ever since my first visit to the wee gem
artemisia on 110 se 28th ave almost a year ago, i've been lusting over succulent terrariums. shop owner amy makes incredible wet & dry "botanical worlds in miniature," using a host of glass vessels, sand, specialty mosses/lichen, stones, crystals, shells, bone, and of course both succulents and ferns or other tiny tropical plants. a veritable reservoir of [terrarium] knowledge, she's most helpful to the novice, and encourages clients to compose artful plant "palettes," with whimsy. any guest to her shop is sure to find her passion for flora and fauna infectious.
since that first terrarium encounter, i've been transfixed. i read about them online and in magazines. chatted about them with my friend [and fellow terrarium connoisseur]
natasha pickowicz. every time i passed a thrift shop, i couldn't help but pop in to scavenge for glass fishbowls, orbs and vases to house my future terrarium creations. images of crassula, sansevieria & portulacaria danced in my head.
for whatever reason [time & money, money & time], i never actually got around to making them. until this afternoon...
enter the newly-formed portland ladies garden club [nonchalantly coined over cups of tea and with a notable glow on all three of our terrarium-blissed cheeks]: myself,
lisa kislingbury anderson and
rachel rector. tales of all-too proper southern ladies garden clubs [though the mint juleps are a tradition we may want to preserve...] prompted the idea. but of course, our club would have to be decidedly [portland]. which is to say, an irreverent air and penchant for DIY projects & reuse are a must. an afternoon of treasure hunting, brain-picking and inspired arranging later, and all three of us went home with some of the most gorgeous lil' compositions, if i do say so myself.
but first things first: inspiration & materials.
everywhere you turn at this time of year, chartreuse & sea foam lichen & moss beckon. it's hard not to stop & swoon over the beauty of early spring crocus blossoms, fallen camellia petals & tufts of green peaking out of rock gardens on a walk down the street.
with that in mind, we purchased all of the requisite materials for both wet & dry terrariums.
here's what you will need:
- ceramic or glass vessels: we recommend combing the housewares section of salv, goodwill & other thrift stores for inexpensive pieces. i used a variety of glass vases and candle holders, as well as a small tag sale tea cup.
- sand: washed & kiln-baked is best. you don't want salt residue which will harm plants. portland nursery stocks a basic sand sourced from rivers on the east coast [we are praying this works!] and artemisia has a wide variety of rose quartz, onyx and other decorative sands to choose from.
- plants: succulents for dry/arid terrariums, tropical plants and ferns for wet/humid terrariums [i purchased ferns and ficus]. both portland nursery and artemisia have a selection, though you can find many of these [even more reasonably priced] at stores like fred meyer and new seasons as well. spend the extra $ on a package of specialty moss or lichen from artemisia or another terrarium shop, however. it's worth it.
- findings: rocks/stones, crystals, shells, beach glass, feathers, bones, oh my! any tiny treasure is fair game.
now it's time to build your palette:
play around with color, texture, plant shape/size and test-arrange within the vessels you've chosen to see what works best. i found that one to three small plants per container seems most attractive, and favor an arrangement of varying heights.
contrasting colors really make a terrarium pop. for example, the reddish pink on the tips of the sunset jade is stunning set against a backdrop of vibrant chartreuse reindeer moss and a lighter shade of rose in the sea fan.
assemble & arrange:
- prepare your plants by taking them out of their mini pots and shaking some of the soil loose from the roots. though, artemisia shop owner amy did say if you felt more comfortable keeping them in their pots, especially in a tall/narrow glass container, you may do so and just build up around each plant with sand and moss.
- fill a glass container part way with sand. using your fingers or a spoon, make a small well where each plant will sit.
- nestle each plant in its spot and continue to layer more sand up/around them so no roots or soil are visible.
- now it's time to landscape your miniature botanical garden! add in whatever small decorations suit your fancy.
a few hours [and much gushing] later, all three of us went home not only with some beautiful little container gardens, but a whole lot of satisfaction. my four [wee] terrariums are already making themselves comfortable in my bedroom & loo:
next portland ladies garden club adventure:
vegetable garden seed starters. we hope you'll join us :)
