Home & Garden
How to make your own beautiful terrarium
If you saw our gorgeous gallery of terrariums last week, you might be wondering how exactly to make your own. Well, we’re here to help you out. Buying a pre-made terrarium can get very expensive, and we’re sure that all of you wonderful green thumbs and DIY-ers out there will have no trouble with this surprisingly simple project.
What you’ll need:
- A glass or plastic container
- Gravel or pebbles
- Charcoal (you can get this from a pet shop)
- Sphagnum moss
- Sterilised potting mix (best not to use homemade stuff for terrariums)
- Plants (moisture-loving houseplants are ideal; something from tropical or subtropical regions; low-growing)
Instructions:
- Place a layer of your gravel/pebbles in the bottom of your container.
- Cover the gravel with a layer of charcoal. This stops the potting mix from going sour.
- Place a light layer of the moss on top of the charcoal layer. This stops the potting mix from sifting into the pebbles.
- Add around 3.5cm of slightly damp potting mix (minimum). You want to use your judgement here. Don’t add too much and spoil the aesthetic of you terrarium, but you need enough for the plants to live in.
- Before you plant them, you can reduce the root ball of your plants by almost half. Arrange your plants as you like.
- Optional: add in small rocks, or figurines to add character or drama to your terrarium. But remember – less is more.
- Mist the whole terrarium with a spray bottle.
- Leave the container’s lid off until your plant’s leaves are completely dry, and then cover up - if it has one.
Care:
- Keep your terrarium in a brightly-lit spot, but not in direct sunlight.
- Check moisture levels are adequate. If moisture gathers on the inside of the container, leave the lid off until excess has evaporated.
- Lightly prune plants when needed.
Image credit: jenniraincloud.com
Related links:
These terrariums are so beautiful and inspirational
The benefits of indoor plants are numerous
Not a green thumb? Here’s how to save a dying plant