These are photos of the first attempt at making terrariums using the moss and wild ginger from the back yard.
Really wanted to also bring in some of the Trout Lilly but their root structure was terribly difficult to parse and coax out of the dirt so I let it be in their woods. See you next spring Trout Lilly!
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| All dressed up on the coffee table for photos, not their perm home due to the bright light. |
Helpful guides I should've read more vs just looking at West Elm and trying to replicate.
.... Sphagnum moss, not Spanish moss, for the layers. It is much more durable, less prone to mold, really makes a more solid barrier between the stones and carbon. & not the sphagnum moss dirt mix found near the orchids & ferns at a big-box hardware store, rather dry sphagnum moss sold in a clear bag.
... That said, do stir some sphagnum dirt mix into the soil and also some of the loose stone used in the bottom drainage step into the dirt mixture.
.... More loose carbon, not just sprinkles between the stones, cake it in there and make a layer, but don't pour it or it will dust up the container. The container of loose carbon for $20 at the big-box pet store was probably the most expensive item next to the glass containers but it went a long way.
.... Glass tops are cute but for the most part ought to just have a nice place next to their matching container, especially the few days after watering.
.... Distilled water, not tap... & less.
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| Note the bad layers. |
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| Iron snail under the canopy of wild ginger. |
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| Filled the snail with some moss too. |
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| Snail face so cute it makes me want to squeel... oh! |
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| This is the only one to make it, not sure what the plant in the middle is but plays well with moss and with the lid on most of the time. This moss type (pleurocarp?) did well under the glass so it's the only one with a lid on most of the time. |
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| Bits of clover. |
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| Pulled some moss thru a big button hole. |
Sadly, looking back, when constructed they were made too moist plus didn't have the drainage done well and kept the lids on too much. Even though they were not overly misty and wet jars with condensation as I imagined there would be for a warning sign, there was just too much moisture and muck. The gingers wilted over days and died. The mosses rotted turning dark. I'm hoping the few saved rhizomes not rotted will come back since the root structure was intact and maybe because they're just a spring plant they will come back.
