Terrarium Centerpiece

Moving from the Burbs was a big adjustment for me for MANY reasons. The biggest adjustment was, of course, going from having a yard and garden to... well... nothing. We moved into an apartment without a balcony and no hope for any outdoor cultivation.

Luckily our building is ancient (110 years old!) and so the windows are MASSIVE! We get a ton of natural light, making indoor gardens a possibility.

In my never ending quest for all things green, I stumbled upon several articles about terrariums. They are apparently all the rage right now, and I must admit that I am smitten with their cuteness. So many possibilities and so low maintenance. How could I NOT give in to the trend?!

Plus, I figured it would be a great opportunity for the boy and I to play with some dirt and make a mess. And that is always a welcome diversion during these cold winter days.

I followed the directions in this article to build our terrariums. I bought all of my supplies, including the jars, on Amazon. Isn't that tray ADORABLE?! I found the it at Target in the clearance bin for $4! It was scuffed all to hell, but there is nothing a Magic Eraser can't fix.




























You can gather your moss outdoors, purchase from a local greenhouse or order it online. I ordered mine online from Teresa's Plants and More Store on Etsy ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/teresab123 ). The moss is beautiful and she is a super nice lady to boot.





 















Now we have a cool little centerpiece that is movable and versatile. I love it!

The moss is doing great after 5 days... so far so good!

Starting over from scratch...

Moving cross country is rough on everyone... and every THING too. It doesn't matter how well you pack and tether things down. SOMETHING is gonna get messed up. Furniture gets gouged and scratched. Stuff will break. These are the facts of life. It doesn't make it make it easier to deal with though.

When we arrived, about 80% of my house plants and their accompanying ceramic pots were obliterated. We're talking about a decade of nurturing gone to shit in a matter of days. I was crushed.

Even though I had lost most of my favorite plants, I still had some of them left...

I managed to save the Rubber Tree (above) that my husband and I planted almost 10 years ago when we first moved in together. It's been re-potted at least 5 times and stands about 6 feet tall. The plants in the base are starting to come back as well. 

I re-purposed  our old entertainment stand to accommodate the remainder of my plants (above).  Our Buddha collection lives happily amongst the greenery. All of my gardening supplies are tucked neatly away in those cute little cloth boxes. Oh, organization... How I love thee!

 Hey, now! It's starting to look pretty lush in here!

I had to prune back this planter due to some of the damage caused by the move. I was hoping the plants would recover, but they couldn't do it without a little bit of assistance. Hopefully the sunny spot will help them bounce back.  (above: Jade Plant and Variegated Elephant Bush)

Remember to save succulent leaves that fall off and and any cuttings that you take when pruning. Succulents are the easiest things in the world to get to take root. I let the cutting or leaves dry for a day or two then stick them into some potting soil. Just make sure to add some gravel at the base of the pot for good drainage and don't over water. The soil needs to dry out between waterings.

Here's a shot (above) of all the clippings I took growing in a sunny spot. I'll have more plants in no time!

Plants make me happy...

Buddha looks pretty happy too.