What is a plant terrarium and how to create yours

 

Discover the secrets to creating these small plant ecosystems that combine art, design and botany

Terrariums are capable of arousing the fascination of anyone who loves nature. And it is not for less: these small pieces combine the beauty of design with the intelligence of botany. These are works whose creation requires technique and sensitivity and which are capable of giving rise to surprising expressions of life.

If you have ever wondered what the origin of terrariums is, how they manage to prosper and if you are capable of creating a floral and plant design with your own hands, in this article you will find the answers.

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What is a terrarium?

A terrarium is a space, which can be a fish tank-style container, in which an attempt is made to artificially reproduce the conditions of a specific habitat to create a small ecosystem. This ecosystem is like a small garden in which it seeks to provoke certain phenomena that allow self-sustainability. A well-made terrarium is a self-contained system that generates almost everything it needs to keep living.

Terrariums can be desert, jungle, tropical, among many other options that present different degrees of difficulty, both for their design and for their maintenance.

What disciplines does the creation of terrariums bring together?

Botanical designers or creators apply multiple knowledge and techniques on a small scale. They have knowledge of:

• Landscaping
• Design
• Gardening
• Biology

Their creations are alive, and to stay alive, they must create environments where plants can thrive. Many artists dare to go even further and design pieces in which variables can be controlled as if they were seasons.

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How is life possible in the terrarium?

To keep a terrarium alive and beautiful, we must understand, first of all, the process that makes its survival possible. This process is photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the chemical reaction that allows any type of plant to breathe and live.

For life to be possible inside a terrarium, it is the designers who provide different elements. On the one hand, a substrate full of minerals and nutrients. Then the watering . Finally, they make sure to generate a bright space for your plants. Light is key to life and for this reason, in general, almost all terrariums are made of glass.

Types of terrariums

There are two types of terrariums:

Closed terrariums

We can also call them humid terrariums. They tend to recreate tropical living conditions. Through a complex and surprising condensation system, they themselves are in charge of keeping themselves humid and generating most of the variables they need to live.

Open terrariums

We can also call them arid or dry terrariums. Collectible cacti and succulents are used in this type of creation. The resistance of these plants means that, although no water is generated, the ecosystem is also practically autonomous. The maintenance that this type of design requires is minimal.

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The origin of terrariums

Starting in the 18th century, many European countries decided to explore the world to discover new territories and expand their power. Botany at that time experienced a great boom. The explorers illustrated , collected and recorded their findings in multiple ways.

The creation of terrariums was presented as a technique that allowed the plants found, especially in America, to be brought to Europe. Thanks to this method it was possible to follow the growth and evolution of plant life.

Throughout the centuries this knowledge was maintained and the terrariums were evaluated in multiple ways. They also merged with knowledge from other cultures such as the Japanese, whose kokedama creation technique sought to isolate plants, shrubs and bonsai in moss balls that replaced the use of pots.

Materials needed to create a terrarium

There are two ways to create a terrarium: one is to design the container yourself and another is to use a pre-made container.

Camila Eterovic is the designer of the Páramo Store project, a store specialized in creating terrariums from scratch. Camila knows a lot about plants but she also knows how to mold, cut glass and solder with copper base, to create the glass pieces that house her terrariums.

She gives us an overview of the materials you need if you want to create the container with your own hands.

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Materials to create a terrarium container

Take note of the essential tools used by the expert.

• Glass. The glasses are a key piece in the design of terrariums. They are the only material that allows light to pass through completely and, as we know, plant life needs light to carry out its vital processes.
• Glass cutters. You can find different types of cutters. There are professional and basic.
• Tin spools. It will fulfill the function of welding the glass pieces.
• Solder paste or flux. You can find different brands and densities. Some may be more pasty, others more liquid.
• Brush to apply the glue. The important thing is that it is clean and is used only for the flux.
• Soldering iron or electric soldering iron you can get it at a store specializing in stained glass or a hardware store. The important thing about the soldering iron is that it has a maximum temperature of 80º.
• Ammonia salt and sponge. For cleaning waste.
• Glass cleaner

The 'Tiffany technique' for working glass

If you are interested in creating your own container, then you will probably be interested in learning about the most commonly used technique currently used to design this type of container. This technique is called Tiffany.

According to Camila, the Tiffany technique was created by Louis Comfort Tiffany, eldest son of the famous jeweler with the same name. He was an industrial designer and artist in the United States. If his name de él rings a bell, it is because he is one of the artists most associated with the art nouveau movement.

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Louis revolutionized the world of design and architecture by working with glass with his technique that would allow him to create many details and more curved and irregular shapes. This technique consisted of assembling the pieces using an H-shaped lead rod, allowing the glass pieces to be joined. His creator knew how to apply it masterfully, not only in stained glass windows, but also in lampshades and decorative objects.

Initially, to carry out this technique, according to the expert, they proceeded by cutting very thin sheets of copper that adhered to the edges of the glass fragments, and these were joined together by tin soldering. Today the process is very similar, but it has been accelerated with the creation of adhesive copper tape and also with the improvement of tin and copper alloys. This technique, unlike leaded glass, allows making not only flat pieces, but also three-dimensional ones, and using very small glass cuts. Currently it is still a very current technique and continues to present opportunities to innovate.

 

Materials to create your micro garden inside the terrarium

Although the composition of the terrariums can vary according to your objectives, there are some elements that are always repeated.

• gravel. The thickness of the gravel will depend on how you decorate your terrarium and the needs of your plants.
• Earth, sand and coconut fiber. Coconut fiber is used to aerate and filter the soil and can be replaced by stones.
• Plants. The choice of plants is personal, but the expert always recommends starting with succulents that are very resistant and easy to maintain. It is also important, if you use different types of plants, that they require identical care.
• Gardening tools.

You can check out the full list of materials needed to create your first terrarium here.

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Keep your terrarium healthy: a secret

It is inevitable that, over time, the plants, cacti and succulents in your terrarium will absorb all the nutrients that we have placed in our room during the creation of the substrate until they are exhausted. To extend the life of our piece of plant art, Sara and Tom, founders of Photosynthesis Green Art, recommend gradually adding minerals and nutrients to the substrate. This nutrient is added in liquid form.

A simple way to create an irrigation nutrient, for example, is to immerse the peel of a banana cut into pieces in mineral water or boiled water, for a day. You can repeat it with other types of fruit or waste that you have at home, such as the egg shell, which is very good. From six months you can start watering your terrarium with this water. The ideal frequency is once every two months.

Terrariums as art

Once they master the complex technique of creating ecosystems, many artists dare to create scenes and landscapes within their terrariums. They seek to bring to life scenes that we all want to enter: tropical beaches, jungles with waterfalls and flowery meadows. Sometimes they incorporate the human presence and create equally seductive situations: vacations with friends, sailing trips and yoga classes by the sea.

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