Learn how to make a terrarium to add easy-to-care-for greenery to your space.

Science has definitively proven that houseplants can improve the quality of the air in the home by reducing ozone and helping to eliminate VOCs. House plants can also improve your mood, especially during the long winter months when we are all stuck inside. And many people find caring for plants to be therapeutic–much like caring for a pet.

But what if you don’t have a green thumb? Some of us just are not natural plant people and pretty much kill all plants that enter into our abodes. How can us non-gardener types reap the benefits of indoor plants? With DIY terrariums, that’s how. Terrariums are a lower maintenance alternative to add plants to your home.

What is a Terrarium?

Image: Terrarium via Shutterstock

Terrariums are self-contained little mini-gardens. They are usually housed in decorative glass containers that can be opened to allow for care of the plants inside. Terrariums can either be open to the atmosphere or closed. Sealed terrariums need less watering as the transparency of the glass container, and the closed environment, allows for small scale water cycle to happen. In addition, a closed terrarium allows for the use of plants that like moist, humid conditions like moss, ferns, and air plants. Terrarium that are kept open are better suited for plants that like drier conditions, like succulents and cacti, if you are looking for low maintenance.

Learn How to Make a Terrarium

Open terrarium supplies:

• Open glass container
• Rocks or pebbles
• Potting soil
• Sand
• Succulents

How to make a terrarium:

1. Place a layer of rocks in the bottom of your container. This is to help the plants drain. How deep you layer the rocks really depends on the height your container, but ½ inch to 1 inch is a good rule of thumb.
2. Next, add potting soil (it should be suitable for succulents). Your soil layer should be deep enough for the plants to take root in. Again, a good rule of thumb is about 2-3 inches, depending on your plants.
3. Plant your succulents to create a visually appealing arrangement, allowing room between the plants and the glass.
4. Add sand around the base of the plants to help give them support and for a little visual interest. You can also add a layer of sand before adding the stones, if you want to create a little more visual interest.
5. Finally, you can add accessories, like pottery mushrooms or decorative rocks, to create a creative look for your terrarium.

You can find plants and supplies at most garden supply stores. I like Terrain and Etsy for sourcing decorative containers and other terrarium accessories for how to make a terrarium.

Related on EcoSalon

Gardens in Glass: Make Your Own Upcycled Terrarium

6 Tips for Creating a DIY Terrarium

Sumptuous Succulent Plants: Fatten Up Your Garden and Home with the Plants Du Jour

Image: Terrariums via Shutterstock

The post How to Make a Terrarium Even If You Don’t Have a Green Thumb appeared first on EcoSalon.

Seven creative and inexpensive ways to improve your garden.

Whether you dapple with a few indoor plants, garden on the patio with containers or have a full-fledged backyard mini-farm, you’re probably looking for creative ways to save money, time and resources. Luckily for you, incorporating recycled and reused materials can actually make your gardening projects cheaper, easier and less time consuming – not to mention far less wasteful! Last year, we gave you seven reused items to boost your garden. This year, we rounded up seven more.

Reuse Germination

If you’re starting plants from seeds this year, don’t waste your hard-earned cash on tiny planters from the garden center. Save a few bucks – and get a little more use out of your throw-aways – by making your own seed-starters from recycled materials!

To make your own biodegradable mini-planter (that’s right, no transplanting!), you will need scissors and a toilet paper or paper towel roll.

How to make it:

1. Using scissors, cut six to eight small slits in the end of your toilet paper roll (if using a paper towel roll, cut the roll into three pieces before beginning this step).

2. Fold the strips down so they overlap.

3. Fill carefully with wet soil, and set in a baking sheet.

4. Plant one seed per roll. After germination, just plant the whole thing in your garden!

If you don’t mind transplanting your seedlings, you can use all kinds of recyclables for germination: Takeout containers, plastic cups, soda bottles and shoe boxes – just to name a few.

Unfortunately, most takeout containers – including mixed-material takeout cups and foam clam shells – are notoriously difficult to recycle. So, if you have a few boxes, cups and clam shells left over from eating out, why not reuse them as planters to boost your gardening projects?

Take Out Container Planters

Just wash out the container, fill with wet soil and plant your seedling as usual.

For best results, stick with plants that require little root space, such as single herb plants or succulents like cacti and aloe.

Not sure how planting in takeout boxes will match your garden decor? Think creatively and opt for decorative containers, such as Chinese takeout boxes and colorful to-go cups, to add a whimsical touch to your garden display – whether it’s in your backyard or your living room.

