This month I’m moving away from the flowers and focusing on plants. Succulents and air plants have become very popular in the shop of recent, having been featured heavily on numerous blogs and in the interior magazines over the last year or so. I’ve even been asked to incorporate them in a wedding bouquet. The great thing about them is that they need very little care.
I know that Rebecca has shared her glass display dome with you on Twitter, and I thought I’d show you all how easy it is to create a long lasting and stylish display using a display dome, or even a kilner jar, to create your very own terrarium.
The closed nature of a terrarium creates an environment which is easy to control, and allows you to simulate anything from a desert to a rainforest environment for your chosen plants. The defining feature is that it is an enclosed replica of a natural environment which is in contact with the earth, so some sort of soil, sand, or rock must be present. Typically, the container is clear, allowing an unobstructed view of the contents. If you opt for a closed top terrarium, it tends to be warmer and more humid, while open-topped terrariums are cooler so choose your plants accordingly.
What you’ll need:
- A clear glass container eg. a fishbowl, a storage jar (with or without the lid), or even a regular vase will work.
- A selection of plants – I used an Echeveria and two types of Sedum. Plants that don’t need much water are good choices eg. Orchids, Aloes, Echeveria, Sedum. Ferns work well but require more watering and misting to create more of a rainforest environment.
- Gravel
- Moss – I used Spanish moss (Tillandsia) which is a dry moss. Don’t use a damp carpet moss around the base of succulent plants as the moisture will rot the leaves.
What to do:
- Place the gravel at the bottom of your container to ensure if you do over water, there’s plenty of good drainage to keep the roots from getting waterlogged.
- Create a well in the centre of the gravel where you will place your plants so that most of the compost is hidden from view at the edges of the container.
- Knock off some of the compost from around the base of each plant and plant them into the well you’ve created, using some of the excess compost and more gravel to fill in any holes.
- Dress the top of the soil and gravel with moss.
- Admire!
To keep your display alive, drizzle or spray with water very sparingly. You never want to see a layer of water sat at the bottom of the container.
Please do let me know if you’re going to give this a try and of course just shout if you have any questions.
Becky xx
Hi Becky!
This is probably a really silly question, but where did you pick up the plants? Just B&Q type places?
Thanks
x
We often have them for sale in the shop Lynsey. Any decent garden centre should have them too. Make sure they look plump and healthy before you buy.
Thanks – that’s a wee project for my weekend
x
Snap Lynsey, that was going to be my question too! Becky could you tell me what (if there are any ‘in season’, if in fact they even *have* seasons) succulents I could get to do this which would have actual flowers? (I am gesticulating at my desk and feel I have not explained this question well) x
Now Gemma, I’m no expert on these plants and I’m sure a little internet search to find a specialist nursery/ grower will help but there are lots (if not all – that’s the bit I’m not certain of) of Echeveria and Sedum that flower. The flowers on Echeveria are on long spikes which shoot from between the leaves. They’re not the most long lasting of flowers though so I’d choose your plants mainly on what they look like out of flower first and foremost.
Sedums have very tiny flowers, and there are so many different shapes and types for me to be specific. Again though, the flowers can be a bit non-descript. The selcetion I’ve got outside at the moment are tint little white and yellow flowers.
Hope this helps a little?!
Totally agree with what Becky said… the majority of sedums are grown for the sculptural look of their leaves rather than the flowers which are very desert chic
They tend to be tiny, yellow or white or dusty pinks.
This is a garden sedum with massive flower heads for example made up of tiny individual flowers. This plant is mainly grown for the leaves and then the flower heads dried out in Autumn look awesome in the frost…
xo
Ahh, I have a deep and unwavering love of succulents; they featured prominently in my wedding both in my bouquet and in terrariums dotted around the venue.
I replanted over 30 succulents after our wedding and they are all dying on me! I have just 6 left….any ideas as to what I might be doing wrong?
I am giving them a dribble of water about once a week and i have planted them in cactus soil….
Thanks Becky!
x
Once a week sounds like a lot of water. If the leaves are going yellow, you’re definitely overwatering. Let them dry out a bit and see if they perk up a bit. The soil shouldn’t be constantly damp.
Ditto what Becky said. I’d say dribble them with water only if they start to look a bit less ‘juicy’ – a sign of getting dehydrated. They’ll puff up in no time and won’t need more water for weeks or months!
ahhhh….maybe that is the problem then! Excellent, I will let my remaining babies dry out and see if they start to look a bit happier.
thanks so much ladies!
x
Reminds me of this http://www.etsy.com/listing/95083324/vertical-succulent-wall-art-made-to which I am IN LOVE WITH!
Thanks for reminding me of that Bex – I’m off to pin it. Absolutley gorgeous – imagine have a garden wall covered in those!
What a fab idea!! I have a fish bowl that is just crying out for this!
X
Love succulents! And this how too is as per usual awesome, I for got to say earlier in the week that I love your posts!
Def fancy trying this one, if my south African wedding went ahead I was planning on having a succulent & snap dragon bouquet!
Thanks Gemma : )
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