Terrarium Time

"Terrariums are miniature gardens with expansive appeal," says Haworth. What could be better than gardens under glass? And according to Haworth, the best part is that all this elegance won't break the bank. Terrarium supplies include recycled glass containers, quality potting mix, charcoal, peat moss, tools for planting such as plastic utensils and chopsticks, newspaper to funnel the soil into the container and plants.

When choosing plants, think small. "The smaller the pot, the less you pay," says Haworth. "To get the most for your money, look for pots that have more than one plant in the container. Choose plants that look healthy. Avoid fuzzy-leaved plants since they don't like water on their leaves, a condition that is hard to avoid in a terrarium. Don't forget to combine plants that share the same growing conditions."

Haworth also makes her own planting tools such as a mini rake and shovel by securing the top of a plastic fork to the end of a chopstick with wire (figure F). A petite poker and tiny trowel may be created with a small piece of sponge wired to a chopstick (figure G).

Tropicals, on the other hand, need a lid because they like humidity. Add a layer of charcoal, gravel and screen cut to shape just like before (figure K). Add enough soil to fill the container halfway. Because Haworth's container is small, she breaks up the plants (in this case, Asparagus plumosa) a bit. Haworth recommends experimenting with size texture and color. "If something is too big, cut it or pull it out."

When it's just right, give the plants a quick mist, and put the lid on. If it gets so foggy and misty that you can't see the plants, crack the lid for a day or two to let some of the moisture escape, but remember to put the lid back on again.

Glass containers with very narrow openings need a little different approach. Tilt, shake and prod to get the soil into a narrow container opening using a newspaper funnel (figure L). Haworth recommends starting with the low-growing plants. She gently pulls apart the individual plants and trims the roots with a pair of sharp scissors. Then, carefully using the sponge-tipped chopstick, Haworth pushes the plant through the narrow bottleneck (figure M).

"Long chopsticks are the key to success (figure N)," she says. When the plants are installed, mist gently.

Once Haworth is finished planting, she lightly cleans the inside of the container with the sponge-tipped chopstick, and puts the top on (figure O). The self-contained terrarium is set for weeks.

Remember, don't plant anything too big in your terrarium.