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When you think of a terrarium, I'll bet the first thing that comes to mind are those made from aquariums. Maybe you think of the old Victorian types that need a lot of space. Think again!! You don't need a lot of space or money to have a cute little terrarium.
Terrariums can come in many shapes and sizes. In a previous article, I used an old aquarium as an example. Here I will show other types of containers that are suitable to use, that don't require their own table or shelf. Basically, the same ingredients are needed, a layer of gravel for drainage, a bit of activated charcoal, sphagnum moss and soil. Many people like to put a layer of sphagnum on the top as well for these. With the small openings found on some of these it may be neccessary to use a piece of paper rolled into a cone to get the gravel and soil in without messing up the sides of your jar. Chop sticks and kitchen tongs work for planting if you can't get your hand in.
Plastic salad bowls. You can generally acquire these at any fast food restaurant that sells salads. They even come with a lid. You can put holes in the lid to help control humidity. Most places would gladly part with a few, or, you can go the healthy route and buy the salad for yourself and then recycle the container into a mini paradise. You can also find them here. The pretty one to the left was created by our own gessiegail.
Believe it or not, even a wineglass can be a suitable growing environment. Tiny Sinningias, Mini African Violets and even a few carnivorous plants such as Venus Flytrap(Dionaea muscipula) and Pinguicula would be good candidates for this container...Photo on the right courtesy of Va_Wild_Rose.
The photo on the left is a yogurt container, credit to Keyring. This has a narrow mouth so really doesn't need a lid. You could cover with plastic wrap if the soil is drying out too quickly.
Any kind of small container will work, glass cookie jars, used jam jars, large candle holders. Dollar stores and yard sales are chock full of unique little jars that can be used. As with the larger versions, direct sun should be avoided and watering should be done carefully, from every few weeks to almost 3 months. The plants will create their own micro climate. Special attention must be paid to the atmosphere in your mini terrarium. Adjust the cover if the sides are steaming up too much, this can lead to rot. Any rotting leaves should be immediately removed to prevent the rot from spreading. Mini Ferns, Mini Begonias, creeping Ficus, are other suitable plants for these smaller containers.
Why not try a few herbs? Herbs? Did she say herbs? I think our friend Lee Anne has lost it, you are probably thinking. Herbs need sun, and sun fries little terrarium plants. This is true...but...there are wonderful little spot grow lights on the market these days. You can buy grow bulbs to fit in almost any lamp, be it desk or table top.There are also many mini Herbs available, Woolly Thyme, Creeping Thyme, Basil, Corsican Mint, Creeping Savory to name a few. Of course you will be pinching these for use in cooking so they will stay small.
You can also add a decorative touch. Little ceramic frogs, toads, a pretty rock, all can be placed in with the plants. Maybe tie a lace ribbon around the rim or stem of the jar. A butterfly or bird that are used for decorating gifts would be pretty in there. Let your imagination wander. Have fun with it!!
Thanks to Plantladylin for the use of her photo at the start of this article.
About Lee Anne Stark
I am an avid gardener who shares my gardens with 2 other equally avid gardeners. I garden for fun and relaxation, never paying attention to the rules!! During the long, cold winter months I occupy my time playing with over a hundred house plants, my six cats and two dogs.
Posted by WendyCal (from Gillett, TX) on January 31, 2008 at 12:51 AM:
Your article was MOST interresting and informative, and i'll be trying my hand at a terrarium!
Any plans to include a list of suitable plants? That would be the only thing i can think of that would make this an even better article!
Thank you for your time and effort, Lee Anne!
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Posted by threegardeners (from North Augusta, ON) on January 31, 2008 at 7:59 AM:
Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Maybe I should write another article on mini plants...
Lee Anne
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Posted by WendyCal (from Gillett, TX) on January 31, 2008 at 3:25 PM:
No kidding! i found a couple of web sites that had a BUNCH of mini plants, but most were for Bonsai containers ~ trees and shrubs. Yet and still, i found a couple of mini flowers, which is what i'm most interested in. (Seems like it's EASY to pick out the leafy plants, but the flowers are much harder to find!)
Oh! And i DID write down the plants you mentioned in this article. (Cripes ~ i'm going through steno pads like no tommorow! lol)
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Posted by threegardeners (from North Augusta, ON) on January 31, 2008 at 3:44 PM:
LOL...I always thought the computer would save some paper, but now I have more sticky notes around than I ever did!! Usually find the important ones stuck on a cat...
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Subject: Great article!
