Terrariums For Gardeners Who Don't Have Time or Space!

Have you ever seen those cute tiny gardens in a bottle? That’s a terrarium, a self-sustainable ecosystem with a living, growing plant inside a sealed bottle. Mind blown!

As the owner of four cats, creating a terrarium may possibly be the only way to keep a plant indoors without it being chewed on or peed in…. Plus, if you are popular for inadvertently murdering plants, this artistic, low maintenance option may be your saving grace!   

This year, I have decided that I will use my passion for gardening to create personalized terrariums for my friends and family as Christmas gifts. Making a terrarium is a pretty easy project and the plant growing inside can survive for decades without any watering or other care. So it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

SUPPLIES

Ø Glass bottle or jar with a lid- clear glass bottle, soft drink bottle and liquor bottles which tend to be a little fancier, and can make a beautiful enclosure. Recycled jam or pasta sauce jars can work too. Be sure to thoroughly wash and dry.

Ø Pebbles or gravel- You can collect free outdoors or purchase some colored decorative stones. The pebbles to allow excess water to drain.

Ø Plants- look for small (tiny) plants that you can get inside your jar and won't grow too large.

Ø Activated charcoal- This discourages mold growth, find this at the pet stores or gardening shops. 

Ø Peat moss- or sphagnum moss- This acts as a net to keep your soil from washing down into the rocks, you can find this in almost any Trini yard!

Ø Potting soil- Purchase from the plant shop. 

Ø Decorations to make each terrarium unique- think of a theme or small scene to create in your terrarium bottle little figurines, old toys, glass beads, shiny metal object, sticks, stones, or even a layer or rocks, you get the picture.

METHOD

Ø Layer- Start by adding a 1-inch layer of small pebbles or gravel to the bottom of the bottle. Then, add a thin layer of activated charcoal, a thin layer of moss then 2-3 inches of soil. The magic ratio is to have 1/3 of your container filled and 2/3 remaining space.

Ø Add plants- Use a hanger or chopsticks to maneuver plants into the soil. Be sure to cover roots completely covered. 

Ø Decorate- Add some decorative pieces on top to complete your scene.

Ø Add a little water (not too much!), and seal it up if it’s an open terrarium and it’s complete!

MAINTENANCE

If your terrarium is closed, water once a month or so. Use only distilled water in your terrarium so calcification deposits from tap water do not build up. If a lot of water is condensing on the sides of the bottle,  algae start to grow or pooling water is apparent, there’s too much water inside so open the bottle to let it air out for a few hours.

Don't fertilize the plants to prevent them from growing too big for the bottle.

Place the bottle somewhere around a window, but not directly in the sunlight as this can scorch your plants. Not enough sunlight and the plant will not live.

Now sit back, relax and watch your terrarium thrive!