Gardening is something many people like to take up as a hobby which is a form of recreation. Planting a sapling in the garden or in a pot at home can be a fun activity to do with friends and family. There are many types of plants you can use in your garden and many forms of gardens too. Creepers, fruits, vegetables, flowers, and succulents happen to be some common plants that people plant in their garden or in pots. But not everyone has the privilege of having a nice open space to do gardening in and most people don’t have the time to do things like weeding, pruning, fertilizing, etc to maintain the plants. An easy option is to have a terrarium.
What’s a terrarium?
A terrarium is a tiny garden in a transparent container typically made of glass, having soil and small, decorative plants. A terrarium is basically like a self-sustaining ecosystem. You can have a sealed or open terrarium. Sealed terrariums tend to retain moisture for longer and need to be opened once in a while. A terrarium has a hole that is big enough to access the plants inside.
Things needed for building a terrarium:
- Any transparent container, like a glass jar, a goldfish bowl, or a hanging terrarium.
- Soil or potting mix.
- Plain or decorative pebbles.
- Terrarium plants like succulents, mosses, ferns, creepers, etc.
Where to find a terrarium?
You can find pre-made terrariums in gardening stores or nurseries or get supplies for making one on your own. You can attend a Terrarium Workshop where you’ll be taught how to build a terrarium by gardening pros. You can also watch YouTube tutorials and read blog posts which will help you build it yourself.
This is how you build a terrarium in a terrarium workshop:
- Choose a container: A terrarium is generally built in a glass container that has a wide opening so it gives easy access to the plants and water them regularly. You can pick a container of any size, shape, and design you like.
- Prepare the base: Inside a terrarium, the base is made by layering pebbles and the soil or readymade potting mix for the plants to grow in. Make a base layer of pebbles first and then put the soil or potting mix on top. You should make the soil layer at least 2 inches thick. You can stack the pebbles and soil on top of each other to create a pattern.
- Select your plants: Pick those plants that are fuss-free and can grow in an indoor environment. Succulents, mosses, and ferns are some common plants to put in your terrarium. Begin planting by taking the plant out of its pot and remove any excess soil stuck to its roots. Dig small cavities in the soil and plant them in these holes.
- Decorate it: Once you are done with the basics, you can decorate your terrarium in any way you want. You can create your mini world inside a terrarium using decorative material found in craft shops.