Popsicle Stick Garden Markers

If the kids are starting to chow down on ice pops for the summer, why not save those sticks for reuse in your garden?

To use your throw-aways to make customized markers for your garden or seedlings, you’ll need Popsicle sticks, a permanent marker and a reusable cloth.
How to make it:
1. Apply a few drops of rubbing alcohol or a solution of warm water and sea salt to the ends of your ice pop sticks. Use the reusable cloth to rub off any remaining stickiness.

2. Let the sticks dry in the sun for at least an hour.

3. Label your sticks with permanent marker, and use them to mark crops in your herb garden or veggie plot.

If you’re feeling ambitious, you can also make your own customized garden markers from old milk jugs using this simple tutorial from TLC.

Plastic Bottle Irrigation

Remembering to water your container veggies and potted flowers can be tough. But you could save loads of time and water by setting up a self-irrigation system in your container plants.

Sounds tricky, right? It actually couldn’t be simpler. All you’ll need is scissors, a plastic bottle, a hand shovel and about five minutes to get the job done.

How to make it:
1. Using scissors, carefully cut the bottom out of your plastic bottle. Remove bottle cap and set aside for recycling.

2. Use a hand shovel to dig a 6-inch-deep hole in the potted plant of your choice, as far away from the plant as possible to avoid damaging roots.

3. Place your plastic bottle in the hole, bottleneck end down. Use your hands to pack soil around the bottle so it stands upright.

4. Fill the bottle with water as needed, and watch it slowly seep into the soil – saving you time and nurturing your thirsty plants.

For a more advanced self-watering container, check out this tutorial from the University of Maryland Extension.

Light Bulb Terrariums

Not sure what to do with all those old incandescent light bulbs? Sure, you can recycle them. But why not find a clever way to reuse them first?

Once the electrical components are removed, light bulbs make perfect homes for air plants and water-saving succulents.

If you’re a seasoned crafter and have hollowed out a light bulb before, this project will be a walk in the park. But if you’ve never tinkered with a light bulb, consult a tutorial, like these from Instructables and Apartment Therapy, before getting started.

Once your bulb is cleaned out, all you’ll need is some succulent potting soil and small potting pebbles (and your plants, of course!).

How to make it:
1. Add a layer of potting pebbles to your light bulb as a foundation.

2. Add a layer of succulent potting soil, along with decorative moss if desired.

3. Gently place your succulent inside the bulb. Succulents don’t need much water. For best results, allow the soil to dry out a bit before watering.

Bucket Gardening

If you live in an apartment or don’t have a yard,container gardening is a great small-space solution for growing your own produce at home.

Garden retailers offer vast displays of jumbo terra cotta pots, plastic planters and wooden boxes – often priced at $50 or more. But why spend more when a recycled option could actually yield better results?

Five gallons of soil is optimal for most container veggies, including large plants like tomatoes, eggplant and squash. Larger containers tend to require more water, while smaller containers won’t provide enough root space.

Since they’re the perfect size, why not break out all those old 5-gallon buckets from pet food and potting soil and reuse them as planters for your container garden?

Just remember to wash each container well before filling with soil. Also, since you want to grow healthy food, avoid choosing containers that were used to hold toxic substances – even after they have been washed.

For best results, cut at least four 1/4-inch holes at the bottom of your buckets for draining excess water.

Wine Bottle Edging

Looking to add a touch of pizzazz to your garden or backyard landscaping? Rescue a few wine and beer bottles from your recycling bin to assemble a playful border that’s sure to turn heads.

Use this handy tutorial from ReadyMade or this video how-to from A Gardener’s Notebook to transform your recyclable glass into a piece of reuse art that’s perfect for the garden.

In the interest of full disclosure, you’ll need more than a few bottles for this.

So, if you don’t think your drinking habits can keep up, ask local restaurants, taverns and wineries if you can pick up some of their leftover bottles on a weekly basis until you’ve gathered enough to complete the project. Most will be happy to oblige.

-By Mary Mazzoni

More from Earth911:

PHOTOS: Rad Reused Planter Ideas

8 Things You Probably Aren’t Doing in Your Garden

PHOTOS: Stylish Recycled Decor for the Backyard

Images: girlingearstudio, MeganEHansen, jstuppy, sa_ku_ra, iEEEj, rfarmer, Tobyotter

The post 7 Items You Can Reuse to Improve Your Garden appeared first on EcoSalon.

