Mini garden in a glass container. A living microcosm with our own hands: we make florariums. Photo instruction for creating a florarium

November 2016

Do you know what a florarium is? As you can understand from the name itself, this is something related to plants. And there is. This is a flower arrangement. Only these are not the usual pots and vases with flowers. Florarium - these are flowers placed behind glass. Or rather, a living plant composition located in a glass terrarium - a jar, a glass, a bottle, an aquarium, etc. Sometimes the florarium is also called the "garden in a bottle." And not at all by chance. After all, in this way you can create a miniature rainforest, a piece of desert or rocky landscape.

Beautiful florariums

The first person to discover the possibility of containing plants in vessels was a Danish botanist Nathaniel Ward. It was he who, at the end of the 19th century, absolutely accidentally invented the prototype of the modern florarium - Ward's box. It was a glass closed vessel in which various types of exotic plants were transported from tropical and subtropical countries to Europe. Due to this, new, unknown at that time plants spread around the world. Very soon, Ward's boxes appeared in the interior of fashionable secular salons of that time.

Florarium with orchid, moss and other plants

The baton was taken over by the American D. Latimer, who placed Tradescantia in a sealed glass vessel. It happened a long time ago, in 1960. Today, after many years, tradescantia also feels good in the resulting ecosystem. The plant produces oxygen, feeds on its own humus - takes care of itself. And in all these years, Latimer watered Tradescantia only twice - at the time of planting and after 12 years. And the whole care of the plant consists only in the fact that David from time to time turns the vessel to the light, first one side, then the other. It is clear that plants are able to exist offline.

Small florarium

Benefits of breeding florariums

A lot of people who dream of growing tropical plant species do not have such an opportunity in a city apartment. After all, a tropical flower is capricious, it needs a special temperature regime and high humidity - it needs a greenhouse. And here the florarium will be an excellent alternative to bulky greenhouses and greenhouses. The terrarium creates a special microclimate due to the closed space. And this favorably affects the growth and development of many exotic plants and flowers.

Florarium in the shape of a cube

In addition, the florarium is incredibly beautiful! A composition of living plants and various decorative elements (snags, pebbles, various figurines) in a glass vessel is a decoration in the interior of any home.

Florarium is very interesting! Caring for and observing the "garden in a bottle" will appeal to both adults and children. An unusual composition will become the "highlight" of your home.

High florarium

Florarium with carnivorous plant

Florarium with succulents

Florarium with stones, moss and other plants

Original florarium with orchids

What is needed to create a florarium

Creating a florarium with your own hands is a curious and quite simple task. This task is quite within the power of even a completely inexperienced amateur grower. It is enough just to know a few secrets of how to make a florarium at home.

So where to start?

Creating a florarium should begin with the preparation of all its components, as well as tools that may be useful in the course of work.

List of necessary items and materials in order to create a florarium with your own hands:

  • glass vessel - can be of any shape and size. For an open florarium (showcase florarium), a rectangular, round or geometric aquarium, a large bowl, a vase, a glass are suitable. For the closed version - an apothecary bottle, a jar for jam. In order to create a hanging mini florarium, you can use special containers purchased at the store, or even an ordinary incandescent lamp. The florarium in a pot-bellied bottle is very popular.
  • Decorative elements - beautiful pebbles, shells, pebbles, small colored glass, snags, moss, ceramic figurines, etc. All that is enough for your imagination and taste.
  • Soil - it is better to buy special, prepared and intended for a specific type of plants and flowers. A mixture of garden soil and sand can also be used as soil.
  • Activated charcoal - added to the soil in order to keep it fresh and to absorb odors.
  • Drainage - necessary for the florarium. If you do not use it, the roots of the plants may turn sour, and it will simply die. For drainage, sand, pebbles, expanded clay, or a plastic grate are used.
  • Tools - a surgical clamp for planting a plant in a container with limited access (if you make a florarium, for example, in a bottle). An alternative to a surgical clamp is Chinese sticks or tweezers. Pinned on a knitting needle, a wine cork, or a school eraser - for compacting the soil. A medical pear, a miniature watering can or a small spray bottle - for watering plants.
  • Microclimate control devices (thermometer, hygrometer) and lighting - these devices will be necessary to create a humid florarium from tropical plants that require high humidity.

Necessary items for creating a florarium

Florarium with panda figurine

Beautiful bright florarium

Florarium with deer figurines

Streamlined florarium

Choosing plants for the florarium

It is important to choose the right plants for the florarium. They should be small in size and preferably slow growing. In addition, they must be combined with each other in size, color, texture and be similar in terms of content.

