The Miniature World Of Trendy Terrariums
WHAT WAS ONCE OLD CAN BECOME NEW AGAIN. Fifteen years ago, growing a terrarium or finding the needed plants and supplies was difficult. Growing plants in this type of environment can be traced back to the 19th century and was still quite popular in the 1960s and ’70s. Now they are back in style and in a big way.
A TERRARIUM IS SIMPLY A CLOSED OR ALMOST CLOSED container where plants are grown. A terrarium can be dry or moist, and styled as a desert, tropical, or woodland environment depending on your preference and the plants you choose. A terrarium can consist of one or more plants depending on the size of the container and style. Do not mix plants that prefer opposing environments.
ANY CLEAR GLASS CONTAINER WITH A NARROW NECK or lid will do, from a simple glass candy jar to an extravagant Wardian glass-enclosed case made specifically for terrariums. Only a small amount of soil is required. Use a prepackaged peat-based potting soil for a moist environment or buy a sandy cacti and succulent mix for a dry environment. The soil is generally covered for decorative purposes with moss or stones after planting.
TERRARIUMS ARE CONSIDERED SELF-SUPPORTING environments, whether wet or dry, and need very little care. In the moist environment, moisture from the soil and leaves condenses on the glass and runs back to the soil. Condensation is normal and the closed container only needs to be vented when the glass becomes too cloudy. In a dry environment, the dry air is maintained by the closed container and is not influenced by the humidity of the surrounding area; any excess moisture should be vented.
MOST PLANTS THAT PERFORM WELL IN A TERRARIUM need medium light and need to be placed near or in a window. Because of the restricted growing conditions, plants will generally stay small and not grow to their normal size, allowing us a wide range of choices.
THE MOST COMMON TERRARIUMS FEATURE a moist growing environment. Some of the most popular moisture-loving terrarium plants include: Adiantum-veneris, Venus hair fern; Chamaedora ellegans, parlor palm; Ficus pumila, creeping fig, Pteris cretica, Cretan brake fern; Peperomia caperata, ripple peperomia; Phyllitis scolopendrium, Hart’s tongue fern; and Selaginella martensii, club moss fern.
ASK THE GARDENER
by Angie McManus
Q I have a large area (30’x9’) on the west side of my house. It has clay soil. It only gets about two hours of sun. What can I grow there? Weeds do well, but I want something pretty even if it’s bushes, or something that requires minimal attention.
A The first thing to do is tackle the existing weeds and get the area ready to plant. Hand pulling is the best option; just make sure to get the root system as well as all the foliage. Some weeds have long taproots, so a weeding tool might come in handy. Also keep in mind that there are cool- and warm-season weeds, so you may see other weeds pop up later in the season after you get the area planted.
You have lots of planting options. If you want an evergreen shrub that will give you year-round interest, you might consider aucuba, mahonia, pieris japonica, taxus, boxwood, or evergreen azaleas. Oakleaf hydrangea would be another good option but is deciduous and would not provide any winter interest.
There are many shade-loving perennials that would thrive there. We always think of ferns and hostas when it comes to a shade garden, but heuchera, tiarella, hellebore, columbine, epimedium, plumbago, acanthus, and spigelia are just a few perennial options.
