terrarium

The one-stop shop for all of your green thumb desires, City Planter, is offering a class to help you build your own terrarium. What is a terrarium, you may ask? It’s basically a self-sustaining ecosystem in a glass where, after...

Looking for a unique gift for someone this holiday season? Think Green. But not money. Or 'green' like the environment. Giving a living plant is a great gift to help someone further their gardening, breathe fresh air into their office or home or lift spirits with a mini ecosystem. Have friend with a black thumb? Think low maintenance air plants or terrariums. You can even get craft and make your own succulent terrarium gift.   Readers, what 'green' gifts are you giving?

Although I attended a "how to" terrarium workshop a few years ago, I needed a refresher course to create a succulent terrarium. I had collected a few plants from my trip to a local farm and wanted to display them in a beautiful setting instead of having the same ol’ plastic pots around my apartment. Here are the steps to make a succulent terrarium:

Call me a terrarium expert in training. OK, maybe expert is pushing it. But in addition to planting my own backyard garden, I recently attended a Terrarium workshop with the folks at Arts in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction in Olde City. I had no idea how to create a terrarium, or the skill it requires. But Dave and the other guides successfully have been planting terrariums and gave me (and 40 of my new friends during the 2 hour workshop) tricks of the trade as we enjoyed Root mixed drinks to wish my terrarium the best of luck in its new growth. Things you’ll need: an empty Root (or any) bottle, small stones, Spanish moss, charcoal pellets, soil, moss, paper (for a funnel), chopstick, towel (paper or cloth) Here’s how I (and you!) can make a Root terrarium (courtesy of Art in the Age):