The fun thing about terrariums is that you have permission to grow them in just about any planting vessel you want. That means that if you wish to grow miniature plants in wine glasses or mugs, you can do so. And the results are quite enchanting.
Plant a mini terrarium in any type of glassware, including martini glasses, champagne flutes, coffee mugs and margarita glasses. The bigger the glassware, the more plants and accessories you can fit into your mini terrarium.
To plant an eye-catching mini terrarium that will thrive, do the following.
Remember that less is more. You may want to fit a bunch of cute plants and whimsical accessories into your mini terrarium, but it’s just not possible. Opt instead for planting up several mini terrariums. Container groupings always look nice indoors, and you can design each terrarium around a certain theme.
Choose plants designed for terrariums. Think of baby plants like puppies. Some grow quite large, while others stay compact. Make sure to plant miniature plants designed for small space gardening, or you will soon have plants overtaking the container. Good choices include some mini ivy, various small succulents, pink polka-dot-plant, various mosses, dwarf anthurium, Neanthe bella palm, selaginella, mini African violet and ming aralia.
Prepare. Gather all of the necessary ingredients for your terrarium before you begin planting. For your terrarium planting mix, you’ll need horticultural charcoal, sphagnum moss, potting soil, gravel, perlite, necessary plants and a planting vessel.
Plant. Start by adding a ¼-inch layer of gravel and ½-inch layer of charcoal to the bottom of the glass, followed by a ¼-inch layer of sphagnum moss and 4 inches of potting soil that has a small amount of perlite mixed in. When you’re finished, you should be about an inch below the glass rim. For really small containers, mix all of the ingredients together and use it to fill the glass to an inch below the rim.
Place plants in the terrarium, covering the roots with soil and gently patting down the soil to remove any air pockets. As you plant, maintain a ½-inch to 1 inch between plants and accessories.
Maintain. Grow mini terrariums in a bright location that doesn’t receive direct sunlight, as the interior can get too hot. Good locations include southern and eastern facing windows or under full-spectrum lighting. Water your terrarium about once a week. You only want to water when the top inch of soil has dried out. Overwatering can quickly lead to root rot. Fertilize your mini terrarium once or twice a year, at the most. You don’t want the plants to grow quickly.
Julie Bawden-Davis is a garden writer and master gardener, who since 1985 has written for publications such as Organic Gardening, Wildflower, Better Homes and Gardens and The Los Angeles Times. She is the author of seven books, including Reader’s Digest Flower Gardening, Fairy Gardening, The Strawberry Story, and Indoor Gardening the Organic Way, and is the founder of HealthyHouseplants.com.
