I think decorating with plants is one of the most beautiful and inviting ways to brighten up your home. Not to mention, it can be pretty inexpensive and most house plants last for a long time. I wanted to decorate the built in bookshelf in my front room with greenery because it's the first thing you see when you walk in the house, so I was late-night Pinterest-ing different ways to display plants when I started to search for "plants in jars" not realizing I was actually looking up terrariums. I am so happy with the way they look, I ended up moving them around the house to different rooms.
Terrariums are very interesting. They are basically little ecosystems that lock in the moisture for plants. You can cover them completely or partially. They date back to the Victorian era and are making a big comeback! They are low maintenance, you hardly have to water them or feed them, and need low / indirect sunlight. This was my first time planting a terrarium so I'm still kind of learning as I go. This
video is a great resource as is
this article. You can plant several plants in one terrarium but I kept mine pretty basic with one plant per glass.
What you need:
A glass container or jar
Potting soil
Pebbles or stones (to drain the water) I got mine out of my drive way!
A plant that doesn't require a dry environment. I used tropical plants and left my cactus uncovered since it requires a dry environment.
Horticultural charcoal (I didn't put any in mine but recommend it. It prevents mold any foul smells from forming).
What you need to do:
Layer your glass with the stones and / or pebbles
Add charcoal
Add soil
Dig a hole
Carefully remove your plant from its container and place in jar
Water your plant
Cover it
I planted mine a couple of weeks ago and so far so good! Will update this post if my plants die or if mold forms. I think I might replant mine and add charcoal just in case.
Have you ever planted a terrarium? Tell us about it!
