Botany · Ch 10 — Economically Useful Plants & Entrepreneurial Botany
Terrarium
Terrarium
A terrarium is a small collection of plants grown inside a transparent, sealed or part-sealed glass container — an easy, low-maintenance miniature garden that can survive indefinitely on very little water, and one that, ready-made, can fetch a good price as an indoor-garden object or gift article, making it a realistic small enterprise. Building one follows a clear sequence: first, an interesting piece of glassware is sourced and cleaned, with the plant arrangement planned in advance; a false drainage layer of pebbles is added at the bottom, deep enough (depending on the container's size) that water can settle without flooding the container; a layer of activated charcoal is spread over the pebbles to control bacteria, fungi and odour; enough soil is then added for the plants' roots to establish and grow; small plants suited to enclosed growing — such as Caralluma, Asparagus, Portulaca, Begonia or Chlorophytum species — are trimmed and planted with a stick, with soil compacted gently around the base, keeping the leaves clear of the container's sides; and finally, decorative touches such as dried or living moss, small figurines or a layer of miniature rocks a …
What this figure shows. An illustrated cross-section of a finished terrarium inside a clear glass container, showing its layered construction exactly as described in the text, from bottom to top: a base layer of pebbles or sand for drainage, a thin layer of coal/activated charcoal above it to control odour and microbial growth, a layer of soil deep enough for root growth, small plants (such as Caralluma, Asparagus, Portulaca, Begonia or Chlorophytum species) planted in the soil, and decorative touches on the surface such as dried or living moss, coloured glass, small ornaments or miniature rocks, creatin …