Terrariums~ The Answer to Low Maintenance House Plants

Spring is in the air!  Every spring when the weather turns nice, I start thinking about

growing plants.  My husband is the gardner around here.  He plants tons of bulbs in the fall so come spring, our yard is covered in beautiful tulips,daffodils and many other flowers.  I love fresh flowers inside too, but typically the only flowers growing inside my house are orchids.  I adore cut flowers and almost always buy a bunch from the local market each week but that is about the extent of indoor growing things.  Plants dont' exist in my world for more than a few weeks, then they turn yellow, drop their leaves and die.  I have always loved plants though.  I my love of plants comes from my childhood.  My mother has a green thumb and can grow anything.  My grandmother was the same way.

My Aunt Betty and Uncle Warren owned a lovely garden center in Charlotte, NC, when I was child.  I was always fascinated by the terrariums she would create.  You could tell she enjoyed making them.  She would choose her plants and within no time, she would have a beautiful work of art within the giant glass container. We had one we kept on the glass coffee table in our family room.  I would sit and glaze at it as a child and ponder the possibilites that there was miniature life among the plants.  I loved the way the moisture would bead up on the glass from time to time.  My mother still keeps a terrarium in her family room to this day.  When I visited my parents over the holidays, I saw their terrarium and thought about planting one for my house.  It might be the only type of living plant that I can't kill.  Since terrariums are basically self contained with little or no effort this might be the perfect plant for me.  (read more after the break)

I went online to see what information I could find about planting a terrarium.  I was happy to find lots of information on "how to create a terrarium".   I discovered they are in quite "in vogue".  Next I went surfing to see what kind of containers would work for my terrarium.  I found everything from hanging planters to oversized glass containers that can side on tables.  Here are a couple of  options of containers I liked from West Elm.

Courtesy of West Elm

Courtesy of West Elm

Here are a couple of options from Pottery Barn.  The hanging one would be nice anywhere you don't have a lot of space.  These would make great graduation gifts.

Courtesy of Pottery Barn

These give you the feeling of a conservatory

Courtesy of Pottery Barn

I especially loved this one on a stand from Fort Standard

Courtesy of Fort Standard

Credit: Fort Standard


The one we had in my childhood home was a simple one much like the one below.  Our bowl looked like an oversized fish bowl.

Credit Emily Rodriguez

Here are a couple of links to get you started if you want to create one of your own:

Better Homes and Garden

Container Gardening

Not only is container gardening fun, but it is also a oxygen booster for your room.

I'm on the prowl for all the supplies to create my terrarium this week!  It's another one of those sweet memories from my childhood which will bring me joy!