Gardening Under Glass

Build a terrarium for a winter weather DIY project to add a little green indoors. Easy and self-sustaining, and no green thumb required!
Gardening under glass is an escape from the wintery weather and a quick & easy project that anyone can do! A miniature living landscape in the form of terrarium that is self-sustaining, other than the occasional checking for moisture & watering as needed!
This terrarium is one I’ve had for about 10 years from my retail days. I’ve never planted it until now, using it instead on a table as a miniature green house for books.
You can garden under glass with a closed or open terrarium. Closed terrariums should be placed where they will receive bright light, but no direct sunlight, which causes the temperature inside the container to rise and literally cooks the plants.
Besides your container you will need:


~Potting soil with good drainage, I added some vermiculite to mine.


~Pebbles or small stones, for drainage


~Activated charcoal, to keep the soil fresh and prevent it from smelling like a swamp :) I found mine at Petco with the aquarium supplies.


~Plants


~Moss and decorative stones if desired
Place a layer of stones in the bottom of your container, about 2 inches or so. Next add a thin layer of charcoal over the stones. I also mixed in about 1/4 cup of charcoal into my potting mix.
I found my plants at Lowe’s in the tropical plant section. I also picked up a Strawberry Begonia and a Polka Dot Plant which was on clearance that I could divide and give a little TLC, removing the few yellowed leaves, pruning & shaping it a little. After adding your potting mix to the terrarium, place your plants in your glass garden starting with the largest first. I also watered my plants before planting. Gently pack the soil to remove air pockets.
The mini orchid was $9.95, just the right height and the blooms should last for several months. I soaked some sheet moss in water to rehydrate & refresh it and make it easier to work with and piece together for a top layer over the plants.
After adding a layer of moss and I watered lightly, maybe 1/4 cup of water total. I misted everything with a spray bottle of water and then added a few decorative stones.
If your terrarium is closed, take off the top at least once a month to air it out. If you see lots of condensation or have added too much water, leave the top off until it has had a chance to dry out.
You want to avoid over watering which will cause mold to grow. If your terrarium walls have more than 25% condensation, remove the cover until the walls clear. I did this a couple of times the first week after planting. In a closed terrarium, there should be only occasional clouding.
Prune as needed and remove dead leaves and blossoms promptly to keep your Garden Under Glass healthy. Happy Gardening!
Mary @ Home is Where the Boat Is
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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  • Is there a way to keep the plants small (maybe through pruning?) to prevent having to remove them when they out grow the terrarium?
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