Renaissance Cafe: A Place for Dreams

Terrariums, originally invented by Nathaniel Ward, an English physician and botanist, are plants inside glass. Actually, they are beautiful, portable works of art. It just so happens that there is a learning element as well. That’s right, when you make a miniature greenhouse, you can learn about eco-systems while enjoying a miniature garden at the same time. All you need is a wide-mouth glass jar, a few small plants and some soil. You can even add a few interesting rocks and twigs to complete the garden.

Plant an indoor garden-in-a-jar with your children for a little family fun, then sit back and watch your garden grow. This mini-ecosystem has a self-contained water cycle: water is absorbed by the plants, lost through their leaves, and then sent back down into the soil. Once the garden achieves the right moisture, it will sustain an ecological balance on its own so you’ll never have to water!

Materials

Glass apothecary jar
Potting soil
Small pebbles or pea gravel (available at garden centers)
Mesh screen (available at garden centers)
Crushed charcoal (available at garden centers)
Scissors
Spray bottle

Instructions

Collect the plants
Take two plastic baggies with you on a walk in the woods, but first put a moistened paper towel in one of the baggies. While on your walk, pick out some small, healthy plants such as moss, ferns and evergreen seedlings. Be sure and leave the roots and soil on your plants or seedlings. Carefully put the collected specimens in the baggy with the roots against the wet paper towel so that their roots won’t dry out. Choose some interesting rocks, bark or twigs covered with lichen or fungus. Use the second baggy to carry your rocks and twigs in. You can also purchase assorted plants appropriate for a terrarium from a nursery or garden center.

Prepare the jar
To prepare a landscape, cover the bottom of a jar* with an inch of pebbles or course sand to allow for drainage. Proper drainage is essential to ensure that the soil doesn’t become over-saturated, which may lead to root rot, and the death of your plants. Follow this by a thin layer of activated charcoal (like you would use in an aquarium filter). The charcoal will help to clean the air of the fumes caused when the organic materials begin to decompose. Place a piece of mesh screen, cut to fit, over the charcoal. You can also use a piece of nylon stocking or a thin layer of sphagnum moss. This is to prevent the soil from sifting down into the drainage layer, which would render it useless.

Cover the screen with a layer of soil as thick as the pebble and charcoal layer combined. You may choose a pre-mixed terrarium soil, or, just add one part coarse builders sand, and one part leaf mold (or humus) to two parts of quality potting mix. While the bottom three layers are laid in evenly, the terrarium will seem more realistic if you add contour to the landscape, with different levels of soil by creating terraces, valleys, and hills. *A terrarium is a great way to recycle that unused fish tank gathering dust in the closet.

Plant the seedlings
Dig small holes and bury the plant roots, being careful not to overcrowd the garden. Arrange any figurines, rocks or twigs around the plants as landscape accents. Using a spray bottle, moisten the soil around the plants.

Cover the container
Tightly cover the jar with a lid or plastic wrap and a rubber band. Place the garden in a spot where it will receive indirect sunlight. Direct sunlight can cause temperatures in the enclosed environment to rise rapidly.

Monitor the eco-system
If water droplets appear on the sides of the container, keep the lid off until they disappear. Add water if your plants look dry. Once the garden achieves the right moisture, it will sustain an ecological balance on its own.

If the leaves begin to yellow after a few months, add a little water soluble fertilizer. Remove any dead plants and leaves. Prune back excessive growth as needed. Otherwise, only open the lid to allow excess moisture to escape.

Kelly Lenihan ©1995-2008 All Rights Reserved