Create the perfect terrarium

Martha Stewart

Even if you don’t have a green thumb, terrariums act as small, self-sustaining ecosystems all on their own. Todd Carr, senior garden editor at Martha Stewart Living, shares fifive of his secret techniques for growing a garden under glass. Here are some of the basic materials you’ll need and the steps to follow to build one that will thrive:

First, choose a container. Maybe you already have a container on hand in creating your terrarium. Ideally, a closed container with a lid will encourage the humidity that helps your plants thrive. Be sure that it is smooth, clear glass.

Choose plants that thrive in high humidity and low light. We recommend tropical ferns, mosses, Selaginella, Peperomia, Cryptanthus and air plants.

Deposit a base of pebbles or gravel about an inch thick (important for drainage), followed by a thin layer of horticultural charcoal, then a thicker layer of potting soil. Nestle the plants neatly into the soil so that the roots are covered and the leaves, petals and stems do not touch the sides.

Water with caution. All you need to do is lightly spray your plants until the soil is evenly moist about an inch down.

Pour with a pastry bag. When creating the drainage base, there’s no need to pour pebbles, rocks and soil into the bottom of the container haphazardly. For precision and even distribution, use a pastry bag with no tip to add fifine soil or gravel to your terrarium.

Be wily with wire. When even a pair of chopsticks won’t do the trick in getting to those out-ofeach corners, a wire hanger will work.

Two tricks to keep a lid on it: “If there is no lid on your terrarium, you can use a glass plate on the top,” Carr suggests, “or if it’s a narrow- necked bottle, use a light bulb to block the opening and create extra humidity.”

Scrub down: Wire a small piece of sponge to the end of a chopstick, a wooden spoon or thin bamboo with flfloral wire to wipe and clean the inside of your terrarium.