Fix.com Terrarium Infographic

Source: Fix.com

Pro Terrarium Designer Shares Tips

Photo by Lori Adams,
San Diego Union Tribune
 

 New York Botanical Garden terrarium expert Maria Colletti shares tips from her book "Terrariums: Gardens Under Glass" with San Diego Union Tribune readers. I paraphrase a few tips here, but be sure to read the whole article at the San Diego Union Tribune.

Free Plants: Collecting jade plant pups, succulent pups, or bits of moss from your yard or a park is a great way to obtain small plants to fuel your terrarium fever.  Just be sure to examine for bugs.

Best Face Forward: When placing your plants in your terrarium vessel, turn the plant in place so that its best side faces out.  Angle leaves or branches away from adjacent plants.

Live in a Luxe Terrarium in London

Wardian London, photo from wallpaper.com

Wardian London is a hot new property going up a luxurious residential building modeled after the Wardian case we all know and love. Developers EcoWorld Ballymore, Glenn Howells Architects, and Camlins landscaping collaborate to develop a living space full of exotic greenery, including a lush pool area and pocket gardens on balconies.

'We have identified that people are placing more importance on green space to provide an escape from city life,' says Camlins landscape specialist Huw Morgan. 'With Wardian London, we have woven in elements of greenery into the entire development from the sky gardens to the outdoor swimming pool, and the landscaped spaces within the public areas. Based on the expert knowledge  of our rare plant hunters, we have been able to source more than a hundred different exotic species of plants and flowers from across the world which we will use throughout the development, creating a tranquil oasis that brings the outside in.'

Read more at wallpaper.com.

Exclusive Offer on Terrarium Figurines

Siamsmalls.com fairy figurines for fairy garden, photo by Janet Linn

Thank you all for your interest in The Fern and Mossery Terrarium Mini Ceramic Figurine Set Give Away, as provided by Siamsmalls.com.  The figurine sets have been mailed off to the lucky winners of the contest but you can still get your hands on your favorite ceramic figurines set.

Siamsmalls.com has offered a special discount for readers of The Fern and Mossery, 20% off with promo code "SSFM20". Thanks again to Siamsmalls.com for this give away!

Miniature Frog Figurines for Terrariums

Check out these adorable ceramic frog figurines from Siamsmalls.com, perfect for a terrarium or a fairy garden.  The frogs sport a variety of poses and designs, including bright tropical tree frogs and natural looking garden frogs.  Siamsmalls.com ceramic figurines range from one to two and a half inches and have a gloss finish that resists water and sun damage. Check out Siamsmalls.com for the entire range of ceramic animal figurines and other lovely miniatures, and enter the Fern and Mossery Give Away!

I'll be giving away three figurine sets pictured on an earlier post. Enter to win on the entry form located here. Winners will be contacted via email in early October!  Thank you to Janet Linn for posing and photographing these frog miniatures among her own terrariums and fairy gardens.

Terrarium Mini Ceramic Figurine Set Give Away

Finding the right miniature figurines for a terrarium can make all the difference! Siamsmalls.com offers ceramic figurines that will resist water and fading, perfect for a high humidity terrarium or an outdoor fairy garden.  These small painted ceramic figurines range from 1 to 2 inches tall and have flat bases, perfect for nestling among the moss or ferns in your terrarium or dish garden.  Check out Siamsmalls.com for the entire range of ceramic miniature animal figurines and other lovely miniatures, and enter the Fern and Mossery Give Away!

I'll be giving away three figurine sets pictured below. Enter the give away using the form at the end of this post or the entry form located here.

Elephants and Panda Bear Figurine Set

The Elephants and Panda Bear set includes three matte finish elephants, one gloss finish elephant, one extra mini gloss elephant, and a gloss panda bear.*

Farm Animal Figurine Set

The Farm Animal set includes all gloss finish figurines including a cat, raccoon, rooster, rabbit, frog, dog, and a extra mini snake.*

Hippos and Water Animal Figurine Set

The Hippos and Water Animal set includes a blown glass sea turtle,  four hippos and one sea otter.*

*Figurine set giveaways do not include decorative mosses, marbles, or glass vessels.

