Make My Own Terrarium

I have had a little obsession lately with succulent plants and terrariums. My mom made fun of me when she came out here for Christmas because I kept pointing them out whenever I would see one at Zupan's or other local shops. Apparently they were very popular in the 60s and 70s, so my mom thinks they are for old ladies. Little does she know, they are back "in"!

This past weekend, a few of my friends invited me to a "terrarium making party". This was actually a perfect idea because it is easier to buy the supplies for a group. If you are only making a few terrariums, you will end up having quite a bit of supplies left over.

Most of the plants that I chose were succulents. I did pick a few rain forest plants for a wet terrarium, but I tend to kill house plants, so I think having dry plants may help to turn my brown thumb into an olive green thumb. ...it's just a theory.

Here are all the plants and jars that I bought. I ended up trading a few of them once I got everything laid out, but this was the "first draft" lay-out.

I was a little nervous to get started, but it turned out to be easier than I thought. There are a few things to keep in mind if you decide to make your own. Firstly, you cannot mix rain forest plants with succulent plants. Dry with dry, and wet with wet. Secondly, since I was using all glass jars, I needed a layer of rocks on the bottom. This is to add a little drainage and prevent over watering. It is actually necessary in both the succulent gardens and the terrariums. I also cut out a shape of weed fabric to fit over the bottom rock layer so the soil on top does not settle into the lower rock layer. Next, add a layers of dirt, moss and rocks as you wish. Make sure to use cactus potting soil with the succulents. I mixed charcoal with both potting soils because we watched a video on YouTube saying this would help control water. Below are the results.

This was my biggest container. I made it to fit on a bench that sits beneath a table in the kitchen. In hindsight, I should have bought plants with a wider range of colors. Luckily, I had a cool letter Z in order to offset all the same green.

Super cute!

 This is the wet terrarium that I made. It's a jungle in there!

 

I ended up trading the fern that I brought for these two with more color variation.

 I was actually really excited about this one. I found the glass brick at a local antique shop. What a perfect terrarium container I thought to myself. :)

A little peek inside.

Last but not least, this little plant sits right on the window sill in the kitchen. I think that these little ones would make a great house warming gift. Easy to keep alive, and super cute!

One of the great things about using succulents is that as they grow and you prune back the leaves, you can actually stick the leaves into soil and they will start to root. You can make one plant last forever! Also, since the roots don't spread too far, they are very easy to change and re-plant if they get too large for the placement. I learned all of this from the lady at the flower shop, so we shall see if her word hold true. For now, my new terrariums are a warm addition to the house. I told you they were cool mom!

Until next time...