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Create your Dream Terrarium!

Who has not seen popular indoor glass planters? A new home to small plants and other greenery: the large glass structures, in the shape of a greenhouse or dome; the bottles with the cork/glass lids, or even goldfish bowls. Plants are thriving in them.

How to create your dream terrarium

The story of the terrarium had an enormous impact on transporting, establishing and sharing great varieties of flora around the world. The original terrarium, Wardian Case, was named after an English doctor Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward (1791 – 1868).


In 1829, while studying a hawk moth chrysalis in a wide-mouthed glass bottle, Ward discovered that about a week before the final insect change, a seedling fern and a grass appeared on the surface of the decomposed leaves. That discovery led to the invention of the first terrarium.


Our days planting terrariums is a fun and attractive way to add plants into any home decorating. See below what you will need to create your dream terrarium.

What you will need

Glass planter with or without lid.

  • Glass planter with or without lid
  • Gravel
  • Dwarf or slow growing plants. See below
  • Potting compost
  • Rocks & moss, if you choose

Gravel.

Dwarf or slow growing plants. See below.

Potting compost.

Rocks & moss, if you choose.

Plants for Terrarium

Follow our tips

  • Before planting, decide on the design of your terrarium: where to place any rocks or pieces of driftwood, tall and short plants and where to create mounds in the soil to shape a beautiful landscape.


  • Choose open or closed glass containers. Open terrariums are more suited for succulents and experience fewer problems with condensation and fungal diseases. Closed terrariums recirculate water in a process similar to natural rainfall and will be more humid and suited for ferns and moss.


  • Choose dwarf or slow growing plants.


  • Use gravel to create a drainage layer for keeping water away from the roots.


  • Add the potting mix at least 2 inches.


  • Remove the plants from the pots and loosen the roots from the soil.


  • Get creative - combine the plants by colours, shapes and sizes. Plant and press gently around.


  • Water the plants using a spray bottle or watering can with a rose. Use the spray bottle for cleaning off any dirt sticking to the glass sides of your terrarium and wipe dry.

Before planting, decide on the design of your terrarium: where to place any rocks or pieces of driftwood, tall and short plants and where to create mounds in the soil to shape a beautiful landscape.

Choose open or closed glass containers. Open terrariums are more suited for succulents and experience fewer problems with condensation and fungal diseases. Closed terrariums recirculate water in a process similar to natural rainfall and will be more humid and suited for ferns and moss.

Choose dwarf or slow growing plants.

Use gravel to create a drainage layer for keeping water away from the roots.

Add the potting mix at least 2 inches.

Remove the plants from the pots and loosen the roots from the soil.

Get creative - combine the plants by colours, shapes and sizes. Plant and press gently around.

Water the plants using a spray bottle or watering can with a rose. Use the spray bottle for cleaning off any dirt sticking to the glass sides of your terrarium and wipe dry.

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