The team at CasaSugar helps us create the DIY terrariums of our dreams. 

You might have seen our terrarium tutorial with floral experts Leigh Oakies and Allison Futeral of Crimson Horticulture Rarities. The design duo shared so many helpful insider tips about how to create and care for terrariums that we decided to pull together our favorite tips to share again with you. If you’re considering crafting a terrarium, you’ll definitely want to read these first!

When choosing a vessel, don’t limit yourself to the traditional glass bowl or vase. Leigh and Allison have experimented with everything from beakers to mason jars!

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Air plants do in fact need water. To water larger air plants, hold them under running water, shake off excess water, and dry them in the sun before returning them to their vessels.

For smaller air plants, simply immerse them in a bucket or sink of water and let them soak for an hour. Shake off excess water and allow them to dry in a sunny spot before returning them to their vessel. Watering should be done once a week.

For leafier plants like succulents and ferns, add activated charcoal as the first layer in your terrarium before adding sand or rocks, and soil. This will soak up excess water and keep the plants from developing mold. You can easily find activated charcoal at pet stores. If you’re using air plants, it’s fine to skip the activated charcoal and just use small rocks or sand.

If you have a terrarium with a lid, don’t be concerned if you see condensation – that’s a good thing! Just remove the lid overnight once a week to allow it to air out. Be sure to keep lidded terrariums out of spots that receive a lot of direct sunlight because the heat may become too intense for the plants.

Leigh and Allison mainly rely on paintbrushes, small shovels, and large tweezers to insert items into vessels and move them around until they are satisfied with their arrangement. Chopsticks are also unexpected but handy tools for arranging terrariums.

For a step-by-step terrarium tutorial, read this helpful guide!

More from CasaSugar:

100 Awe-Inspiring Green Home Photos

8 Cool Uses for Lemons

Everything You Need for a Stylish Eco-Friendly Picnic

The Perfect Summer Getaway… In Finland

The post 6 Tips for Creating a DIY Terrarium appeared first on EcoSalon.

Gardening stories that had us wanting to intensify our green thumb.

The urban homesteading movement gained serious speed this year, proving that you don’t need to move to the suburbs to enjoy the simple pleasures of growing your own vegetables, raising your own chickens, and starting your own bee colony. And despite some groups’ best efforts to kill the momentum, it doesn’t look like the trend is disappearing anytime soon.

One great offshoot of the urban homesteading movement is the spread of new, innovative ways to grow things indoors. Forget standard windowsill planters; this is the 21st century. Here, a sampling of Shelter’s favorite herb kits, terrariums, and other gravity-defying, thought-provoking indoor gardening objects from the past year.

It’s a very small world after all in these mini moss terrariums made from vintage glass and upcycled objects. Michelle Inciarrano and Katy Maslow specialize in miniaturizing scenes, and they take custom orders.

The Plantable concept table/planter from JAILmake reflects on “the distance we place between ourselves and the processes involved in making our food.”

These gravity-defying ceramic sky planters use Slo-flo irrigation technology to minimize water use.

It’s a greeting card! It’s a garden! The City Postcarden is both, with a little water and tending, of course.

The Eco Orb Terrarium kit from Tend Living lets you build your own miniature glass orb garden from a Tilliandis plant, reindeer moss, sand, and accents.

The Zozio from Pousse Créative might look like a “standard windowsill planter,” but it is so much more. This eco-friendly planter doubles as a bird feeder and is ideal for vertical gardens.

The Miroir en Herbe from h2O Architects blurs the boundaries between nature and culture.

Grow your own herbs from the comfort of your kitchen with a selection of indoor herb garden kits and accessories.

Wine bottles get a second life with these Growbottle Upcycled Hydrogardens from Potting Shed Creations, available in Oregano, Chives, Basil, Parsley, and Mint.

And finally, with the addition of Mike Lieberman’s 2012 series on Urban Gardening, expect good harvesting ahead and get your garden planned out now.

The post 2011 in Review: A Good Year for Gardening appeared first on EcoSalon.

Terrariums are easy to care for and now you can make one of your own.

Tend Living’s Eco Orbs are a fresh solution to providing greenery indoors. The Creature Orb comes with Tilliandis (a sculptural air plant), sand, reindeer moss and accents that you assemble in a hanging glass orb. It is a fabulous gift for friends, co-workers or yourself. The terrarium is perfectly happy sitting on your desk alone or hanging from the living room in a group. Bonus: all they need is a light misting several times a week.

