DRIFTING REEF
This beautiful arrangement suggests movement and motion, like a slice of ocean life. Intricately webbed, soft lavender sea fan resembles a coral reef backdrop, with gently listing sand mimicking the ocean floor, washed by the ebb and flow of daily tides.
1 RECTANGULAR GLASS TANK (12 X 14 X 5 INCHES)
1 JADE PLANT (Crassula argentata) (6-INCH POT)
10 CUPS PURE QUARTZ SAND
2 CUPS WHITE PEBBLES
3 WHITE RIVER ROCKS
1 1/2 CUPS MONTEREY BEACH PEBBLES
1 CHUNK SPIRIT QUARTZ
1 SEA FAN
1. Clean terrarium glass inside and out.
2. Unpot the jade plant and position it to one side of the terrarium (this is the side that will be filled higher with sand).
3. Pour pure quartz sand into terrarium, tilting and shaking it gently to cover base of succulent.
4. Using a small cup or your hands, pour white pebbles around edges of higher side, with some sand showing toward the center.
5. Place the white river rocks near the base of succulent.
6. Pour Monterey beach pebbles on the other side around the edges, up to an inch or so deep, creating a soft downward tilt.
7. Place the chunk of spirit quartz atop the Monterey beach pebbles.
8. Drop the sea fan in back of vignette against glass.
Care
Jade plants prefer bright light; just pull the terrarium away from near window on hot summer days. In winter, keep plant on the dry side, watering every 2 to 3 weeks. In summer, water weekly or whenever soil dries out to the touch by pouring 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water slowly on base of plant. Monthly in spring and summer, add a weak solution of quarter-strength fertilizer to water.
Tip
An evocative element of this design is the resonance of the purple margins on the jade plant against the purple sea fan and the purple tones in the quartz rock. The jade plant will only develop purple margins in bright light—in lower light, leaf margins revert to green. Fortunately, the wide top means heat can escape better, so this terrarium can tolerate brighter light.
In a reversal of the usual message in a bottle, this apothecary jar aims to contain and distill the ocean rather than keeping it at bay. Like a little ark, this tiny life raft contains a miniature undersea garden of burgeoning plant life juxtaposed with the ancient form of the nautilus, a deep-water ocean mollusk whose spiral-shaped shell embodies the ideal proportions of the golden mean.
1 OLD APOTHECARY JAR (12 X 8 INCHES)
6 CUPS PURE QUARTZ SAND
2 ‘JADE NECKLACE’ CRASSULAS (2-INCH POTS)
1 WOOLLY SENECIO (Senecio haworthii) (2- TO 4-INCH POT)
1 CUP WHITE PEBBLES
1 PEARL NAUTILUS SHELL (CENTER CUT)
1 MEDIUM GLASS BUBBLE (3-INCH DIAMETER)
2 SMALL GLASS BUBBLES (2-INCH DIAMETER)
STICK FOR MOVING GLASS BUBBLES
1. Clean terrarium glass inside and out.
2. Pour in two cups of pure quartz sand.
3. Tap the crassulas and the woolly senecio out of their pots and scrape away only topmost surface of soil from their root balls.
4. Position plants as you desire, ensuring that all root balls are an inch or more from the outer edge so soil doesn’t show through sand on the sides. Also, position plants so they sit low (they can be lifted as sand is added).
5. Pour the rest of the quartz sand into terrarium at a slight slant; make sure all soil at base of plants is just covered.
6. Add a layer of white pebbles, following the slight slant of the sand.
7. Add the center-cut nautilus shell and 3 glass bubbles. Use a stick to move the glass bubbles around until you like how they are sitting.
Care
Provide bright, indirect light for this terrarium, keeping terrarium well away from the window during hot, sunny days, particularly if jar lid is on. In winter, keep plants on the dry side, watering every 2 to 3 weeks. In summer, water weekly or whenever soil dries out to the touch. Pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water slowly directly over root ball of each plant. Apply a solution of quarter-strength fertilizer during spring and summer.
