Ink & Penstemon

For the most part, I try to resist getting more stuff. There are exceptions; plants, of course, Apple products, and books, mostly. I think my attitude of anti-hoarding comes from cleaning out homes of deceased relatives. After tossing out piles of Christmas tins, National Geographic magazines, and Avon gift soaps, I decided that less is definitely more. I would rather own a few useful, high-quality items that took a long time to find or buy than a lot of stuff that’s cheaply made or was bought on impulse.

Which is why I resisted the terrarium trend for so long. At first, I could not overcome the 1970s association. Terrariums were on par with pet rocks and macramé. But I soon saw some very nice plant arrangements in wardian cases and interesting free-form glass sculptures. These weren’t overgrown fish tanks lit by florescent grow lights and lined with lava rock. They were tasteful. And I could grow plants that I wouldn’t be able to otherwise. Tropical orchids! Carnivorous plants! Maidenhair ferns!

But then I began to research. It turns out that no plant is truly happy in a terrarium for long. Ironically, after my research, I determined that plants do best in terrariums that provide a lighting source, like a florescent grow light, combined with a small fan for air circulation. We’re back to fish tanks and lava rocks. So in my mind for sometime, terrariums had the same garage-sale-table caché as the cupcake keeper.

Despite my reservations, I made an attempt at a carnivorous plant terrarium, and was able to even get a Sarracenia to flower, but the plants quickly outgrew the dome. I also found they were happier outside. But then I found a massive cloche-style terrarium from Restoration Hardware. Due to a pricing glitch and some gift cards, I managed to get it on the cheap. It has air-holes in the top and is big enough that I can grow a maidenhair fern inside of it without the fronds touching the sides of the glass. I also had a perfect little table for it. Kismet. While it is very heavy to remove to get at the plants, I presumed that would be an issue, and it’s not too bad. As I see it, the only downside is I have to crawl inside of it to clean it. Not soon after this acquisition, I found that the miniature Dendrobium and Aerangis orchids I bought weren’t getting enough humidity above the kitchen sink, but will flower for me under a glass dome lifted just a crack to allow for some circulation.

And just like that, I’m now on the terrarium bandwagon. If the domes manage to avoid being broken, I think I will be happy with my plants under glass for some time.