All Eco Orb Kits are thoughtfully designed and vary depending on the season and availability. Find them at Pigment for an affordable $30.

Look for Lustables daily at EcoSalon. 100% gorgeous green finds, and never sponsored. Submit your favorite to tips@ecosalon.com

The post Lustables: Eco Orb Terrarium appeared first on EcoSalon.

Twig Terrariums is forcing us to consider our lives in miniature.

Michelle Inciarrano and Katy Maslow, two old friends, create itty bitty, mini moments in time. Mini moss terrariums, to be specific, and “other small worlds” stuffed into antique, vintage and apothecary jars, occasionally science glass and kitchenware, and other odd glass objects they come across.

Their Brooklyn-based company, Twig Terrariums, specializes in miniaturizing scenes, be it a walk through a pastoral highland or punk rockers tagging a Lower East Side tenement.

They “go mossing” and “terraring” on the weekend (Twig-speak for moss and glass hunting), and can create just about any city or landscape request thrown at them. A grandmother recently came the pair and asked them to immortalize her granddaughter in a terrarium doing her two favorite things: playing the violin and hula-hooping, at the same time.

Most of their other clientele are urbanites with nary a piece of grass to their name, craving, as Michelle puts it, “their own little green world.”

“Our terrarium’s give urban dwellers some much needed nature,” she adds, “and space without having to drive.”

Michelle and Katy work with a dozen varieties of moss, plants and succulents, all easy to maintain greenery. Under a powerful magnifying glass, they style each inch-tall figurine to look like their life-sized subjects in various states of rustication, hiking, mountain climbing, hula-hooping – even mugging.

“They want to see themselves in their little worlds,” Katy explains. If only to retrace what went wrong in Central Park that one fine morning.”

Twig Terrariums pride themselves on being a green company, using vintage glass and upcycling whenever possible or working with a local glassblower for custom projects. Katy and Michelle have a book coming out in 2012, which will contain a glossary of all the terms a DIY terrarist should know, a how-to, and photos.

“When we first started making terrariums, they took over our homes,” Michelle warns of the addictive hobby turned career. “Basically, we want everyone to bring our worlds into theirs.”

And why not? They’re lovelier than a snapshot and sustainable enough for the brownest thumbs among us.

Prices start around $25 and can go up into the hundreds.

The post A Sustainable Wonderland For the Mini-You appeared first on EcoSalon.

Call it a succulent message in a bottle: terrariums that capsulize nature’s beauty and grace without requiring high maintenance and daily watering to thrive. You probably have the ideal vessel stashed some place with your vases. Get inspired and grow!

Pictured above: A Carnivorous Plant Terrarium from Apartment Therapy is showcasing a Pitcher Plant, which is rumored to feast on flies.

This Etsy Moss Terrarium, described as the “instant boyfriend” is simple to care for, involving  a glass container that measures approximately 2″ x 3.5″ and includes moss, soil, charcoal and river rocks. And keep in indirect sunlight and lightly water every 2-3 weeks to keep it alive. The figures have tiny stakes which allow them to be repositioned.

This lovely jug Air Plant Terrarium found at Apartment Therapy was made using a  favorite pitcher filled with sand and an airplant.

Another orb with object, this fish bowl terrarium from Inhabitat is lovingly layered with pebbles, charcoal, fern, sphagmum moss and other plants. So deer!

Busy? Zip through the DIY process and order this Recycled Glass Pear Terrarium from our friends at VivaTerra. It  arrives with sand and four delicately hued air plants requiring minimal maintenance to thrive. You can easily design your own exquisite miniature desert landscape or order the pear on its own and brainstorm your own composition.

The post A Jug of Vine for the Pure Design of Terrariums That Grow on Us appeared first on EcoSalon.

If you thought the Hand-Blown Glass Pears and the Magical Air Plant Garden that we recently featured were cute, you’ll be delighted to discover that VivaTerra has hit the mark yet again by blending both of these creative concepts in appealing (and green!) style.

With the Recycled Glass Terrarium, all you have to do is water your tillandsia as directed and watch it flourish on a bed of fine-grained sand. How’s that for an easy way to breathe life into a home that’s in serious need of some green? If you’re worried that you’ll botch even minimal maintenance, buy the vase separately and fill it with shells, moss, sea glass or other treasured objects instead. (Available at sponsor VivaTerra for $49- $79.)

The post The Easy, Elegant & Eco-Friendly Terrarium appeared first on EcoSalon.