Tip
These succulent plants prefer low humidity so leave the top off the jar after watering to prevent condensation and excessive humidity. Remove top anytime you see condensation.
Translucent, starry white crystal on sparkly black sand within a polished glass globe—this design is grounded yet slightly otherworldly. The sheer quantity of glowy crystal, including the extraordinary blue-tinted celestine, irresistibly draw the eye into the center of the glass globe to examine the soft succulent leaves against the angular-faceted crystal pieces.
1 BLOWN-GLASS BUBBLE BOWL (15 X 15 INCHES)
10 CUPS HEMATITE SAND
3 MEDIUM CELESTINE CRYSTAL POINTS
8 LARGE QUARTZ CRYSTAL POINTS
22 SMALL AND MEDIUM QUARTZ CRYSTAL POINTS
1 ‘CAPE BLANCO’ STONECROP (Sedum spathulifolium ‘Cape Blanco’) (4-INCH POT)
SPOON OR STICK
1. Clean terrarium glass inside and out.
2. Pour hematite sand into bowl and give bowl a gentle shake to level sand.
3. Set medium celestine crystal points and large quartz crystal points into sand so they are stable.
4. Scatter small and medium quartz crystal points, shifting it all about until you like how it looks.
5. Pull apart the stonecrop plant. Using a spoon or stick to shift sand, tuck pieces of the stonecrop into sand and cover any exposed soil and roots with sand. Any stonecrop pieces without roots can be placed in sand and will likely root and grow.
Care
Place the terrarium in medium to bright light. Water small sedum plants with a few tablespoons of water about once a week in summer, every 2 weeks in winter, adding quarter-strength balanced fertilizer once a month in spring and summer.
Tip
‘Cape Blanco’ stonecrop is especially nice with its powdery whitish-blue foliage. It produces acid-yellow flowers in summer and, in full sun, the stems and foliage develop a pinkish tint. If you can’t find this particular variety, any small-leaved, grayish stonecrop will do.
This elegant piece is the Marilyn Monroe of the terrarium world—fluffy, soft, curvy, and spiked with sass—a definite show-stopper and larger-than-life experience. Layers of ermine-white sand, nubbly pebble, smooth river rock, jewel-like sea urchin, raw fluorite rock, and downy clumps of moss are topped with a superstar succulent to create a sparkly, almost edible vision of sensual abundance.
1 CURVY GLASS VASE (32 INCHES TALL)
12 CUPS PURE QUARTZ SAND
6 CUPS WHITE PEBBLES
4 WHITE RIVER ROCKS
4 HANDFULS CREAM REINDEER MOSS
4 HANDFULS CHARTREUSE REINDEER MOSS
1 HANDFUL SMALL MEXICAN RIVER ROCKS, OR OTHER INEXPENSIVE ROCKS
1 Haworthia venosa subsp. tessellata (2- or 4-INCH POT)
CHOPSTICKS
3 GREEN SEA URCHINS
5 GREEN RIVER ROCKS
14 RAW FLUORITE ROCKS
1 PIECE OF AMMONITE (FOSSILIZED NAUTILUS SHELL)
Tip
This spectacular piece is large enough to work on the floor but it is equally impressive on a table, where the detail can be seen up close. To water the haworthia, use a small container or turkey baster so you can get your hand down far enough inside the glass.
1. Clean terrarium glass inside and out.
2. Pour pure quartz sand into glass and shake container to settle it.
3. Add white pebbles on a slant.
4. Place white river rocks on one side, with a small bunch of cream reindeer moss above it; add some small Mexican river rocks (or another inexpensive rock) in the center of the terrarium to elevate the plant.
5. Drop the potted haworthia plant in center, followed by more small pinches of cream and chartreuse reindeer moss to conceal the pot. (Chopsticks come in handy to push reindeer moss and other materials into place.)
6. Slide green sea urchins down sides of glass, along with a small pile of green river rocks, the raw fluorite rocks, and the piece of ammonite.
