Lila's Garden is a terrarium online shop in Sydney that provides one stop shopping for a plant lover to find perfect gift match for their loved one. We are passionate in creating pieces of art; we create our terrariums with utmost love and care.

Closed vs Open Terrariums

What is a closed terrarium?

A closed terrarium is a self-sufficient ecosystem. The plants are put inside jars such as a clear glass container with a lid that is used to seal it. Sealing off the terrarium and creating a closed system is what perpetuates the ecosystem.

What is an open terrarium?

Open Terrariums are the plants that are put in open containers without any lid to enclose it. Of course, with this comes the easiness of accessing the plants. Open Terrariums are more suitable for plants that thrive in dry conditions as it is difficult to maintain moisture in an open terrarium. Typically, an open dish or bowl, these are great for growing arid plants like succulents and cacti. Though not a terrarium in the functional sense, they still have their place as horticultural art.

How do you make a Terrarium?

1. Buy a special terrarium case to hold your garden or make one of your own out of a soda bottle, fish tank, fishbowl or vase.
2. Then fill the bottom of your container with half the amount of the layer of soil you plan to use. You may lay rocks as your first layer in the terrarium, but this personal preference.
3. Add any large rocks or pieces of driftwood that you would like to include in your garden.
4. In the soil, make a hole big enough for the roots of the plants to rest.
5. Remove the plant from its container – you may need to lightly massage the roots to loosen the roots from the soil.
6. Position the plants in the thin layer of soil and add the second layer of soil around the plants. Press somewhat firmly – the new soil level should be about the same level as the soil of the plant’s original root ball.
7. Get creative and mix up the plants, colours and sizes.

Taking care of your Terrariums

Exposure to light

It is important to note that the light exposure your terrarium plants gets. In other words, it is recommended that you don’t expose your terrariums with too little or too much light. As with any plant, it is crucial that your terrarium gets at least some light to survive. This can be achieved by placing your terrarium in a place where it could get indirect sunlight. When placed under direct sunlight, the glass container of the terrarium could act as a magnifier, which might burn the plants. Thus, always make sure you find the optimal but not too much light for your plants.

Cleaning a closed terrarium

After buying one of our closed terrariums online, it is necessary to maintain them through regular cleaning. Ideally, you would want your terrariums to let as much light through the glass as possible. Not to mention, if you want your terrariums to look great for longer, you should ensure that you follow certain cleaning procedures.

The outside of the container can be wiped using any window cleaner, but please don’t use any toxic cleaning solutions to clean the interiors. This prevents the plant getting poisoned. Mineral deposits could form white residue on the glass over time, especially if you use tap water. You could use 50%-50% mix of water and white vinegar to clean it. Let the surface moisture dry before resealing the terrarium.

We can’t tell you how popular terrariums are now for plant lovers. This is the perfect gift for those who want to take care of low-maintenance plants. If you are based in Sydney and this is a last-minute gift, you can order terrariums online. Lila’s Garden offers our services online so you can find these terrariums onlineso shop here!