The terrarium trend seems to be going strong with no signs of slowing any time soon. On a recent trip to my local West Elm the entire front entrance of the store was devoted to a terrarium display — and they're not the only major retailer embracing the trend. After the jump we'll provide you with the instructions and the resources for buying and creating your own terrarium.
BUY:
• The simple Moss Terrarium Bottle from Uncommon Goods comes prepackaged with everything you need: the vessel, moss, soil and other supplies.
• Anthropologie has made two products in one with their Terrarium Pendant Lamp.
• West Elm offers a number of terrarium vessels, from large fish bowls to smaller hanging glass bubbles.
• The glass jars with lids from Crate & Barrel would be the perfect affordable vessel for a terrarium.
• These recycled glass terrariums from Sprout Home are handblown and come in four different sizes.
• Also from Sprout Home, this terrarium is made from recycled electric meters, lending an industrial edge to this very natural project.
• The lantern inspired Zinc Terrarium from Frontgate has a more structural appearance thanks to its frame and base.
• This Mini-Garden Terrarium from Viva Terra has a door that swings open wide, allowing easy access for planting and maintaining.
• If you want the look but not the work, Costa Farms sells this Canister Terrarium kit at Lowes.
• This wall mount fish bowl from Target could become a terrarium in a home that lacks table space or has a nosy pet.
On a recent visit to Costa Farms in Miami, I had the opportunity to roll up my sleeves and build my own terrarium. And you know what? It was totally fun! Whereas planting houseplants can seem daunting and messy, a terrarium is more like decorating. It's mostly a matter of layering the soil, rocks and moss (appealing to the designer in all of us) and then plopping in your plants. Once planted, the terrarium is mostly carefree.
DIY:
The great folks at Costa provided me with the following instructions for DIYing a terrarium. Having assembled a terrarium myself, it's actually quite fun and not very messy. When you're looking for plants to fill your terrarium, try small succulents, ferns or air plants.
Materials:
• Select a glass container with a top. Container should be 4 times as high as it is wide.
• Pebbles (about a 1/3 of the planting area)
• Sand (just enough to cover the pebbles)
• Charcoal (thin layer covering the sand)
• Potting soil (slightly less than 2/3 of the planting area)
• Assortment of small house plants
• Ground cover (small pebbles or moss)
Directions:
1. Planting area should be about ¼ of the height of the container.
2. Layer container with materials 2-5 in that order.
3. Plant plants, the tallest in the center.
4. Water the container.
5. Cover the soil with pebbles or moss.
6. Seal terrarium with cover.
MAKE IT LAST:
Whether you're building your own terrarium or buying one pre-assembled, the folks at Costa also provided some very practical tips for caring for it.
• Never place a terrarium in direct sunlight.
• Do not over water your terrarium. If heavy condensation develops on the glass, uncover the terrarium for a while and wipe down the glass.
• If plants need more watering they will start to droop, this is your key to water your terrarium.
Images: 1. West Elm; All others as credited above.
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This is great timing as I was debating this myself over the past several weeks. I'm horrible with plants so I never buy them, but I was given a beautiful terrarium for Christmas. Amazingly, it's done very well (thanks to my VERY sunny south facing windowsill) and it has quickly outgrown its globe. My sister told me it needed to be re-potted, so I debated trying to do it myself. Rather than buy all the materials for just one potting job, I decided to take it to a local nursery and have them do it for me (also since it was overgrown I knew it'd be difficult to remove safely and replant). I'm SO glad I did. Apparently, the type of succulent I have was supposed to be planted with just a little bit of soil - its roots like to be more tightly packed in, rather than loosely planted as it was in the terrarium. For $6 they re-potted it for me in a much smaller pot and now it's growing beautifully. So when you're thinking about making a terrarium, don't just think about what sort of pot or globe you want, also think about the plant you'll be getting and do you research! Make sure it'll live happily in there. Also, I've bought a terrarium from West Elm and I was incredibly disappointed with their product. The glass had scratches on it and it broke very easily (something fell on it, but it wasn't anything sharp or heavy). I'd avoid.
I always wondered though...do plants survive even though they are all covered up?
Another great place to find containers at is Homegoods/Marshalls/TJ Maxx. My local one here in New Jersey sells those apothecary jars for dirt cheap. Even the big ones, like 3 feet tall, only run about $10 and they have a bunch of different sizes and styles. I'm guessing they would be a good terrarium container. I keep eyeing them up, but just haven't bit the bullet yet.
@MONICAK - The plants are made for humid environments, which can be caused when they're covered like that. Mosses thrive in these kinds of environments, which is why they are always used.