Care
Haworthia venosa subsp. tessellata thrives in bright, indirect light or a half to full day of sun; just pull terrarium away from window on hot summer days, as terrarium glass intensifies heat. Water lightly year-round when the soil dries out to the touch. To water, pour 1/2 cup of water slowly at base of plant so water fills inside of pot. Apply a weak solution of quarter-strength fertilizer every other watering during spring and summer.
This terrarium evokes the sensation of discovering a collection of curious, washed-up debris while walking down a lonesome, foggy beach. A broken, barnacle-encrusted shell, a twisted branch with lichen on it, and a vintage bottle filled with bones meld with rocks and a shapely succulent to create a scene that is perfect in its imperfection.
1 BLOWN-GLASS BUBBLE BOWL (15 X 15 INCHES)
1 TWIG WITH OLD MAN’S BEARD LICHEN (Dolichousnea longissima) ATTACHED
1 CANARY ISLAND AEONIUM (Aeonium canariense) (2- OR 4-INCH POT)
8 CUPS PURE QUARTZ SAND
1 SMALL ANTIQUE BOTTLE WITH SMALL BONES
1 BROKEN SHELL WITH BARNACLES
1 LARGE QUARTZ CRYSTAL POINT
1 WHITE GEODE
2 HANDFULS GREEN RIVER ROCK
1 HANDFUL WHITE PEBBLES
1 HANDFUL OLD MAN’S BEARD LICHEN (Dolichousnea longissima)
Tip
This design is at its best using shells found at a beach, not bought. Look for rough shells with barnacles that have an organic, yet balanced, shape. Tiny animal bones can be found in various places, from a dinner plate to one’s own garden. They can also be ordered online.
1. Place twig in water overnight, or for at least a couple of hours, until it is pliable.
2. Clean terrarium glass inside and out.
3. Tap the aeonium out of pot and scrape away the topmost surface of soil.
4. Position the aeonium toward center of the bowl and pour pure quartz sand in until all soil at base of plant is covered.
5. Bend the twig into a half-circle and position it in an arc within the terrarium.
6. Place the bone-filled glass bottle, shell, crystal, geode, and green river rocks and move them around until you like how they are sitting. When you’re content with it, nest them a bit into the sand for stability.
7. Sprinkle in the white pebbles.
8. Moisten the lichen in water, shake out, and add in puffs behind the aeonium. Finish it off with a few threads of lichen in front.
Care
Bright, indirect light or a half-day of sun is perfect for the succulent. The lichen may decline if light levels are too high but it would still look pretty—or could be refreshed with a new piece of lichen. Mist the lichen a couple of times a week. Slowly pour 1/2 cup of water directly over the roots of the succulent every 1 to 2 weeks (more frequently if positioned in full sun). If in doubt, wait for the succulent foliage to wrinkle slightly before watering.
The nautilus (which means “sailor” in Greek) is an ancient, deep-water ocean mollusk whose spiral-shaped, many-chambered shells are a natural representation of the golden mean, a mathematical principle studied by the ancient Greeks and considered since the Renaissance to be the most perfectly proportioned form in nature.
1 CUT GLASS VASE (8 INCHES TALL)
1 ‘MANDA’S HYBRID’ HAWORTHIA (Haworthia ‘Manda’s Hybrid’) (2- TO 4-INCH POT)
6–8 CUPS HEMATITE SAND
1 CENTER-CUT NAUTILUS SHELL
1/2 CUP SMALL BLACK RIVER ROCKS
3 HERKIMER DIAMONDS
1. Clean terrarium glass inside and out.
2. Add 4 to 5 cups of hematite sand to the base of the container.
3. Tap haworthia out of pot and scrape away only the topmost surface of soil.
4. Position plant toward center of the vase and, holding your hand over the plant to protect foliage, pour in most of the remaining hematite sand until all soil at base of plant is completely covered. The level of the sand should be slightly higher toward the back of the terrarium.
