Sunday, June 6, 2010

Terrariums Make a Comeback


The New York Times is even noticing the terrarium phenom. Early this month, they featured an article in their Home and Garden section, "Terrariums Make a Comeback".

"Part of the appeal of building a basic terrarium is that it does not require a great deal of gardening know-how. While regular house plants can demand considerable attention, terrariums offer a bit of nature — and the sense of calm it can confer — in a contained, easy-to-care-for way. And once a closed terrarium reaches a state of equilibrium, in which there is neither too much moisture in the container nor too little, it can more or less sustain itself. "

A little history...

"THE precursor to the terrarium, the Wardian Case, was devised in 1829 by Nathaniel Ward, a physician by trade and an enthusiastic botanist, who noticed that a fern he was growing in a jar was flourishing, sealed off from the polluted London air. So innovative was his discovery — and so useful in the age of sea travel, for it allowed for Europeans to bring tropical plants home with them on voyages in which fresh water was scarce — that it was displayed at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851, holding a fern that had not been watered in 18 years."

"It's this beautiful little world you can care for in your apartment, because you probably can't go buy a piece of land..."


2 comments:

  1. I love these but how much sun do you need?

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  2. Depends on the plant that you have in the vessel... we have a range, some are herbs that need a lot of sun and water, and others are succulents that are okay with little sun and little water.

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