Terrarium Gardens: Planting, Care & Design Ideas

Planting a Terrarium

1. Choose small plants (2‑3″ pots). Mix taller, trailing, and varied foliage colors/textures.
2. If a plant is too large, divide it—tear off a portion and plant.
3. Add quality all‑purpose potting soil if needed. Cover exposed soil with green florist’s moss.
4. Trim foliage that would touch glass (prevents bacterial growth). Add decorative stones, figurines, twigs, etc.

Terrarium Care Tips

• Place in diffused light—closed terrariums overheat in direct sun.
• Water well at planting; may not need water for months. Keep soil evenly moist.
• Remove lid for a few hours every few days for air circulation, especially with flowering plants, to prevent mold.
• Small plants often need the bottom of their root ball knocked off to fit.

Humidity‑Loving Plants

Download our free Humidity‑Loving Plants chart (PDF).

Six Inspiring Terrarium Styles

1. Open‑Dish Succulent Garden

Hens‑and‑chicks (Sempervivum) in a pie dish with sphagnum moss. Shallow‑rooted succulents thrive in flat containers. Keep warm, dry, draft‑free.

2. Herb Mason Jars

Vintage mason jars on a sunny windowsill. Start chives, thyme, rosemary from seed. Transplant when they outgrow jars.

3. Woodland Scene

Boston ferns, variegated ivy, Norfolk Island pines in a vintage barber case. Layer three planting mediums; top with cedar mulch.

4. Aquatic Terrarium

Water lily in a fishbowl with 70°F water and full sun. Anchor with decorative stones. Move to outdoor pond after blooms fade.

5. Flowering Terrarium

Mini African violets in apothecary jars or drinking glasses. Plant a single rooted cutting in moist soil; keep lid on, out of direct sun. Transplant before leaves touch glass.

6. Desert Cactus Terrarium

Cactus mix, sand, hexagonal candy jar. Full sun; soil dry but not bone‑dry. Condensation? Remove lid. Plant with pasta tongs or tongue depressors.

Watering Tip

Use a bulbous turkey baster to water down the inside glass walls—avoids disturbing soil and plants.