5. Gently shake vase to settle sand and cover any soil that appears with more sand.
6. Place nautilus shell and scatter small black river rocks around base of plant and around two-thirds of the edges of glass, moving them around until you like how they are sitting.
7. Drop the Herkimer diamonds within the arc of the nautilus shell.
Care
‘Manda’s Hybrid’ haworthia enjoys conditions ranging from half or partial sun to bright, diffuse light; just pull terrarium away from window on hot summer days. In winter, keep plant on the dry side, watering every couple of weeks. In summer, water every 1 to 2 weeks (depending on warmth and light levels) by pouring 1/2 cup of water slowly over root ball. Fertilize monthly in spring and summer with quarter-strength balanced fertilizer.
Tip
If the nautilus shell is too long to fit gracefully in the terrarium, just snap it (it breaks easily) and set the piece alongside the rest of the shell in an arc (as in the picture).
Sere as a sandy beach yet brimming with life, this dry cornucopia holds three airplants, living pockets of gray-green beard lichen, and a small bounty of stones including a cluster of quartz, chunks of aragonite, and a scattering of warm orange carnelian agate.
1 BULLET-SHAPED GLASS CANDLEHOLDER (16 INCHES LONG, 10-INCH OPENING)
5 CUPS PURE QUARTZ SAND
1 ‘VICTORIANA’ AIRPLANT (Tillandsia ‘Victoriana’)
1 BULBOUS AIRPLANT (Tillandsia bulbosa)
1 BLUSHING BRIDE (Tillandsia ionantha)
1 LARGE QUARTZ CLUSTER
3 CHUNKS ARAGONITE
2 SMALL HANDFULS BEARD LICHEN (Usnea species)
6–12 SMALL CARNELIAN AGATE PIECES
1. Clean terrarium glass inside and out.
2. Pour half of the pure quartz sand into glass candleholder and tip onto one side, shaking it to see how much more it can accommodate. Add more sand if needed. Gently shake to level.
3. Settle the airplants in the container with tops toward the open end.
4. Add the quartz cluster and aragonite pieces.
5. Distribute a few small clumps of beard lichen and toss a smattering of carnelian agate on the sand.
Care
Place terrarium where it will receive bright, indirect, or filtered light. Keep it away from direct, hot midday or afternoon sun, as the glass intensifies heat. Every week or two (depending on light levels) remove the airplants from terrarium and submerge in water containing a dilute solution of fertilizer for 1 to 8 hours. Beard lichen can be misted weekly.
Tip
The bullet-shaped glass would also make a lovely horn-of-plenty design, with a profusion of gleanings from the woods and fields (such as plump rosehips, acorns, and flower seedheads) symbolizing fertility, good fortune, and abundance.
This striking terrarium is built around a dramatic species of airplant with seemingly writhing foliage—Tillandsia caput-medusae—named for the terrifying Greek maiden-goddess with snakes for hair who turned onlookers to stone if they dared to look at her face.
1 GLASS EYE CONTAINER (14 X 16 INCHES, OPENING 2 1/2 INCHES DEEP X 14 INCHES WIDE)
10 CUPS PURE QUARTZ SAND
6 TIGER SHELLS, SMALL AND LARGE
2 LARGE CUT SHELLS
2 LARGE MEDUSA’S HEADS (Tillandsia caput-medusae)
3 BLUSHING BRIDES (Tillandsia ionantha)
PASTRY BRUSH OR PAINTBRUSH
1. Clean terrarium glass inside and out.
2. Pour quartz sand into vessel, mounding it up two opposite sides slightly.
3. Press the tiger shells softly into the sand. Try positioning the smaller tiger shells closer to the surface and the larger tiger shells about one-third buried.
4. Poke the large cut shells into the sand toward the middle. Nestle the Medusa’s heads between the two cut shells with plants’ bases sitting on top of the sand.
5. Place the blushing brides near the tiger shells.
Care
Place terrarium where it will receive bright, indirect or filtered light. Avoid direct, hot midday or afternoon sun. Every 1 to 2 weeks (depending on light levels), remove airplants from terrarium and submerge in water containing quarter-strength fertilizer for 1 to 8 hours.