Florarium with an orchid and a fern in the interior

For a dry florarium with a rocky or desert landscape, succulents are ideal: jade, agave, saxifrage. These plants are unpretentious and are most suitable for beginners who want to create a florarium with their own hands.

For a wet florarium that imitates a small piece of tropical forest, you can choose small bushes of begonia, tradescantia, phytonia, chlorophytum, pilea. These species are characterized by more active growth, and therefore begonias and tradescantia will need to be pinched, and chlorophytum will need to be periodically replaced with new shoots. Moss and ferns are also great ingredients for a wet mini-garden in a bottle. For the composition, various types of moss and ferns are used. But most often, this moss is sphagnum, and from ferns - multi-row, pteris, asplenium.

mushroom florarium

For a florarium with flowering plants, saintpaulias, cyclamens, azalea, gusmania, orchids are suitable. True, the latter are very whimsical and their maintenance requires lighting and a ventilation system.

In addition, plants with unusually colored leaves are used to compile the florarium: fittonia, crotons, alocasia, begonia, etc.

Important: open glass containers are suitable for a dry florarium with succulents, and a closed vessel is suitable for a wet florarium with tropical plants. Moss is also moisture-loving.

Unusual florariums

Florarium care

A closed-form florarium should be watered extremely rarely. To avoid blurring the soil, this must be done carefully, using a medical pear. Such a florarium should be ventilated periodically, especially when large drops of moisture appear on the walls of the vessel.

High florarium with cacti

Open florariums are watered regularly. Except for succulents that don't need frequent watering.

Florariums do not need frequent feeding, as there is no need to stimulate their growth.

It is necessary to wipe the walls of the vessel, monitor and change the soil layer in time, remove diseased and damaged plants. Also, in the absence of artificial illumination, it is necessary to periodically rotate the vessel relative to the light source.

Florarium with cacti in the interior of the house

That, in fact, is the whole care. Easier than some potted plants.

In order to create a decorative garden at home, you will need a minimum of costs, a little free time, a maximum of imagination and a great desire. And the result will be a fantastically beautiful decorative mini-garden. Whether it is an unusually shaped hanging vessel with an orchid, or a geometric florarium with moss and cacti. In any case, it will surely become a bright and unforgettable accent in the interior of your home!

Florarium with an orchid in the interior of the house

Photo gallery (20 photos)


Recently, decorating an apartment with miniature plant compositions has become a fashionable trend and an exciting gardening trend. From this publication you will learn how to create a florarium with your own hands without large financial investments. The main thing is desire, inspiration, knowledge of the nuances of creating flower arrangements and the rules for selecting plants.

The concept of florarium

The classic florarium is a container with a narrowed neck made of glass or a transparent polymer material, designed to create flower arrangements and plant breeding. On sale, such structures can be found under various names: a plant terrarium, a mini-garden in glass, a garden in a bottle, and others.

Thanks to the right lighting and temperature and humidity characteristics of the air, it is possible to grow the most exotic tropical plants in a container, create plant compositions, areas that imitate natural landscapes. Additional equipment can be used to create and maintain the air temperature and the necessary illumination inside the tank. The shape and dimensions of florariums are not regulated.

Types of florariums

From a botanical point of view, there are only two types of florariums:


The former are closed containers, inside which their own ecosystem and microclimate are formed, independent of the external environment. The hermetic florarium does not require maintenance, since after the creation of the composition, the container is tightly sealed. Watering of plants is carried out once, immediately after planting. The disadvantage of this design is the difficulty of placing vegetation and decorative elements.

In open florariums, containers are used, the upper part of which allows free access to the composition. The temperature and humidity of the external environment have a strong influence on the ecosystem and the vital activity of plants.

Depending on the type of container, florariums are conditionally divided into several varieties:

You can often find a closed florarium with lighting, made in the form of a polygon or a glass cube.

According to the method of placement, florariums can be:

Most often, florariums are placed on horizontal surfaces: countertop, window sill. Wall and pendant mounting, as a rule, is chosen when there is a lack of free space.

The narrowed throat of the florarium allows you to create the effect of a greenhouse inside the container, thanks to which the optimal microclimate is maintained, which is necessary for comfortable plant growth.

What is needed for the florarium

Creating a plant composition is a very exciting activity that does not require large time and financial investments. In manufacturing, the design is not difficult even for beginner florists.

To make a florarium with your own hands you will need:


What plants are suitable for florarium

The main element of any mini-greenhouse are plants, which must be combined in color, size and texture. For a homemade florarium, slow-growing and small-sized plants are suitable, preferring a certain microclimate and degree of lighting.

