Every single time I go on Pinterest I end up in a weird terrarium rabbit hole. I love them. They look like miniature fairy gardens and as a little girl who was raised in a pre-internet era, I spent many hours building tiny mystical lands in shoe boxes with off cuts from my mother’s plants and Glad Bag ponds. After wasting another 2 hours looking at pictures of terrariums, I figured it was time to make my own. I googled a few how tos and then promptly lost interest when they said I needed charcoal and sphagnum moss. The purchasing of items not found at my local supermarket is enough to put me off any project but then this weekend Mr Smaggle went all gardener on me and decided he wanted to plant a climber. Nurserys make me bored so instead of annoying Mr Smaggle while he was chatting about potting mix, I decided to buy some terrarium bits and pieces and do some procrasti-gardening when we got home.

 

How To Make A Terrarium

1. Find a pot (or a jar or a bottle) with no drainage holes.

Terrariums like it wet.

2. Sprinkle a layer of small stones or pebbles in the bottom of your pot.

This will provide just enough drainage so that your terrarium won’t drown.

3. Add a sparse layer of chunky charcoal.

I chopped mine up with old gardening scissors but you can smash it with a hammer too.

4. Add a ‘well’ of sphagnum moss.

They guy at the nursery said terrariums like to be ‘cuddled’ by sphagnum moss. Naaaaaw! Also say ‘sphagnum’ a few times out loud. It’s such an awesome word to say.

5. Add soil if needed and your plants.

My plants provided enough soil but you may need to add more. I wanted a very dense terrarium so I packed them in. I chose a Venus Fly trap, a few small ferns and some Baby Tears as a grass like filler in the gaps.

6. Trim all the dead bits off your plants.

7. Place in a bell jar.

 

Notes…

* Don’t be scared of charcoal and sphagnum moss. They’re very normal things that you can buy at the nursery.

* Bell jars and bottles can be found at industrial vintage stores. I bought mine from 84 Smith Street and they ship Australia wide. I found the pot on the side of the road a few years ago (true story) but you can get similar ones at nurserys. You can also build them in fish tanks, wine bottles and light globes.

* Ask at the nursery which plants they recommend for terrariums.

 Have you ever made a terrarium? Do you totally think that fairies live in there?