Welcome to the (Indoor) Jungle

Put your green thumb to use this winter with DIY terrarium tips from Tangletown Gardens

Terrarium plants need little watering and are a simple way to get some green in your life.

Image credit: Tate Carlson

By: Dana Raidt |   January 2012   |  From the print edition

We asked Tangletown Gardens designer Michael Foley to give us the lowdown on making a stylish, easy-to-maintain terrarium (a selection of humidity-loving plants arranged artfully inside a clear container that serves as a decorative mini-ecosystem).

Terrariums can be made in all shapes and sizes—from tiny buds painstakingly arranged inside an old light bulb to converted aquariums brimming with flora and fauna. Once they’re established, the plants barely need watering and are a simple way to get some green in your life when the outdoors are beyond bleak.

Here's a step-by-step guide, tips from Foley, recommended books and blogs and a handy infographic to get you started (see a high-res image here).

What you'll need

+ Glass, plastic or acrylic transparent container. Glass will give better visibility. The container should have an opening big enough to fit your hand (or a long pair of tweezers, assuming you’ve got ship-in-a-bottle skills). Shop thrift stores for unique jars, vases and fish bowls. It doesn’t matter if your container has a lid, but you will most likely have to water more if it doesn’t.

+ Substrate. A one- to two-inch layer at the bottom of your container helps drain water. Use pea gravel, aquarium gravel or sand from a garden center or plant store.

+ Charcoal (optional). A ¼-inch layer absorbs odors caused by plant breakdown.

+ Soil barrier (optional). A thin layer of peat or sheet moss, or burlap, above the substrate layer keeps soil from filling it.

+ Decorative pieces. Larger items like driftwood or stones should nestle into the substrate layer and will help separate the plants. Accents like sticks, tufts of moss, shells and figurines can be added when plants are placed.

+ Soil. A one- to two-inch layer of potting soil will suffice, and sand or peat moss can be added if desired. Or try mixes for specific plants like orchids and African violets.

+ Plants. Choose small, tropical houseplants that fit inside the terrarium with room to grow. Foley recommends experimenting with pothos, philodendron, Swedish ivy, ferns or bromeliads. Plants prefer moist soil, a humid environment and low to medium light.

Directions

1. Place substrate in the container, varying the depth if desired. Install soil barrier and charcoal, if using.
2. Nestle larger decorative pieces into the first layer(s) and add soil.
3. Put plants in place and fill in with soil to secure, making sure not to cover leaves.
4. Add smaller decorative elements (shells, twigs, figurines) as accents.

Placement

Many hardy tropical plants will grow in moderate ambient light (i.e., near a window); base the location of the terrarium on your plants’ needs.

Watering

Water plants evenly using a spray bottle (it’s OK if some water leaches into the substrate layer). Carefully observe the plants to gauge needs; you might end up needing to water only once per week. Small drops of condensation indicate the right amount of water, big drops indicate too much and no drops indicate too little.

Resources

+ Terrarium Craft by Amy Bryant Aiello and Kate Bryant (Timber Press, 2011)

+ The New Terrarium by Tovah Martin and Kindra Clineff (Clarkson Potter, 2009)

+ thefernandmossery.com and bloomiq.com

+  Tangletown Gardens, 5353 Nicollet Ave. S., Mpls, carries terrariums designed by Foley.