I would love to DIY these, but the materials are never scaled to just one or two terrariums. I have a big bag of potting soil in storage because I only needed about half of it and smaller bags were not available. It would be nice to find spare supplies on Freecycle, but I find it difficult and inefficient to use.
I'm surprised you haven't mentioned Etsy.com as a source for terrarium kits if you want to buy a terrarium. There are many shops on Etsy that offer creative and different terrariums, from small to large, in very distinct and unusual containers. I've purchased from two shops: TinyTerrains and DoodleBirdie, and was very happy with the quality and ease of putting the kits together (thanks to good instructions sent with the kits).
What about the white fluffy mold that too easily grows in these? Please tell me how to deal with that and still have a flourishing terrarium. Thanks!
Carepac - if you're getting white mold, you are probably overwatering your plants. If you can reach in there, try to remove as much moisture from the sides, etc. if it has a lid, take the lid off for a few days to see if it dries up a little bit.
If any leaves look dark or molded, take them out also.
The advice I was given with regards to watering is to take a spray bottle and just spray in there, every couple of days. With the lid on, it should have enough moisture that you don't have to water it like a normal houseplant.
Rini
Terrariums are too much work for my taste, I just stick to normal plants in cute pots.
My roommate has a bunch that she made with fake plants and dried moss after accepting that she has a black thumb. They actually look pretty good, since a lot of the plants in terrariums are sort of waxy and chunky, anyway, and she used rocks and sand to draw some of the focus, too. She also added a couple tiny plastic dinosaurs, so they look like their own little worlds.
Monicak - It seems like your looking for a tough plant? Something durable enough to withstand low light and irregular watering? Maybe you should check out this line from Costa Farms called Plants of Steel. These plants are for people who are really starved for time; busy at work or are always on the road traveling for work. I have two in my apartment and with my busy travel schedule, they are my kinds of plants!
http://www.costafarms.com/Public/FeaturedProgramsView.aspx?Id=22
I've never had much luck with terrariums..both ones I've done myself and ones I've purchased...they all die or look bad after awhile.
I've thought about DIYing a terrarium, but when it comes to plants, I tend to like the airy, garden-y feeling of bigger plants, out in the open. My plants are kind of like green pets, so terrariums would be kind of akin to having a pet fish instead of a cat, lol. But I do long to be able to grow a fern in my dry climate. Hmm.....
DIY, dont spend the money on something simple that could be done with fairly common items. Plus it makes for a fun simple project if you feel creative but no TOO creative.
I was recently informed by an wizened plant person that my terrarium setup with only succulents is set up to be doomed because of the lack of drainage, air movement and an extra layer of light filtering glass. This probably should have made sense to me 2 sets of dead plants ago.
I have to second suggesting Etsy.com for terrariums! There are some amazing ones for sale there, not too expensive either. Also consider faux terrariums, since these would require no care. I have purchased from Miss Moss Gifts (missmossgifts.etsy.com), very cute, quick shipping, good packaging. I've also seen quite a few nice faux terrariums on Pinterest!
First of all, if the glass isn't sealed (or mostly sealed, anyhow), it isn't much of a terrarium.
Beyond that, cacti and succulents can survive in a terrarium if it's kept pretty dry. It can be tough to balance the moisture levels though. You want enough moisture so the poor things don't dry out, but not so much that the air inside the terrarium gets humid and they rot.
Most of the tiny succulents you buy for tray gardens and such really don't last very long indoors. They either die or start looking shabby after 6-12 months. I'd consider such arrangements temporary. At least they're cheaper than 6-12 months worth of cut flowers.
Last year, I found myself frustrated with what was out there for terrarium and planter supplies and I kind of got tired of just seeing "kits" on the market. I'm a huge fan of DIY so I decided to start a shop myself and sell supplies in an a la carte fashion. We are still new, and are adding product as we go, but the goal is to provide people with affordable supplies in small quantities. I actually just got a bunch of crystals and rocks in today that I need to photograph and get on the site! Air plants are set to arrive tomorrow!
Please check out our site, and give me any feedback you may have! Also, if you have any product suggestions, please let me know!
www.birdandfeather.com
Will this trend ever die?????
My blender motor has recently expired after around 15 years. The glass jar is fine. I have been thinking about a kitchen terrarium in this. Could be fine and funky or just plain awful. We will see.
My terrarium looks nothing like the ones I see photographed...hmm, back to the drawing board, or planting pot (as the case may be).
Great tips and article. I purchased from a faux terrarium kit from Willard and May site, they allow you to create your own faux terrarium, basically pick your bowl, rocks and style of plants. I am horrible about watering my real plants so this was a nice alternative to try!
www.willardandmay.com
http://www.willardandmay.com/content.aspx?page=How-to-Make-a-Terrarium