Tip
To create soft sand waves, as in the photograph, use a pastry brush or paintbrush to sweep sand up the sides of the terrarium.
Hefty chunks of luminous green fluorite balance the soft frondiness of the mood moss and the tiny, fernlike leaves and delicate white flowers of the “angry bunny,” a miniscule carnivorous plant from South Africa.
1 GLASS JAR (5 X 6 INCHES)
2 CUPS SMALL MONTEREY BEACH PEBBLES
1 ANGRY BUNNY PLANT (Utricularia sandersonii)
17 RAW FLUORITE STONES
SMALL HANDFUL MOOD MOSS (Dicranum species)
1. Clean terrarium glass inside and out.
2. Spread a layer of small pebbles on the bottom of the glass jar and tamp down firmly.
3. Unpot the angry bunny plant and settle into terrarium, spreading out soil mix across the whole surface of terrarium and spreading plant over the surface of soil.
4. Position fluorite stones in a ring around outer edge of the glass.
5. Add a few fluffy pinches of mood moss.
Care
Angry bunny plant, a South African perennial carnivorous plant, appreciates bright, indirect light near a window. Keep soil moist at all times by pouring 1/4 to 1 cup of distilled or rain water over soil regularly and you’ll be rewarded with a show of tiny white flowers. Mood moss can be spritzed from time to time, although the humidity of this wet terrarium may keep it green without spritzing.
Tip
In lieu of a sunny window, try a full-spectrum fluorescent light for 18 hours a day. This provides the bright light many carnivorous plants need and will often help them last into a second year indoors. If you can’t find fluorite, any chunky mineral that catches your fancy will do.
The most pleasing interactions of color and light are sometimes the subtle ones, like the reflection of sunset on ocean waves. The milky pearlescence of the interior of the nautilus shell is the perfect complement to the pinky-lavender-tinted leaves of the succulent (‘Afterglow’ echeveria) while the reddish stripes on the outside of the nautilus shell play well with the cinnamon-toned Monterey beach pebbles.
1 BRANDY SNIFTER (12 INCHES TALL)
2 CUPS MONTEREY BEACH SAND
2 CUPS MONTEREY BEACH PEBBLES
4 HANDFULS FEATHER MOSS (Ptilium species)
1 NAUTILUS SHELL (WHOLE, UNCUT)
2 CUPS WHITE PEBBLES
1 ‘AFTERGLOW’ ECHEVERIA (2- TO 4-INCH POT)
2 HANDFULS NATURAL LICHEN (VARIOUS SPECIES)
Tip
If the plant fits but the pot is too large to slip comfortably in the terrarium, try downsizing the pot: tap it out of the pot, tease some soil out of the roots and tuck snugly in a smaller pot. Note that a 4-inch pot is about as large a pot as will fit in the design. Even then, it’s worth measuring the plant’s rosette so you know it will fit and look proportionate. If you can’t find an ‘Afterglow’ echeveria, use any variety with pink or lavender leaves.
1. Clean terrarium glass inside and out.
2. Pour Monterey beach sand, followed by Monterey beach pebbles, into base of brandy snifter.
3. Add soft green feather moss in small bunches to form a ring toward the center.
4. Place nautilus shell on its back at the edge of glass so you can gain a glimpse of the pearly interior.
5. Scatter white pebbles around edges.
6. Nestle the ‘Afterglow’ echeveria (still in pot) within the moss ring, adding natural lichen to conceal the pot.
Care
Indoors, ‘Afterglow’ echeveria prefers bright light—just pull terrarium away from near window on hot summer days to prevent foliar burn. In winter, keep plant on the dry side, watering every 2 to 3 weeks. In summer, drench plant weekly or whenever soil dries to the touch. To water, pour 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water slowly into pot. Once a month during spring and summer, fertilize with a solution of quarter-strength balanced fertilizer. Spritz feather moss weekly with water to maintain fresh green appearance.
