Gardening Under Glass

Sunday night I taught a seminar on "Gardening under Glass", a how-to on building your very own Terrarium (I made all the ones in my photos). This is a long post, but a good one!





I know terrariums are a HOT topic right now and Frances (the owner of The Pear Tree Cottage) was sweet enough to organize it and be our gracious host. This is she and I after the seminar was over and before a glass of wine. :)



I will include my write up on the steps and ingredients below, but feel free to check out some of the COOL things she has in her shop along with the beautiful terrariums I made while there.

Gardening Under Glass

Terrarium Workshop hosted by: The Pear Tree Cottage
Taught by: Amy Strunk, Landscape Designer

Items to get you started:
Glass container with or without a top
Gravel, sea glass, pebbles
Activated charcoal
Terrarium plants
Sterile potting mix
Moss (optional)
Decorative elements (optional)

Step 1:
Wash and dry your container well. Add a layer of moss to the bottom of the container, it will act as a sponge to soak up any water and it looks nice.

Step 2:
Layer about 2” of gravel or stones in the bottom.

Step 3:
Add your active charcoal next. This will help drainage in this little eco-system and will also help control any odor that may occur.

Step 4:
Add another layer of moss. This is optional, some people like the green in the jar, and some people don’t. If you’re not adding moss, now is the time for your potting mix. Preferably a few inches so the plants are able to root and establish.

Step 5:
Plant placement-will your terrarium have a front and back or will it be viewed from all sides? Think about layering your plants, tallest in the back, middle next and lowest in front. Or move from left to right.

Step 6:
Get those plants in there! Remove them from their pots, tease the roots and gently place them in the potting mix. You may have to do some pruning, that’s okay; it will help keep the plants the correct size for the space.

Step 7:
Tamp down your soil, you don’t want to leave any air pockets. I like to use my hands, but you can also use chopsticks or a long spoon to make sure the soil is tight next to the plant roots.

Step 8:
Water your plants lightly. You can mist them with a spray bottle to dampen them, just make sure to clean any water off the sides of your glass, you want to be able to have a great view of your new piece of living artwork!



Do you see the frog prince I tucked into the back of this one??

I'll put up a photo of the one I have in my living room later on this week, so check back! *Amy