Terrariums: easy maintenance, ideal for small spaces and simply beautiful. These are a few of the reasons why terrariums are perfect for indoor spaces such as homes or offices.
The History of Terrariums
In 1842, the botanist Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward wrote a book titled "On the Growth of Plants in Closely Glazed Cases" where he narrated his story about his interesting discovery. Among his interests was the observation of insects, and so he placed a chrysalis inside a glass bottle, sealing it hermetically with a makeshift mold. As part of his study, he decided to place the bottle in a position where there was sunlight. He observed that moisture formed at the top of the bottle during the day, which then went down to the soil at the base of the bottle.
To his surprise, after a few days he discovered that inside the bottle a fern and a small grass had sprouted. These were exactly what he was trying to grow in his garden, but he wasn't doing well. Nathaniel thought that pollution from local factories had affected the growth of his plants in the garden. Therefore, it made him believe that plants can thrive when protected from environmental pollutants. He then took the jar outside the window and the plants continued to flourish inside it for 4 years without any water. That was the moment a terrarium was born. Soon they became a trend in the Victorian era among the English. Instead of terrariums, they called them 'Wardian Cases'. Nathaniel had hired carpenters to build such 'Wardian Cases' to export British plants to Australia. Despite the journey lasting for months, the plants arrived in very good condition and continued to grow.
What are terrariums?
It is a miniature ecosystem usually inside transparent jars. We distinguish two types of terrariums: Open and closed, where in the closed type the jars have some kind of lid that prevents the entry or exit of air.
The choice between open or closed type terrarium is very important and directly depends on the type of plants included in a terrarium. A wrong choice can lead to the wilting of the plants.
In closed-type terrariums, we choose plants that thrive in high humidity. Such plants include ferns, pileas, fittonias, peperomias, carnivorous plants, and many others, as well as moss. The latter is very often used in closed-type terrariums, and this type of terrarium is also called a 'moss terrarium'.
In open-type terrariums, plants that require little watering are usually used, such as cacti and succulents, but care must also be taken in the proper selection of plants, as many, e.g., succulents, are not suitable for planting inside a glass container.
Closed type terrarium
These types of terrariums require minimal maintenance. An occasional misting of the plants inside the closed jar is sufficient, as the water is continuously recycled within the closed environment of the jar. A necessary condition for the success of such a terrarium is the selection of the right plants and placing them in a bright spot but not in direct sunlight.
Open type terrarium
In these terrariums, there is no lid and the jars are always open. Thus, the plants in an open terrarium require a little more watering but with caution as the jars are closed and without drainage. For this reason, it is very important to use some materials at the base of the jar for better drainage, such as decorative gravel. Watering should ideally be done with a light misting of the plants at intervals and depending on the type of plant.