How to make a mini garden terrarium

Making your own terrarium is fun, simple and rewarding. Who wouldn’t love a low-maintenance, indoor mini garden?

I visited Chris Janko, lead garden designer at Gardenworks in Burnaby, BC to show me the proper steps in building a terrarium that will thrive for years to come! Watch the video above to see us in action.

The first step is finding a vessel to plant your terrarium in. The options are pretty much limitless here – be creative and choose something you love! I used this nice glass cube that I’ve been looking to find a good use for.

I’m planting some baby ferns to get a nice woodlands feel. It’s important to combine the right plant types when building your terrarium – keep your ferns (who like it moist) separate from your cacti (who like it dry.)

For the first layer you need to put down an even layer of charcoal. Charcoal will keep your terrarium smelling nice and help to prevent the growth of blue or green algae on the walls.

Next you need to top the charcoal with a layer of potting soil. Completely cover the charcoal and break up the soil so it’s nice and soft and ready for planting. Always use potting soil from a garden centre instead of your home garden because you don’t want little bugs and critters sneaking in!

Once you have your foundation set, it’s time to get creative with your plants. I planted ferns, african violet and mosses.

Top of the soil with tree bark to create beautiful woodland smell when you water it. If your terrarium has a different theme, you could also use rocks or seashells instead of bark to top.

Once you’re done that try adding some personal decorating flair. I’m using some nice stones that I’ve collected through the years to finish mine off.

To maintain your terrarium you can use a spray bottle or a shot glass to wet the base of the plants. You don’t want to drown or over water by running under the tap. Mist your plants a couple times per week.

That’s it! Go and try one for yourself!