Bespoke Terrarium

by Chia Yulo October 09, 2014

When I moved to my own place, I was dying to get a plant of some kind as I read this was one way of making the place a bit more homey. Living in an apartment makes me feel so cooped up and bringing the outdoors in is definitely an appealing thought. The thing is, I do not have a green thumb. I can barely keep anything alive much less make something grow from scratch. Luckily, my friend Raab had the perfect solution – a terrarium.

A terrarium is a miniature ecosystem for plants and the best part is that it’s perfect for city dwellers like me especially since it requires very minimal maintenance. I can go out of town for the weekend and not worry. Raab actually recommends not touching it at all. Just leave it alone in a well lit but area but not in direct sunlight. If anything, a spray of distilled water once in a while is more than enough and only if it looks dry. I spent a breezy afternoon on his rooftop learning how to make one of my own.

We Used:

A Glass Container with A Cover

Rocks in different colors and sizes

Sterilized Soil

Plants that grow well in shaded areas

Long Tweezers

Start with the biggest rocks and line the entire bottom.

Add the smaller rocks on top.

Put as many layers and colors of rocks as you like until you fill most of the bottom.

It should look something like this.

Pat everything down gently.

Next, add your soil. This soil is sterilized and mixed with a bit of sand for color and texture.

Add a layer enough for the roots of your plants to go and pat down gently to pack it all in.

Figure out how you want your terrariuml to look and clip a few plants of your choice.

Make sure you get all the roots intact.

Place them gently in with your tweezers and bury the roots in the soil.

Place more plants in where you like.

When you have everything the way you want, very lightly add another thin layer of colored rocks around the plants in your terrarium.

Place your cover on top to seal it. I chose this bird because it looks so cheerful and happy.

Display!

Make as many as you want and add more elements in like a clay wall, shells or small toys.

I am so pleased with my terrarium! It reminds me of my parents house. They are surrounded by a tropical rainforest and it is actually a bird sanctuary! They wake me up there every morning. I feel like I have a little piece of home in my own little city apartment. I am also happy to report that it has been a little bit over a month and I have not opened or touched it once. My plants are not only alive but also thriving!!!

Are you a bit bird obsessed too? Check out Intricado's new drops. There are embroidered tops, dresses and jackets in super comfortable cotton and linen fabric.