When I worked at Cudmores Garden Centre, I
was often involved in collecting the materials for and putting together the
pre-made planters that were sold. During this time I received a lot of tips
about how to plant the individual items (yes, there is a proper way); as well
as how to organize a collection of plants to make them look the best. I was
interested to discover that succulents/cacti and annuals follow a lot of the
same basic rules. The biggest difference is that terrariums usually include
many decorative objects as well.
In my opinion the most important note to remember when you
start the hands on aspect of any gardening is probably the most commonly
forgotten one; remember plants are
living things too! They require a gentle touch and lots of love just like
anything else we take care of. I found it interesting that not many resources I
explored about the DIY steps talked about the importance of a gentle touch. At
my old job was one the most common tips!
Okay, that’s enough with the
background information. After a bit of searching, I decided these basic guidelines were the most important to
remember when creating your own terrarium.
The first thing to do is to
collect all materials. I will be using an open top container that is suitable
for plants requiring a dry environment; a collection of 3 or 4 (depending on
the size) individual plants in the succulent and cacti families; some
decorative rocks of varied natural colours; a bit of artificial moss and
possibly a few shells.
Once I have my materials laid out
in front of me I will start by placing about an inch of rocks at the bottom of
the container with a small well (hole) in the middle and then cover that with
fiberglass window screen. This bottom layer is needed because my container will
not have a drainage hole, so I need to create a space for excess water to sit
in order to allow the soil to dry out, as the plants require. The well I
created is to help make space for root growth and the fiberglass window
screening is there to stop the soil from falling down into the rocks
Next I will top the fiberglass
screening with a few inches of moist soil. The amount I put in will depend on
the desired look I am after, I will probably decide exactly how much I want to
put in once I have the materials in front of me. The important part is there
needs to be enough soil for proper depth and root growth. The good thing about
succulents and cacti is they don’t need to be planted very deeply. It is also important
to lightly moisten the soil before placing it in the terrarium so the plants
are in a healthy environment as soon as they are planted.
Based on the containers I have
been looking at most recently I will probably choose one that can be looked at
from all angles so I will likely need to plant the tallest plants towards the
middle and the smaller ones around the outside. When I get to the individual
succulents I will first rearrange them on the table within their containers so
I know the desired look I am after. Once I have decided on the placement of
each plant I will take them out and place them in the terrarium one by one.
Before planting it is helpful to remove as much of the excess soil and white
perlite (little white specs) until you are mostly dealing with the roots.
After the plants are comfortably
under the soil I will be able to start placing my decorative materials. For me
it’ll be about simplicity and a clean look. I’ll also want to make sure the
plants aren’t too crowded and have enough airflow.
Take a look at the videos below to
see some other peoples preferred styles for making a Terrarium. The steps are
slightly different than mine, but as long as they have the basics it’s all
about personal preference!
Next on my list of things to
learn is how to properly care for a terrarium and whether my bedroom will be an
accommodating environment for one… fingers crossed!
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