When the days are shorter there’s less time to play outdoors winter is a good time to bring a bit of nature indoors! Grow your own houseplants or take it a step further create a magical terrarium!
A terrarium is glass container with plants growing in it. Look around home or in a second hand shop for something to up-cycle into your terrarium. It might be an old glass vase, a fish bowl, or a coffee plunger.
Tropical plants are great for terrariums because they love humidity - damp misty air around their leaves. Look for tiny houseplants in the garden centre.
Once plants start growing, the terrarium becomes a mini climate of its own. The leaves release water vapour (gas), which turns back into liquid on the glass and trickles back down onto the soil, just like rain! If the terrarium has a lid, it can go weeks without watering.
Some terrariums have just one plant. In a large container you can make a fairy forest, Jurassic jungle a tropical rainforest.
What you need:
Evapotranspiration happens when a plant releases water onto the outside of its leaves, the liquid water turns into a gas (water vapour) which is released into the air. It’s just like sweating for plants and it cools them down.
Ferns
Peperomia
Pilea
Black mondo
Polka dot plant
Baby’s tears
African violet
Spider plant
Indoor terrarium
Suitable small plants for a terrarium
A variety of terrarium jars