Growing Container Veggies in Outer Space

What if you had to thrive in the same container as your container garden? Astronauts aboard the International Space Station dined on romaine lettuce grown on board in a specially designed planting "pillow" of substrate and nutrients, along with grow lights and sensors. This marks an important step toward subsistence gardening aboard longer space missions or even at a mars colony.

"Each of the six planting “pillows” had a growth medium that includes a type of clay used on baseball fields and controlled-release fertilizer. Red, blue and green LED lights and water injections activated the seeds and allowed them to flourish after 33 days of growth."

The next challenge? Growing plants that use more water and require pollination in space. Read more at wired.com.

Scavenged Terrarium Makes Cover of International Art Magazine

Image courtesy of Pipeline

A terrarium by artist Wawi Navarroza graced the cover of international art magazine Pipeline this month.  The terrarium is part of a larger collaborative art project, wherein Wawi invited people to collect terrarium materials from in and around Manila.  Wawi compiled the disparate results into elegant yet ephemeral terrarium arrangements that highlight the transitory nature of the scavenged plants and materials.  Randz Manucom of Preen reports:

Hunt & Gather, Terraria is a collaboration where Metro Manila urban dwellers were invited by Wawi to search for soil, plants, and ephemera from meaningful locations in the city. These are then arranged inside glass terrariums by Wawi herself and photographed as still-lifes.

Is Moss Magic?

Goblins' Gold (Photograph: Matt Goff)

Oh the attraction of simple moss.  A vibrant green patch, a soft carpet on the forest floor or alongside a creek.  Many terrarium builders seek moss for their projects as its diminutive scale suits terrarium life quite well.  But the world's fascination with moss runs much deeper than just crafting.  Moss has associations with magic, with fairies gardens, with damp and shady glens.  Botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer explores the abstract side of moss in her book Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses.  Her affection for common moss is apparent, but her scientific knowledge of bryology allows her to share stories of some of the world's most spectacular and unusual moss.  Kimmerer describes Schistostega pennata, known as Goblins’ Gold, a unique moss that subsists in a rare habitat where the undersides of rocks along a lake receive reflected light. 

"The shimmering presence of Schistostega is created entirely by the weft of nearly invisible threads crisscrossing the surface of the moist soil. It glows in the dark, or rather it glitters in the half light of places which scarcely feel the sun.... Rain on the outside, fire on the inside. I feel a kinship with this being whose cold light is so different from my own. It asks very little from the world and yet glitters in response."

Read more about this singular book at Brain Pickings.

Living Walls Create Landscapes Indoors

Photo: Ema Peter, Design: Gustavson
Wylie Architects, from The Globe and Mail

Green walls or living walls are an indoor gardener's largest scale project.  The idea of water seeping down walls might be enough to scare you off the idea, but if you are willing to put in a bit more money or effort, you too could arrange a vertical landscape in your dwelling. 

The multi-story living wall design at Lululemon Athletica in Canada contains over 2,000 individual plants, designed by Vancouver design firm Green over Grey.  Employees that work in the building cherish this bit of green to get them through long grey winters. “On one of those dark, rainy, typical Vancouver days … it feels refreshing to come in here” says Lululemon’s Karen O’Connor.  Large scale living walls such as this need a built in feeding and watering system behind the wall.

If built-in infrastructure sounds beyond your pocketbook, there are plenty of modular living plant arrangements that can be displayed on a wall.  Another Vancouver company, ByNature, offers its ModuloGreen living walls, which are soil-based and come with compact automatic irrigation systems.

Read more about compact living wall arrangements at The Globe and Mail.

Which to Use: Craft Moss or Living Moss?

Craft moss above, real moss below.
Photo by Janit Calvo,
The Mini Garden Guru

Moss is a central supply for many popular gardening crafts, including terrariums, fairy gardens, kokedama and more. When do you need to use living moss for your craft and when will craft moss work? The simple answer is: use living moss in projects with real soil and real plants, keep craft moss for "dry" projects, such as a short-term terrarium, a project with fake plants, or no soil.

