Terrariums

Wow, that server move was (is) bad. I’m terribly sorry for inconveniencing anyone. Everything, I think, is back to normal, except the shop, where you can look but not actually purchase anything. Good times. It’s being looked at right now, so hopefully that will be resolved soon. For the health of my stomach lining, let’s hope it is.

To keep my mind off my troubles this weekend, I made some terrariums. Odd choice, since caring for plants isn’t my strong suit and I usually end up feeling terrible when I throw their lifeless corpses in the trash, but it was worth a shot. A friend turned me on to these terrariums made by Paula Hayes and that was it. This is all her fault!

moss, terrarium

moss, terrarium

*see them all in my Flickr set*

*an inspiring terrarium from Ann Wood*

My containers were all found around the house (my granola and teabags had to find new homes) and the moss was all dug up in the yard and the woods and beaches where Mr. HelloYarn takes Shambles at the weekend. The only purchases were some activated charcoal from the pet store (it’s for aquariums) and a couple of small plants. I’m no expert in this, but I can tell you how I made these. They’re still alive after 3 whole days, so maybe I even did it properly.

Choose plants that like the same treatment. Since I wanted moss, I chose ferns to go with it. Put some stones in the bottom of your container for drainage, then a layer of activated charcoal on top. The charcoal will prevent cooties (scientific term) from growing in the still water. Layer some sphagnum moss to keep the soil from getting down into the rocks and muddying the water, then put the soil on top. Put your plants in, and, if you like, cover the soil with moss. Water thoroughly. If you make a covered terrarium, you won’t have to water it much. If you don’t, you won’t need to water like crazy, since there’s no drainage, but you might have to mist, depending on what plants you chose. My open one has moss and a fern in it, so I’ve been misting it a lot and it’s not dead yet!

14 Responses to “Terrariums”

  1. Elli

    cool! I love your addition of little mushrooms too. I don’t suppose you could throw a moldy bit of wood in there and actually get real live mushrooms? How sweet would that be?

  2. Carol

    Very nice! We’ll check in on the once in while you know…:) Glad you have most of your issues worked out. I was wondering what was happening yesterday!

  3. maryse

    very cool. i had noticed this pictures in your flickr set so i was wondering what you were up to.

  4. Kym

    This looks so much like a science project we did in 5th grade, but these are much nicer-looking.

  5. Amy Boogie

    Cool!! I need to make these with the short one. Server change. ugh. I’ve been contemplating it, now you’re making me think i’m crazy for even thinking about it.

  6. Diana

    These are so great! Just what I need… more projects!

  7. Jen Showalter

    Those are really pretty! We had a giant terrarium when I was a kid, in a big glass bottle. It’s still at my dad’s house! I don’t know if it’s the same plant…but you might be making A Legacy. :)

  8. Arleta

    I hope everything is working right now. How yucky for you.

    Those are so cute. I love the little sheep and mushroomies. Cute!

  9. Kathy

    Those are beautiful! I’m going to go on a mad hunt around my place now to find some containers.

  10. Hollyeqq

    I love them. I just got a new container that would be perfect. I am going to send my sister a link to come look at your pics. My nephews dog died of old age, then Dorothy the fish, then hermie the hermit crab and now he wants a bird. Maybe a terrarium will do! He really wants a dog, mind you, but his mother hasn’t gotten over the loss of their first dog, so she won’t commit. And she is definitely not buying a bird because they live as long as a dog (parakeet, not parrot). So I am thinking Terrarium!
    Thanks
    Holly

  11. Heather

    Oh my, anything that brings tiny, cheerful toadstools inside is bound to lift your spirits!

  12. gwen aka tllgrrl

    Very cool! I’d love to do a couple of these.
    I wonder if they’d survive here in the Vegas desert?
    Hmmm……..

  13. Kirsten

    I love the little moss terrarium. I just posted pictures of some orchid terrariums made out of cookie jars. I found yours on a google image search. I may just have to try a moss one soon….

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