I've been eyeing off these terrariums for ages:
http://pinterest.com/ahappymamabear/terrariums/
I remember when I was little, my mum and I would make "fairy gardens", and I would neglect it after a few hours of imaginings and it would eventually die...
This, my dears, is my simple, grown up fairy garden.
It comes under my label "décor on a budget' because, well, it's a really cool and affordable decoration for your home! (Don't worry, I'm still going to make a nice, long entry on budget (and awesome) décor ;) )
This is great to make with kids, you can go all-out making a little fairy-land! (Just make sure it doesn't die!)
So, here we go!
Everything is sourced from my own garden, so this didn't cost me a single cent! AND, you can do the same. Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooot!
This is what you're gonna need:
~ A glass vessel. This can be big, small, round, tall....lid or no lid! I probably would have liked a bigger jar or even a bowl, but as soon as I figured out that I could make a terrarium from my garden I was SO EXCITED that I couldn't wait! I used the first glass object I found.
~ Potting mix, or healthy soil
~ Pebbles or gravel...I got mine from my driveway in le back yard! Small stones would even work...
~ Charcoal. This is optional as far as I can tell, it is to absorb odours and prevent mould. I took some from our fire-pit-sorta-thing. They say "activated" charcoal is better, but I ain't got that. You don't want to use man-made BBQ charcoal....I'm not sure why, but Google says so! And Google knows all.
~ a spoon
~ small plants. Now, I actually just went in to my back garden and looked for some nice looking weeds. So this kills two birds with one stone!
~ various other interesting objects to decorate with. I recommend moss, but all ours was dead :( . I found some dried wattle and bark and a stone. You can also use cute little bits and pieces, figurines and the like, to make a little scene! Some of the images on the Pinterest page I linked provide irresistible inspiration, I'm definitely going to be making more of these!! Hehe!
Here we go!!
STEP 1
Put a layer of rocks at the bottom of your jar/whatever you're using. This provides a draining system for your plants. If you're using a small vessel like me, pop just enough rocks in to cover the bottom. If your container is bigger, go nuts! The more plants and surface area, the more drainage you need.
STEP 2
Place your charcoal on top of the pebbles, just a thin(ish) layer! Not too much!
STEP 3
In with the soil! Remember this is for a plant to live in, so this layer should be fairly generous in relation to the roots of your plant. It was here I was sad. I realised my favourite weeds were too big for this container :( Another reason to make more! Yay!
STEP 4
Make a little indentation to plant your plant(s) in. Start with the big 'uns first.
STEP 5
Plant 'em! Make sure the roots are covered with soil, this can be a bit fiddly in a small container or a container with a small opening, so you may need to use the end of your spoon to help you along. Then decorate! Take time with your arranging, so you can thoroughly enjoy your little garden.
Now sit back, relax, and enjoy your masterpiece!
If your container has a lid, you will only need to water it every month or two. If the water starts to condense, you've given it too much, so remove the lid and allow it to dry a little bit! If you don't have a lid (like me), I would imagine you would need to give it a few drops of water (depending on the size of your terrarium) every couple of weeks, as needed.
I hope you have as much fun with your terrarium as I did!
Cheerio!
Annabelle
<3
xxx
