I Created a Plant Ecosystem!
About a month ago, I found out this brilliant concept of Terrarium, all thanks to the Internet. The possibility and the actuality of creating a plant ecosystem inside a closed container intrigued me. I researched further on how one can execute it at home. I looked upon several websites, then several tutorials and several informative videos on YouTube. Since I was new to this concept, and being a plant lover, I had to.
I found out a Terrarium is usually a sealable glass container comprising soil and plants. However, a terrarium can also be open to the atmosphere and doesn’t have to be closed. Yet the closed terraria create a unique environment for plant growth, as the transparent walls allow for both heat and light to enter the Terrarium. They are kept as a decorative piece in the house 🌱.
Looking back at the history of a Terrarium, it was first developed in 1842 by a botanist Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward when he was observing insect behaviour and accidentally left one jar unattended, thus resulting in the first Terrarium which was called the Wardian Case.
That was it, I wanted one. I wanted one created by myself. But I had no glass container, nor the necessary ingredient, and being broke had me in disadvantage that I couldn’t buy one. So I waited. Till someone would throw some money at me and say, “Ja Smritee Ja, Banai aafno euta xuttai ecosystem”. 😉
I got a glass container, then some pebbles, small ones and some bigger ones. Some coal, garden soil, small plants that I had in my house, and finally some moss and liverworts and there I begin with my first ever Terrarium created by my own artistic hands.
The process is yet a simple one. You stack everything one by one. Starting with smaller pebbles, then coal to make drainage, then the soil creating a layer. On the upper layer, you can decorate or shape it as you want. With the larger pebbles, the moss, the liverworts and some small plants. You can use any plants as per the will and accessibility. Also, consider the life span and make sure the plants are low maintenance. So they last longer, preventing you from heartbreak.
Caring a Terrarium is also easy, spray a little water every morning. Wipe out the foggy part in the glass to make it look pretty. Yeah, make sure you don’t over-water it, and you are all set.
There I created a Terrarium, and I am super proud of myself. For anyone who wants a novel experience and loves plants, there you go. Treat yourself with a little Terrarium ❤️.
