How to build a Terrarium

Who doesn't love the idea of a terrarium? They look absolutely stunning, and when done correctly, need very little maintenance.

But that's the thing... They need to be done correctly.

It's not quite as straight forward as choosing your favourite plant and popping it inside that beautiful new terrarium. But with a little research, you can get the perfect looking terrarium in no time.

The first thing to do, is select which kind of terrrarium you'd like. You can get big bell jars, but they do have a very small narrow neck which can be tricky to deal with. You can get ones with a cork lid, ones with no lid, and some which are more like glass pots. There is pros and cons to all of them but I would suggest go with the one you like the look of more. Some people will disagree with this, which is fine, but I always feel that people tend to care for things better (and make more of an effort) when they really like how something looks.

My personal favourite is one similar to the photo above. I like how you can make it look as though nature is pouring out of the top!

Once you have selected your terrarium, the next step is to think about substrate. Terrariums are fairly complex mini eco systems so choosing the correct soil is paramount to your success. Due to the plants being in what is effectively a glass bowl, you must make sure they have some sort of drainage or their roots will rot. So... base layer... gravel. Pop in a good layer of gravel to the bottom of your terrarium. The amount will depend on the size of your terrarium, but don't be shy with it.

The next addition, is going to be activated charcoal. This is really handy in your terrarium as it does a few things, so please don't skip this step. The charcoal will keep your water fresh and will also help to fight off any bacterial growth that might occur. You can get activated charcoal really easily off ebay or amazon at a really good price.

Up next is good old potting soil! This will depend a little on what plants you are planning to add. If you are planting cacti or succulents, Id recommend using something a bit more gritty. Preferably something with sand in. You can buy this type of soil online in a range of different places. For any other type of plant, id recommend the potting soil we sell at PaisleyFlamingo. We make sure we use the best ingredients to help your plants flourish. It has great drainage properties too!

Once you have your soil in, your nearly done! Last up is plants!

There are so many plants which work fantastically in terrariums. As I previously mentioned, you can keep cacti and succulents. They do make a great display and give a desert feel to your terrarium.

One of my favourite plants in my terrariums are Hypoestes, aka polka dot plants. These funky plants come in a few different colours which look great when planted together. The pink and green go so well together!

Peperomias are also cool little plants to put inside. There are roughly 1000 different varieties so have a shop around and see which one you like best.

Ferns are another group of plants which thrive in terrariums. If you dedicate a terrarium solely to ferns, you can keep the soil a little damper and have a really wide variety of different ferns. I find it much easier to care for ferns in this way that to have them potted up around the house.

My last recommendation is air plants. I don't think they always get the credit they deserve. They come in a huge array of different varieties and contrary to popular belief they do flower! They look stunning in flower and a terrarium dedicated to just air plants would look stunning.

These hanging terrariums are a great way to display your air plants. This variety is Tillandsia. When you display them in this way, it gives a really sleek and clean design as substrate is unnecessary. Combine 3,4 or 5 of these in front of a window and they would look great.

If you have any recommendations, please leave them in the comments.

Thanks for reading!