Mission green thumb: Building terrariums

We've been wanting a bit of greenery in the office for a while now and thought what better idea than to get everyone involved in the process! So on Friday we all got together on the rooftop with all the supplies we needed to create these little self contained gardens.

Everyone found it much more difficult than we originally imagined, but we all thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and now have a new skill.

For those that are interested, we have listed the guide we used below: 

Terrarium Building Guide

Terririum building is fariyl straiht forward but to make it a more enjoyable process, ensure you have all the materials you need on hand as well as a nice open space to build your minuture gardens.

Materials Needed

• Glass vessel with a wide opening
• Activated charcoal
• Succulent soil
• Spoon
• Chopstick
• Pea gravel
• Figurines
• Various succulents (3 - 4 for terrarium)

How To Build

1. Create the first layer by pouring decorative pebbles into your container (about 2 inches); this provides drainage.
2. Using the spoon, create a thin layer of charcoal over the top of the first layer (0.5-1cm).
3. Begin to spoon the soil into your container.  Be more generous with this layer than the first, as your plant needs sufficient soil matter to grow – some succulents actually grow extensive root systems. Pat it down with your fingers.
4. Using your chopstick, create indentations in the soil for where you want your plants to go (a long thin tool like a chopstick allows for more control when planting).
5. Remove the plants from their pots and gently loosen their root systems.
6. Pop your plants in.Use the fat end of your chopstick to tamp down the soil around the base of your plants.Be sure to keep the succulents away from the sides of your terrarium because they’re liable to burn on a hot day.Sprinkle a final layer of decorative pebbles or sand, and add some cool figurines for a bit of atmosphere.
7. Keep them alive :)