Easy Terrariums

I love plants but our cats also love them and like to eat them…doesn’t matter what type they are, they lick, eat and chew on them and then kill them…unless I put them someplace they can’t reach (which isn’t too many places!) I recently read an article where they made terrariums with tiny dwarf plants but when I started pricing the plants they featured, they were quite expensive. So I decided to use low-cost succulents which are also very easy to maintain. One of the glass containers I used was from a garage sale and the others were purchased at arc. These terrariums are great for low-cost decorating, they make great gifts and if you have children, this could be a fun project to do together. You can get really creative and elaborate or keep it simple…depends on your budget and time. Here’s what you need to get started:

Glass Containers

It can be an open container or one with a lid. The most important thing to consider when choosing your container is can you fit your hand in it. Look around your house, you probably already own a glass bowl, vase, jar or even a goldfish bowl that would work.

Plants

Choose what’s in your budget and what you like. I bought these succulent plants at Home Depot for $2.87 to $3.97. Tiny dwarf plant species work well too (you don’t want fast-growing plants that will outgrow the container). When you purchase your plants, make sure they will actually fit into the container.

Pebbles

These will provide your drainage-I got a handful from our yard.

Potting Soil-Depending on what type of plants you use will determine what type of soil you need. Potting soil that contains lots of peat is good for dwarf plants (like African violet potting soil) or if planting cactus/succulents, there’s cactus mix potting soil. I bought a bag of the cactus potting soil at Home Depot for $3.97 and it was enough to make five terrariums and I only used about 1/4 of the bag.

Water

Luckily, the plants I’ve featured here take very little water, and the potting soil simply needs to stay slightly moist. However, every plant is different, and you should always consult the care card for each plant.

Planting Your Terrarium

Put an inch of pebbles in the bottom of the container. Add 2-3 inches of potting soil and tamp it down. Make a little hole in the soil with your finger, set your plant/plants in and tamp the soil firmly around it. Make sure no roots are exposed. Dampen the soil and you’re done. You can add decorative touches with different rocks or moss if you want.

So you can see these are inexpensive to make, require no “green thumb” ability, and can be as unique and creative as you want to make them.