CHENNAI: Terrarium’ was one of the top trending e-commerce google keywords last January. But terrariums have been around since 1842, when an English doctor who couldn’t keep his tropical ferns alive in cold, British weather, put them in a glass enclosure to trap humidity and found that it worked magically. Since then, from being a rare object in the gardener’s cabinet of curiosities to taking over modern home decor stores, terrariums have spread their roots afar.
NATURE IN A JAR
The original terrariums were plants in closed glass containers. Closed terrariums are self-sustaining – water transpires from the leaves, condenses on the walls and ‘rains’ back into the jar, mimicking nature. Once sealed, it can go on its own for years. It takes a fair amount of trial and error to get water and light recipes right. But for a serious DIY terrarium hobbyist, that’s part of the fun.
MODERN AVATARS
The current wave of terrarium lovers, however, is not necessarily motivated for the same reasons as a DIY gardener. Their enthusiasm is partly due to the fantastic shapes that modern terrariums glasses have evolved into — from curvilicious orbs to sleek polygons, which has led to their transition from garden to lifestyle objects. A well-known home decor store that got terrariums for their own in-store decor was so flooded with requests to buy them, that they had to introduce them as a new category.
WONDER-WORLDS
Most modern terrariums are ‘open’, so although not self-sustaining, they can accommodate a wider range of plants than just the humidity-loving. In times of Pinterest gardening, this has lead to a burst in creative displays of imagination — from desert-scaping with succulents, to sculpting Amazonian forests in hanging teardrops, or simply using rocks and mosses to create miniature zen gardens. All this can be packed into desk-friendly sizes, which makes them almost
of therapeutic value to gaze into during
work breaks.
A HOBBY THE BUSY CAN AFFORD
Compared to the more intense forms of gardening, terrariums are easier to make and maintain. Terrarium workshops are becoming popular with working professionals who can’t commit to serious gardening but enjoy getting their hands dirty on weekends. It is also turning into an interesting employee engagement activity for corporates. Himanshu, a Permaculturist, finds terrariums a great way to educate children about how ecosystems work. Interestingly, sometimes he also finds dead plants resurrected in terrariums, a lesson in how plant life can do without human intervention.
STARTER TIPS
Although most terrariums are easy to maintain, overwatering is the commonest mistake people make. Typically, terrariums don’t have drainage holes, so excess water can be hard to dry out. Aesthetics are subjective, but with a plethora of accessories like electric-coloured stones and animal figurines available, it is easy to get carried away and clutter your terrarium. As in nature, the most beautiful things are often the simplest.