Wait! Before you pack it up and shove the holidays back in the attic, put aside those clear glass ornaments. These inexpensive and readily available balls are just the right size for a miniature
terrarium window garden. Even if you've never, ever put a plant in a pot, this is a project you can do.A terrarium is simply a glass enclosure used for growing plants indoors. You probably remember terraria from the dark days of grammar school science class. Terraria got a bad rap mostly from being grown in ugly old fish tanks or large plastic water bottles. Here we reinvent the concept, creating a world-within-a-world that's both simple and a bit sophisticated. Swing by your local nursery on the way home and pick up a few small plants and supplies. This project can be done in an afternoon and is nearly maintenance free. Its habit of thriving on neglect makes a closed terrarium hard to kill and easy to love.
Hands-On Help
Soil
Your terrarium needs a soil mixture that holds water and air and keeps plants firm and upright. Equal parts vermiculite, perlite, and builders sand work best, but good-quality potting soil will do. (Avoid potting soils premixed with fertilizer.) No need to add fertilizer to your tiny terrarium as additional nutrients will make plants grow too fast, quickly overwhelming this small vessel.
Water
To maintain a steadily moist environment, a closed terrarium requires a tight-fitting lid. Because a closed terrarium recycles its moisture, it can go a month or more between waterings. It's important to add water only as needed and only at the base of each plant. (The soil surface will look crusty and the condensation inside the glass globe will decrease when it's time to water.) Don't flood the globe, as this can throw the little ecosystem off balance and lead to mold and rot.
Pinching
Have no guilt about pinching or snipping back the plants. (In fact, that will ensure a fatter rather than taller plant, which is what you're after here.) When warm spring weather arrives, carefully remove plants from the glass orb and transplant outside.
Gather The Goods
• Chopsticks or long tweezers
• Small, soft craft brush
• Eyedropper or medicine dropper
• Glass globe with fitted lid (found at craft- and holiday-supply stores)
• Large sponge with hole cut out
• Small, pointed scissors
• 1/8- or 1/4-inch fine gravel (found at aquarium stores)
• Damp potting soil (without fertilizer)
• Small plants (No-Fail Plant List)
