Gardens Under Glass: How to Make Your Own Terrarium

Terrariums first gained popularity during the Victorian era after Nathanial Ward inadvertently grew grass in a glass enclosure. They enjoyed a revival in the 1970s, albeit commonly using clunky glass vessels and paired with macramé.

But terrariums today boast cleaner lines and a touch of whimsy. They come in many shapes, sizes and can either be open at the top or have a lid.

Putting together your own living terrarium is relatively easy. Here’s what you need:

• A clear glass vessel
• Decorative stones or river rock
• Horticultural charcoal (can be found at garden centers)
• A coffee filter or sphagnum moss
• Growing medium (soil used for growing cacti works well)
• Miniature plants and/or live moss

To start, gently add about 1 to 2 inches of rock at the base of your container. This will allow for drainage.

Add a light layer of the charcoal on top of the rock layer. The charcoal acts as a filter, preventing the moisture from becoming too stagnant.

To keep the soil from trickling down into the rocks, you'll need to add a barrier. You can use a coffee filter or sphagnum moss for this. Which one you use depends on your taste and the size of the jar (the moss will take up more space). If using a coffee filter, you may need to cut it to fit your container properly. If you use moss, use just enough to cover the charcoal below.

Once you have the barrier in place, add 3 to 4 inches of premoistened soil. You can fashion a funnel out of newspaper to direct the soil where you want it to go and keep it from dirtying the glass.

Be sure that whichever plant you use is free of insects. If you notice any bugs, eradicate them before putting them in the container. Your local garden center can tell you the best method for this.

To install your plant, simply make a hole in your soil to accommodate the plant’s root ball and place the plant inside. It’s best to make sure no leaves touch the side of the glass, as this can cause the leaf to decompose. Depending on the size of your vessel, you may want to add more than one plant. However, a single specimen can act as a dramatic focal point. You may want to start with one and add more only if the scale of the container requires it.

To give the terrarium a true landscape feel, you may want to add accents such as larger rocks to give the appearance of boulders. For a touch of whimsy, you can add miniature railroad figures and structures.

Once you’ve set your scene, you may either cover the soil with small pebbles or leave it in its natural state.