plants and/or live moss
And to make the planting process a little easier, you will want the top opening to be large enough to fit your hand.
Step by Step
1. Add a layer of rock. Gently add about 1 to 2 inches of rock at the base of your container. This will allow for drainage.
2. Add a light layer of the charcoal on top of the rock layer. The charcoal acts as a filter, preventing the moisture from becoming too stagnant.
3. Add a barrier layer. To keep the soil from trickling down into the rocks, you’ll need to add a barrier. You can use a coffee filter or sphagnum moss for this. Which one you use depends on your taste and the size of the jar (the moss will take up more space). If using a coffee filter, you may need to cut it to fit your container properly. If you use moss, use just enough to cover the charcoal below.
4. Once you have the barrier in place, add 3 to 4 inches of premoistened soil. You can fashion a funnel out of newspaper to direct the soil where you want it to go and keep it from dirtying the glass.
1. Add a layer of rock. Gently add about 1 to 2 inches of rock at the base of your container. This will allow for drainage.
2. Add a light layer of the charcoal on top of the rock layer. The charcoal acts as a filter, preventing the moisture from becoming too stagnant.
3. Add a barrier layer. To keep the soil from trickling down into the rocks, you’ll need to add a barrier. You can use a coffee filter or sphagnum moss for this. Which one you use depends on your taste and the size of the jar (the moss will take up more space). If using a coffee filter, you may need to cut it to fit your container properly. If you use moss, use just enough to cover the charcoal below.
4. Once you have the barrier in place, add 3 to 4 inches of premoistened soil. You can fashion a funnel out of newspaper to direct the soil where you want it to go and keep it from dirtying the glass.
5. Now the fun part: adding the plants. Your selection will depend on whether the terrarium will be open or closed. Closed terrariums require humidity-loving plants. And because closed terrariums cannot be placed in direct or bright light (the plants will cook), you’d need to choose shade-loving plants.
Good plants for terrariums
Good plants for terrariums
- Strawberry begonia
- Ferns
- Live moss
- Baby’s tears
- Arrowhead plant
6. Embellish. To give the terrarium a true landscape feel, you may want to add accents such as larger rocks to give the appearance of boulders. For a touch of whimsy, you can add miniature railroad figures and structures.
Once you’ve set your scene, you may either cover the soil with small pebbles or leave it in its natural state.Be sure that whichever plant you use is free of insects. If you notice any bugs, eradicate them before putting them in the container. Your local garden center can tell you the best method for this.
Once you’ve set your scene, you may either cover the soil with small pebbles or leave it in its natural state.Be sure that whichever plant you use is free of insects. If you notice any bugs, eradicate them before putting them in the container. Your local garden center can tell you the best method for this.
Caring for Your Terrarium
Closed terrariums require little care, as they form their own ecosystem over time. If the plants appear to droop and the soil seems dry to the touch, you can add water a little at a time. A turkey baster works well for this.
Once you see the water trickle down to the rocks on the bottom, stop watering. One of the easiest ways to kill plants in a terrarium is to overwater, so err on the side of dryness.
If the glass fogs or forms water droplets, the terrarium has built up excess moisture. This can be resolved by removing the lid for a few hours.
Closed terrariums require little care, as they form their own ecosystem over time. If the plants appear to droop and the soil seems dry to the touch, you can add water a little at a time. A turkey baster works well for this.
Once you see the water trickle down to the rocks on the bottom, stop watering. One of the easiest ways to kill plants in a terrarium is to overwater, so err on the side of dryness.
If the glass fogs or forms water droplets, the terrarium has built up excess moisture. This can be resolved by removing the lid for a few hours.
Design Option: The Open Terrarium
Open terrariums give you more options, because the plants can be placed in moderate to bright light and can take either moist or drier soil. Nearly all miniature forms of houseplants will work.
Good plants for open terrariums
Open terrariums give you more options, because the plants can be placed in moderate to bright light and can take either moist or drier soil. Nearly all miniature forms of houseplants will work.
Good plants for open terrariums
- Succulents
- African violets
- Splash plant
- Waffle plant
- Earth stars
To install plants in an open glass container, simply make a hole in your soil to accommodate the plant’s root ball and place the plant inside. It’s best to make sure no leaves touch the side of the glass, as this can cause the leaf to decompose. Depending on the size of your vessel, you may want to add more than one plant. However, a single specimen can act as a dramatic focal point. You may want to start with one and add more only if the scale of the container requires it.
Open terrariums need as much care as any other houseplant, keeping in mind that these containers will not drain excess water, so again, less is more.
Whether the soil should be kept moist or dry will depend on the plant, so follow the rules of care on the plant’s tag. When watering, follow the same advice as with closed terrariums — add water a little at a time until you see the water running down to the rocks on the bottom, then stop.
Enjoy your new miniature garden and please share with us your photos of the finished product!
More
Creative ideas for terrariums
Ideas for modern houseplants
Whether the soil should be kept moist or dry will depend on the plant, so follow the rules of care on the plant’s tag. When watering, follow the same advice as with closed terrariums — add water a little at a time until you see the water running down to the rocks on the bottom, then stop.
Enjoy your new miniature garden and please share with us your photos of the finished product!
More
Creative ideas for terrariums
Ideas for modern houseplants
But terrariums today boast cleaner lines and a touch of whimsy. They come in many shapes, sizes and can either be open at the top or have a lid.