Terrarium Time

OK, so I realize that the homemade terrarium is like the biggest DIY blog cliche but this just had to happen this week because…

Its former state was this, which just has to be really bad karma. This has been sitting like this for longer than I care to say.

I have been frustrated by my lack of completed projects lately and banging this out was super gratifying.

Making a terrarium is not rocket science. The only important trick I feel is to work dry -the plant shouldn't have any droplets of water on the leaves, the potting soil should be as dry as possible, and obviously the container should be freshly cleaned and dried thoroughly. This keeps the soil from sticking to the glass and leaves of the plant as you add it.

I only used a 4" fern in this. Sometimes I fill the bottom of the vessel with small pebbles for drainage but skipped that here. Terrariums fog up if they get direct sun so I chose a plant that will be happy in a moist environment but not need direct light. I want this plant to be bursting out of this container.

First drop in the plant, then add dirt. Shake the leaves around to get all the dirt off them then wipe down the inside of the glass with a paper towel. Water sparingly after. Better to add water over a few days than to overwater the first. 

I have made many terrariums in my day. They are a good auction item for school fundraisers and always a good gift for the right person. Here's a more ornate one that Ethan and I made a couple years ago.

Comparatively, this is a plain Jane but still nice none the less and a huge improvement to what was in there before.

Go ahead, let me know. Terrariums:  Cliche or still OK?