CHENNAI: Enclosed in the large glass box at Terraform, Kodambakkam, was a dream scene of an urban rainforest. The ferns growing around the stump wood were adorned with pearls of water droplets. The bushy foliage peeping out of the gaping holes of the trunk was fighting for more space to fill. As the gold glimmer of light passes through the terrarium, the multitude of mosses sparkle the entire room with a tropical forest glow. This latest innovation by Sai Krishnan and Sriram, the owners of Backyard and Terraform, plant boutique and arium studio, is India’s biggest terrarium on display. “Even though it is currently India’s biggest terrarium, it doesn’t mean that it can’t get any bigger than this. At the store, this is the space that we were able to dedicate to it. If any customer wants us to build a bigger one, we are up for it, “ shared Sriram.
Into the mistiness
The ecosystem inside the terrarium is similar to a tropical rainforest. “We add water to the system and seal it so that water is present in any one of its forms. Initially, we have it in liquid form and then it evaporates. When the temperature drops in the evening and all that vapour condenses back on the glass, it goes back to liquid state. Thus, the environment is always wet and humid, resembling a rainforest which gets rain for more than 300 days a year,” he added. The main support is the driftwood that takes up a large space inside the box.
“ The driftwoods are actually roots and branches of trees that grow on riverbanks.When they get cut off and fall into the river, they are soaked for several years,” he shared. To add to the grandeur, along with native green plants and mosses, they have also added a few exotic plants. Pointing to the carnivorous pitcher plant inside the terrarium, Sriram said, “ This plant thrives on eating insects. When any insect falls inside the pitcher, it starts secreting enzymes that will help in digesting the insect. This will be enough for it to sustain for the next two to three days.” Exotic plants like begonias and orchids, aquatic plants including bolbitis and bucephalandra, and anthuriums from Ecuador were the other plants that ornamented the terrarium.
World of variety
The urban rainforest transports you to real ones, and the whole studio takes us through a journey of plants from all around the world inhabiting a customised space. A range of plants cultivated near the miniature houses, benches, and people, installed inside the small terrarium bowls also adorn the shelves of the boutique. Sai and Sriram are childhood friends who always wanted to join a business venture together. Merging Sai’s interest in plants and Sriram’s interest in aquariums, they came up with the idea for the boutique.
Starting their research two years ago, the two friends explored countries like Malaysia and Thailand. From there, they learned more about different plants and ariums. “Through our trips, we were able to import a few exotic plants. We also learned more about plants and understood how to do cost-cutting,” said Sai. Since October last year, they have been experimenting and innovating. Sai summed up, “We are planning on opening a dedicated gallery for terrariums and aquariums in the future. Currently, we are focussing on creating vivariums with reptiles like iguanas, frogs, snakes, bearded dragons, and geckos.”