By Maureen Wilson —
For some people, a garden is too much to handle. But what if there was one that was small enough to fit into your hands?
A terrarium is like a miniature garden. They consist of at least one plant and can be enclosed or open, usually in a glass container. For this workshop, which took place recently in the TEC Makerspace, participants were each provided 32 ounce plastic jars, rocks, moss, and soil. Plants were limited to two per person. Participants were also given the choice to use a real or fake plant, for those not as horticulturally inclined.
It’s important to start your terrarium with rocks (typically gravel or other small stones), as they will act as a drainage layer for the soil. By preventing the roots from over-saturation, your plant will live much longer. The next layer is moss, which prevents the soil from mixing with the rocks. During this stage, it’s recommended to add activated charcoal as a natural filter. The largest portion, third from the bottom, is the soil layer that provides the proper nutrients and a ground to plant your succulent. Finally, the layer that covers the top of the terrarium is moss again. From here, participants had plenty of options regarding how to embellish their terrarium. Tools such as tweezers were provided to aid the process of carefully placing the decorations on the moss or the leaves. Both are delicate enough to shift out of place or break entirely, so it’s important to handle them with care.
This workshop was conducted by Jennifer Hicks, who offered her input on how the terrariums should be maintained. The advice consisted of not leaving the lid on too long (it could lead to mold), not overwatering since succulents don’t require much water, and keeping the plant somewhere that gets moderate, indirect sunlight (like a windowsill).
“Build a Terrarium” wasn’t the only TEC event at the Gardner-Harvey Library that day. From 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., the “Garden Stakes” workshop was held in the same room (GRD 125 TEC Lab). The latter group utilized any leftover materials. The Gardner-Harvey Library is hosting two other events this March: Al Cady’s “Defense and Your Immune System” and Tammie Gerke’s “Death Valley National Park” presentation. Don’t miss them!