Terrariums
by Margaret Helmstetter

Would you like to travel back in time to the London of 1827? While you may not want the discomforts of that time, you can bring some of the elegance of Victorian England to your home. Wardian cases were discovered by accident, and soon became a virtual necessity for the Victorian home. Today while not needed to protect plants and small animals from the polluted air of London, terrariums can provide a touch of elegance with little care and attention. The nicest thing about terrariums is they thrive on neglect. If your schedule doesn't allow you to spend time on plants daily, a terrarium might be the answer to you.

Building a terrarium is a simple process. The elegance and fun come from choosing just the right glass container. Use your imagination and knowledge of what plants you would like, as well as the location in your home that will become your terrariums home. Your container can be a fish tank; an interesting shaped bottle, or a special bowl. The only requirement is a lid to cut down on moisture loss.

Now you have a container or two for planting, you will need to prepare your plants home. A shallow layer of gravel goes on the bottom. This will allow for drainage, and storage of water. Now add a layer of charcoal covering the gravel to help eliminate odors. The bottom two layers should be about 1 to 1 and 1/2 inches deep. Now comes the layer of soil. Make sure your soil is a light mix for most plants, adding vermiculite, or perlite if needed. The layers of gravel, charcoal and soil should not extend more than 1/5 the depth of the container.

If you would like to contour the soil to add interest now is the time to do it. You can add, or remove small amounts of soil to create interest and spotlight specific plants. You will also want to make sure you didn't get any soil on the sides of the glass.

When getting ready to put your plants in the terrarium make sure they are healthy, disease and pest free. The enclosed area of a terrarium makes this very important. Choose your plants from varieties that are interesting, and good choices for terrarium growth. Some plants are quick growers and will require that you spend more time trimming, and pruning your plants. Other plants require little or no upkeep for months at a time. The following is a short list of popular terrarium plants, but don't limit yourself experiment, and find others that are pleasing to you.

• Small ferns
• Boxwood
• Wild Strawberries
• Violets (miniature African Violets)
• Mosses (these are good as a ground cover)
• Baby Tears (this one requires frequent trimming)
• Creeping Charlie (this one requires frequent trimming)
• Wandering Jew (this one requires frequent trimming)

Decide how you would like to arrange your plants. A good way to do this and arrive at a pleasing arrangement is to draw or mark out an area the same size and shape as the terrarium container then move the desired plants around till you know how you want them. If your terrarium will be visible from all sides, then plan for your taller growing plants to be towards the center. If it will be visible from only two or three sides then taller plants can be towards the back. Do not overcrowd your terrarium, the plants will grow to fill in and create a lush jungle.

Carefully scoop soil away and place your plant's roots in the depression. Fill in with the soil you removed. Take care not to get any on the sides of the terrarium. Firm the soil, and water lightly. If desired you can place small rocks, statues, or other pieces of interest in your terrarium. Close the lid, and set in your chosen location.

The location you have chosen should be indirect light, a quick check to see if there is enough light is to place a newspaper where you want your terrarium to go, and see if you can read it without any additional light. If you can, then you have a good place for your plant. Do not place your terrarium in a window, the sunlight coming in could burn the plants, and create condensation on the sides of your terrarium.

A few of the common problems with terrariums include over watering, and mold growth. If this happens, the easiest solution is to remove the lid and allow it to dry out. Removing, or trimming any plants that are overgrowing the space is part of the needed maintenance. While terrariums are not completely carefree, they require minimal care, and thrive on neglect.