Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Teapot Terrarium


Ter-rar-i-um: A glass container, chiefly or wholly enclosed, for growing and displaying plants. (Courtesy of dictionary.com)

Tea-rar-i-um: A glass teapot used for the same purpose. (Courtesy of my husband!)

A recent magazine article on terrariums reminded me I'd seen these made using glass teapots, so creating a teapot terrarium (or tea-rarium) has been on my "to do" list for a while. Yesterday evening the weather was so pretty that I went outside and gathered some materials to see what I could come up with.

First, I started with a layer of rocks, because I had read that is what you're supposed to do.

Then, a few pieces of moss. I loooooove moss! Have you ever really looked at moss? If you haven't, you might make it a point to do so, and soon. This moss, for instance, looks like it's made up of dozens of tiny green stars. I have no idea what variety it is, so I just think of it as Starry Moss.

Sedum may not be the prettiest plant I've ever seen, but it's like Glenn Close in "Fatal Attraction" and simply will not die, so I figured it was a good, reliable choice for my latest gardening experiment.

Ferns! Don't you love ferns? The Victorians were crazy about them, and I can see why. I like to press fern leaves between book pages, too. (One of these days I'll actually do something with those pressed ferns!)


Clover. Three-leaf, not four, but the petals look like pretty butterfly wings, so I included it in my little teapot plant kingdom.

And if I did this terrarium thing all wrong, please don't tell me because I sure had fun doing it. Now I just have to get a spray bottle so I can keep it misted and, hopefully, alive!

14 comments:

  1. How cute! Angela, your teararium looks like a little fairy cottage. What a sweet way to use that pot--- B-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I can just see a tiny fairy dwelling
    amongst the moss!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh how cute! I use to make those years ago, I may have to make one! I agree I see maybe Tinkerbell flying around in it!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love it! But I didn't know glass teapots existed.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Your teararium turned out really well - nice selection of plants. I may have to dig out that glass teapot I never use and try this.

    ReplyDelete
  6. It looks perfect to me! I know nothing about how to make a terrarium, but it's the best idea I've ever seen for a clear glass teapot.

    ReplyDelete
  7. You are just so creative. What a great use for a glass teapot. So pretty. Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  8. That is a wonderful idea! So pretty.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Beautiful! What a cleaver idea!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'd be really curious to hear from you months (years?) later to see how this turns out.

    I love the idea of terrariums, but I've found them to be a challenge. Over time, they eventually seem to degrade.

    The ecologist in me wonders if it's possible to have a truly sustainable terrarium because all the plants in them are adapted to an open, complex environment with changing conditions. I wonder if tropical rainforest plants (adapted to relatively static condition) would do better in them. But I can't exactly walk out my door and gather them up...

    ReplyDelete
  11. Very cute! I would love to share this terrarium on the F&M - my blog devoted to all things terrarium-related! We also have lots of great tips for keeping your terrarium healthy and happy!

    http://www.thefernandmossery.com/

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for taking time to leave a comment! It makes my day to hear from readers!