How to Make Terrariums and Other Under-glass Gardens

A terrarium is among the least demanding of all indoor gardens. It is a garden enclosed in glass. Here, plants get ideal humidity and remain dust free. You can make a terrarium using a discarded aquarium with a glass cover, but a lot of other glass containers can be transformed into wonderful terrariums. Rose bowls, brandy snifters, fish bowls, goblets, large jars and bottles, and stacked candy dishes make for pretty under-glass gardens.

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These indoor gardens grow attractively with minimum light requirements.  Read about How Fluorescent Lights Promote Growth and Flowering

These are ideal for 20-watt fluorescents. 
You can grow a really attractive bottle garden in a shadow box under a pencil-size fluorescent tube. These tubes are available on order from lighting specialists. You can also set up your own indoor garden lighting.  Instructions can be found here: Basic Fluorescent Light Setups for Indoor Gardening


Display your terrarium in low-light areas about a week or two, then give it an alternate, rejuvenating period under normal light setups.

To plant an aquarium or other glass container, pour 1/2 to 1 inch of coarse gravel and perlite on the bottom. Add little pieces of charcoal. Then cover with porous, moistened soil. Having a mixture of equal parts garden loam, peat moss, perlite, and vermiculite is great for dish gardening, but double the portions of loam and perlite if you're growing desert plants. If you want to go for a woodland scene, form some mound out of the soil and fashion them to look like hills and create depressions for valleys.


Choose miniature, slow-growing plants, utilizing only those that are compatible. Using a small piece of a mirror will give the illusion of water. Small pieces of driftwood may be used to support miniature vines. Small rocks and woodland moss or green sphagnum does add a natural touch.

Beautiful Plant Choices for Your Indoor Garden