Living moss is green and vibrant, with fibrous roots visible when you pull apart the pieces of moss. You might find living moss in your yard, the forest or at a garden supplier. You may choose to wash your moss of critters and rocks if you harvest it from your yard. Use living moss alongside other living plants, in displays you want to last and grow.  Examples are fairy gardens and terrariums with living plants. Note that living moss will not thrive in a succulent terrarium with sandy soil.  Moss prefers richer soil and humid conditions.

Craft moss is also known as preserved moss, reindeer moss, and any other dried thing that you might find in a plastic bag at a craft store. It has a brittle touch like a dried sponge, and may have artificial green color applied. It also sometimes appears in fluffy, cloud shaped tufts. Craft moss will not revive with water and soil, but is more likely to become musty and rotten over time. Craft moss is excellent for "one time use" terrarium projects, like wedding centerpieces or displays. Craft moss may also be used in a faux terrarium that contains artificial plants or no soil.

Sphagnum moss is a garden supply product, formed of the long fibrous strands of plant material.  It is often used or to line hanging wire baskets, or kokedama balls.  I also recommend using sphagnum moss to form a filter layer between your terrarium soil layer and gravel layer, to prevent soil mixing down into the bottom of your terrarium.  Sphagnum moss is not to be confused with peat moss, the short fibered, acidic mulch used as soil amendment in container gardening.

Read more about identifying the difference between real moss and craft moss at the Miniature Gardener.

Easy Easter Decor: Wheatgrass in Mason Jar Terrarium

Spring greenery is a natural decoration for Easter, especially lovely green grass.  Bring the spring greenery indoors by sowing some wheatgrass seeds in mason jars! It's all the fun of watching a chia pet grow without the annoying chia-part of the chia pet and will make a precious Easter tablescape....

Photo by Yolanda at Monkey See - Monkey Do.

Terrarium Bauble Tips from Living Mi-Wey

Photo by Linda Davidson/The Washington Post

Michele Weymouth of Living Mi-Wey in Virginia shares a step-by-step guide for creating a succulent terrarium with the Washington Post. I love her signature terrarium bauble: something gold nestled among her terrarium plants.  Other great terrarium decoration ideas include small mirrors, figurines, glass marbles, or beach glass.

How to Water an Air Plant Terrarium

Tillandsia aeranthos in collectie Eric J. Gouda

Air plants or tillandsia make an ethereal addition to an ornament terrarium or hanging terrarium, and are among the most common terrarium plants.  But how to water these spiky beauties?  Traditional air plant care indicates a periodic soak in water to allow for watering.  However, it may be difficult to remove an air plant from an ornament terrarium with a small opening.

Shari Petrucci from the Western Mass Masters Gardeners Association shares a suggestion at Mass Appeal:

"If your air-plants are in a small terrarium and you are unable to remove them for watering, we recommend misting them through the opening once weekly. This method can also be used for our hanging globe terrariums, wall pockets, and apothecary terrariums. Pay close attention that your plants are getting adequate moisture, but are not sitting in water within any terrarium."

Remember that using distilled water in terrariums can reduce the amount of mineral deposits that develop on the glass.  Be sure to visit Air Plants 101 at Mass Appeal to learn more about air plant care.

One Problem in Healthy Terrariums: Vigorous Plant Growth

Speise Morchel Morchella esculenta
by H. Krisp

Part of the fun of terrariums is establishing a little ecosystem of your own design, but sometimes plants make their own monstrous way!  One issue you may encounter in your healthy terrarium is plants outgrowing your terrarium container.  Vigorous plants may require pruning of leaves or stems, and enthusiastic spreading plants may require removal of pup plants.  Also be sure to remove dead leaves, fronds or plants, as they may contribute to rot in your terrarium.