Posted by plantladylin (from East Central, FL) on January 25, 2008 at 10:35 AM:
Another great article, Lee Anne! I sure hope folks will give terrarium gardening a try ... so much fun for the young and old alike! And, so easy to do! I really enjoy planting terrariums and have used plastic salad bowls as you describe as well as wine glasses, glass cookie jars and even heavy 5 gal glass water jugs from the 1970's. I had two of those heavy jugs planted years ago, but dropped one a long time ago and it shattered! I still have one of them planted up (not the original plants, I change them out every few years!) Nowadays the big water jugs are plastic and blue in color but this is heavy glass. I did cheat with this one ... it has a very short narrow neck so my husband took the jug to a glass cutter and had them cut a hole in the back side of it for easy access to planting! I think I posted a photo of it awhile here's another of how it looks today. I will probably re-do it a little before long, maybe change out a couple of plants!
Thanks again for another great article on Terrariums!
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Posted by Dea (from Frederick, MD) on January 25, 2008 at 3:34 PM:
I'd never thought of anything other than aquariums.....great ideas !
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Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on January 25, 2008 at 4:12 PM:
Lee Anne, what a great job on this article! So many possibilities, and each suggestion sets people to thinking....
Thanks for all the info and the fun read.
Yokwe,
Shari
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Posted by gessiegail (from Taft, TX) on January 25, 2008 at 6:14 PM:
Lee Anne, I just stopped at a favorite nursery to pick up plants for 'under cover' of any kind. Thanks for writing this article. Terrariums are one of my favorite ways to grow. Now I am getting braver with fittonias, all kinds of ivies, syngoniums and many other plants.
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Posted by doccat5 (from Fredericksburg, VA) on January 25, 2008 at 7:39 PM:
Good information and wonderful ideas, thanks for sharing :)
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Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on January 25, 2008 at 11:27 PM:
What great ideas! I have some pretty jars I've saved with this in mind, but haven't gotten around to doing anything. Maybe this is just the inspiration I need. Thanks, Lee Anne
~ jan
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Posted by threegardeners (from North Augusta, ON) on January 26, 2008 at 8:31 AM:
Thank you all. I love the little terrariums as much as the bigger ones. Glad you all enjoyed reading about them.
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Subject: Re: Terrariums: Anything goes!!
Posted by gardenmart (from Saugus, MA) on January 25, 2008 at 9:31 AM:
What a great article! I have several terrarium books from the 1970's and they almost all used large glass bottles or containers as examples. This was before the development of many forms of plastic.
I am the Junior Flower Show chairperson for the Flower Show in Boston. I have seen many styles of containers used as entries by our kids. There was the old style plastic soda bottle, large canning jars, and small aquariums. I have also made terrariums with my garden club and with my daughter's Girl Scout troop.
I have three favorite entries from past shows. One was a terrarium made from a large clear Christmas ornament, the kind you get at a craft store to decorate yourself. It utilized a canning jar ring as a stand. Our exhibitor had three tiny plants and some moss in it. Needless to say, it fascinated the judges and won a blue ribbon. The other is an entry that was made in the globe of a gumball machine! It had a large enough globe for several plants and a removable lid to maintain or adjust moisture. This entry also made a hit. My daughter made one with a single sago palm in a large brandy snifter. She lined the snifter with clear glass pebbles so that the soil could not be seen. This also fascinated the judges and she won two prizes for this. They wanted to know where the soil had gone!
We found that we could not place the terrarium entries directly under the path of the stage type lighting that is utilized in our exhibit hall as it warmed up the entries too much, just as the sun would.
I would also say that you must not view your terrarium as a static piece. If you use a 10-15 gallon fish tank for your terrarium {as I do} or a smaller container, that this should be viewed as a work in progress. Successful plantings will grow quickly and need to be pruned or replaced by smaller plants. I have a variety of small figurines that I put in mine as well to keep it interesting, as this terrarium lives in my dining room with a small flourescent aquarium light on top. I have kept this for over 14 years.
I enjoyed all the pictures as well. Thanks!
Martha
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Posted by threegardeners (from North Augusta, ON) on January 25, 2008 at 11:41 AM:
That's a good point Martha, a terrarium is never finished, just like an outside garden. I am always fiddling with mine.
Plastic salad bowls. You can generally acquire these at any fast food restaurant that sells salads. They even come with a lid. You can put holes in the lid to help control humidity. Most places would gladly part with a few, or, you can go the healthy route and buy the salad for yourself and then recycle the container into a mini paradise. You can also find them 
The photo on the left is a yogurt container, credit to Keyring. This has a narrow mouth so really doesn't need a lid. You could cover with plastic wrap if the soil is drying out too quickly.
