Terrarium

What is A Terrarium? A terrarium is a miniature landscape with living plants and even sometimes small animals like lizards or turtles.

Here is the basics of Terrarium Building :

• Selecting a container - The container can be almost anything at all. You can choose something dish like to create an open air container or something bottle like to create a closed environment terrarium which is a bigger challenge to make and to maintain. 
• A Layer of course sand or pebbles is placed in the bottom of the container. This allows for good drainage of the water in the terrarium. 
• Activated Charcoal - If you are making a closed container terrarium you should next place a layer of activated charcoal over the pebbles/sand layer. In a closed environment this charcoal will filter the air and keep it fresh. This is the type of charcoal used in aquarium filters so you can purchase it at any pet shop with aquarium supplies. If you are making an open top terrarium there is no need for this charcoal.
• Add a layer of Spaghnum Moss on top. This prevents the soil in your terrarium from settling down into the pebbles. It is kind of a like a filter that will allow the water to filter down but not the soil. If you don't have spaghnum moss a very fine screen will work well here but over time the screen will rust and need to be replaced.
• Add Soil - Regular potting soil works fine. There is no need to try a fancy mix. But if you are creating a desert scene and using cactus you may want to get potting soil specifically designed for them. 
• Add the plants and or seeds. Care should be taken in this step. You want to arrange things in a way that is pleasing to the eye. You may want to make sketches before you plant. Or you may want to dig some small holes and move the plants around -trying different locations and arrangements. 
• Finishing touches - Add ornaments or other decorations. These add a nice touch to your terrarium.

Terrarium Plants

Almost any type of houseplant can be used for your terrarium. Generally you want them to be hardy and small. Slow growing plants are also desirable so the terrarium doesn't quickly outgrow itself.







There are several things to consider when choosing plants for your terrarium :

• Choose plants of different heights and leaf shapes and choose some plants with a splash of color- Your plants should compliment each other in that they give a nice variety. If all the plants are similar it is a boring arrangement. The picture here is of an arrangement with three plants. There is a nice fern that is the tallest and placed n the back. There is an ivy plant in the foreground. Its broad leaves fill the space nicely. The third plant, offset to the right is a nice plant with red striped leaves.
• Multiple Plants - When I am shopping for plants I also look for multiple plants in the same pot. This picture here shows an abundance of stalks in the pot. These can be separated and planted in smaller groups or even as individual plants. This gives you good artistic control over your terrarium. It also allows you to get good variety without overcrowding.

So Exactly what plants should you get for your terrarium?

Don't about what exact plants to get for your terrarium, get plants that you find pleasing and see what happens. Care for them as best you can and see how they do. You can always remove a plant and replace it with something else. Anyway here are some recommendations to specific plants :

Palm Neanthe Bella Low light and grows slowly - hardy
Swedish Ivy Very durable low care plant
Bird Nest Sansivieria Extremely hardy
Irish Moss Makes nice groundcover
Scottish Moss Very hardy and good looking
Croton Come in many bright colors but need a lot of light
Pothos Medium Light , nice shaped leaves
Pitcher Plant Carnivorous - nice exotic look
Butterwort Carnivorous
Miniature african violets Adds nice color
Cactus High sunlight and sandy soil
Herbs

Don't hesitate to use herbs like parsley, mint, chives, oregano or others in your terrarium. They tend to be hardy, stay small and often add a little bit of a nice aroma.

The Beginners guide to a beautiful terrarium in one hour

A terrarium is an easy and beautiful project that you can successfully create in one hour, seriously!. That includes the travel time to the local Nursery or Home Improvement store. Here are the steps to follow.
Here is the keys to making a successful Terrarium :

• Select a container that is unique - This is one of the most important aspects of a terrarium. Often you will see a Brandy snifter as a terrarium container and this is perfect because it is very dramatic. Browse through the local nursery or home improvement store and look for something that is dramatic or unique. It could be anything that will hold soil and water. Think outside the box of “a Potted Plant.”
• Selection of plants – People often fret over which plants go with which plants and you should give this no thought at all. Select an odd number of plants such as 3, 5 or 7 and select them with a variety of leaf shapes. Some should have slender stalks and others should have round and full leaves. Try to vary the color of the plants too. As you are browsing for your plants place them side by side to see what they will look like in an arrangement. Does it look attractive? Do the plants compliment each other. Move the pots around and look for attractive arrangements.

See the variety of plants? we have colors, some exotic plants, think leaves and broad leaves, and we have a wide variety of containers. We can call these the three difficulty levels. The wine bottle is very difficult because of the thin neck. The pickle jar is medium and the plastic container is the easiest to use.

The materials to purchase :

• The container
• 3,5,or 7 plants (this odd numbered arrangement tends to be more interesting than even numbered arrangements)
• 1 bag of potting soil
• 1 small bag of stones for the bottom of the terrarium (You can pick small stones the size of marbles from your backyard and save a bit of money here)

The Steps :
Put a one inch layer of stones in the bottom of your terrarium
Fill the container about half full of potting soil
Remove the plants from their plastic pots and arrange them in your terrarium. Move this arrangement around looking for something that pleases you.
Once you have found an arrangement you like fill the rest of the container with potting soil and gently tap it down so it is firm and the plants are supported.
Water with a moderate amount of water.
Put the terrarium in a place with moderate or occasional sunlight

Caring for your terrarium

A terrarium is really easy to care for. Check on it every day and stick your finger in the soil and feel it....if it is dry then water hurry examine the bottom of the terrarium. If there is water among the stones then you should not water it for a few days. Do you want your terrarium to last longer and be even hardier? The tip is.....you can add a step to this whole process. When at the Store purchase a bag of something called Spaghnum Moss, (Or Spanish Moss) This is a stringy material. After you put your drainage rocks in the terrarium put a one-inch thick layer of the moss as if it were a carpet covering the rocks. Then add your soil. What this does is prevent the soil from slowly over time draining down into the rocks. It will keep the roots of your plants drier and healthier.

If you choose a really dramatic container and choose an attractive set of plants you can make a beautiful terrarium in one hour. And it is something you will really be proud of and other people will comment on how beautiful it is. Terrarium Making is a beautiful hobby and there are many great books that can help you get better.

Easy right? try and have fun......