Georgeanne Davis of The Free Press Online shares a funny story about an enthusiastic fungus, as well as some good tips for harvesting terrarium plants:

"In the very first terrarium we ever made we included a tiny morel mushroom. The next day, it had grown alarmingly out of scale in our miniature landscape, and on the morning of its third day in captivity we awoke to find the morel pushing up the lid of its apothecary jar, a fungal Frankenstein."   

Lead Head Glass: Recycled Window Glass Terrariums Catch the Eye of Martha Stewart

Lead Head Glass, a Detroit-based terrarium builder, has caught the eye of Martha Stewart as a top American Made craft outfit.  Chad Ackley and Derek Smiertka re-purpose window glass from deconstructed homes into terrariums.  According to the Lead Head Glass FAQ page, window glass (the kind coming out of homes or businesses) has a different composition than bottle glass, which prevents the two types of glass from being recycled together.  Recycling bottles is easy, recycling window glass: not so much.

Honeycomb House Terrarium
by Lead Head Glass

Lead Head Glass designs a mean terrarium, enough to outshine the eco-friendly sourcing of materials.  In addition to the stacked box design typical to many paned terrariums,  Lead Head Glass terrariums include barrel shaped roofs (Honeycomb House, pictured) and spire-topped gazebos. These stylish pieces were enough to catch the attention of the Martha Stewart Company, as Lead Head Glass is a finalist in this year's Martha Stewart American Made contest, an annual quest to find the best local artisans and entrepreneurs making handmade goods across the country.  Winners will be announced on October 17th so snap up a Lead Head Glass terrarium before they blow up!

Kickstart a Human-Sized Kokedama Forest

My fascination with kokedama has not extended into craft execution (yet) but my interest is renewed but this amazing kickstarter fund for a large scale kokedama installation. Kokedama master Coraleigh Parker for Pickled Whimsy aims to install this hanging bonsai forest at the Tauranga Garden and Art Festival 2014 in New Zealand. Judging by the photos of Pickled Whimsy's citrus tree and orchid kokedama, this project has a fighting chance!

Orchid Kokedama by Pickled Whimsy

Terrariums by Vernon Caldera

"Oz" terrarium by Vernon Caldera

Nothing says spring like a lush succulent terrarium.  Looking for succulent terrarium inspiration or perhaps looking to purchase?  The Houston Chronicle recently had a small write up on Vernon Caldera's terrariums.

While I tend to build sparse terrariums to allow for plant growth, a densely packed terrarium like "Oz" (pictured above) is ready for the immediate spotlight on a dining table or entryway.  If you are looking for a quick display craft rather than a long-term terrarium planting - select small cacti and succulents with blooms ready to open.

Moss-Powered Future? Scientists Create Moss-powered Fuel Cells

Moss-lovers rejoice!  Someday you might be able to power some of your electronics through your favorite fuzzy green bryophyte.  That is designer Fabienne Felder's dream, and several scientists at the University of Cambridge agreed it is worth investigating.

Dr. Paolo Bombelli and plant scientist Ross Dennis have a previous project, using moss as photo microbial fuel cells to power a small lamp.

“On a small scale I think we could soon-ish convert people’s normal houseplants into little power-generators for charging phones,” says Felder. “On a large scale, especially outdoors, the right mix of plants will be crucial and that will need more research, both in terms of plants and irrigation systems, maintenance, etc.”

Read more at wired.com 

Moss-Filled Landscapes Worthy of a Terrarium

Waterfall in "Little Switzerland", Luxembourg. Photo by Kilian Schönberger

The aspect of terrarium crafting I find most appealing is the creation of a miniature dramatic landscape all by my own design.  I hear similar sentiments from other terrarium enthusiasts, who often enjoy including elements of the fantastic or macabre in their designs.

With that said, I imagine many terrarium enthusiasts would appreciate Kilian Schönberger's photography as much as I did.  Schönberger traveled to the further corners of Europe to document the landscapes that may have inspired the darker fairytales from the brothers Grimm.  His photos exude mood, despair, and moss; all key ingredients for a fantastic terrarium.  See more of Kilian Schönberger's photography from his series "Grimm Homeland" at wired.com.