Plants for a closed florarium do not require watering and ventilation. To create compositions in closed containers, florists most often use the following plants:

  • asplenium;
  • small-leaved begonia;
  • phytonia;
  • orchid.

All of them do not like watering, they prefer light soils and confined spaces.

For open containers, choose plants that love fresh air. Fittonia is considered the most common inhabitant of open structures. Despite the fact that it is a resident of the humid tropics, the plant requires regular ventilation.

If you create a dry florarium, then give preference to drought-resistant and hardy plants: cacti, succulents and crassula.

The most popular inhabitants of dry florariums are:

  • astrophytum;
  • rebuntion;
  • echinopsis;
  • echeveria;
  • cerochlamis.

Quite often, when simulating a rocky landscape, a stone rose, aloe, is used.

When creating a garden in a jar with your own hands, you cannot ignore the wet florarium. The choice of ornamental plants is huge: epiprenums, tradescantia, flycatcher, dionia, ivy and others. All of them prefer a warm and humid microclimate, therefore, under normal conditions, they do not take root well.

Among flowering plants, give preference to saintpaulia, some varieties of cyclamen, gusmania, azaleas. When creating a miniature garden in glass with your own hands, use deciduous plants of unusual colors. Ideal for decorating florariums: crotons, alocasia, cryptanthus, small varieties of philodendron, asparagus, calamus. Episcia, dieffenbachia will add decorativeness to the composition.

Ferns and moss for a florarium with a high level of humidity are ideal representatives of the flora, the habitat of which is damp and wetlands. Of the mosses, it is better to give preference to sphagnum. Outwardly, moss resembles a sponge, the color of which varies from light green to red-brown. In mini-greenhouses, moss is used to decorate individual areas or fill free space. Of ferns, it is better to give preference to: pteris, multi-row, asplenium.

Tanks for florariums

To create a miniature home greenhouse, you can use almost any container or vessel made of transparent material. The shape and dimensions do not matter. It is impossible to enumerate the variety of forms of industrial designs. The most popular florariums are in the form of geometric shapes and vases with a narrowed neck.

In the self-design of compositions in glass from plants, improvised materials and various household utensils are used. Most often you can find mini-greenhouses created in aquariums, laboratory containers, bottles, glass vases, flasks of failed high-power incandescent lamps.

soil for florarium

Choose the soil based on the needs of the plants that you plan to use in the plant composition. It is better for beginner florists to use ready-made soil mixtures and substrates. You can prepare the soil yourself. To do this, you need to mix the universal soil with river sand. The classic proportion is 1:1.
When creating a florarium with your own hands in an aquarium, succulents and cacti must be placed in lighter soil. That is why for planting such plants, use a mixture of universal soil and sand in a 1: 2 ratio.

If it becomes necessary to place plants with different soil requirements in one container, then plant individual crops in small pots, masking them with decorative elements.

This technique will create the effect of the integrity of the composition and allow you to care for the plants individually.

Florarium Mountain River - video

Do-it-yourself florarium: step-by-step instructions for beginners

To create a mini-greenhouse, you will need the following materials and tools:

  1. Container of suitable shape and dimensions. The easiest option is a round glass aquarium.
  2. Plants. Experienced florists recommend starting to create plant compositions using cacti and succulents.
  3. Soil mix for cacti.
  4. Drainage. The most common material is expanded clay, which can be purchased at any hardware store.
  5. Absorbent. Charcoal has excellent absorbent properties. Crushed activated charcoal tablets will help prevent the development of fungal diseases.
  6. Decorative elements: colored glass stones and sand.

Of the tools you may need: tweezers, a spatula for backfilling the soil, a syringe for watering plants.

How to make a mini garden in an aquarium? Follow technology:


Plant your plants. Lightly compact the soil near the plants and water. Cover the soil with a layer of colored sand, decorate with colored stones, pebbles, etc.

To create an attractive composition in the aquarium, use the following proportions: 1 part drainage, 3 parts soil mixture, 1 part decorative material.

When creating a garden in a glass, you need to consider its future location. The design should be visible and at the same time, be combined with the interior of the room. You can not install the florarium in the path of direct sunlight, so as not to provoke a sharp increase in temperature in the container. For light-loving plants, it is necessary to organize. Closed mini-greenhouses do not need watering. Plants in open aquariums should only be watered when necessary. Regardless of the type of florarium, watering cacti should be kept to a minimum, as they prefer a dry microclimate.

Photo instruction for creating a florarium

We prepare the necessary tools, select plants and decoration elements. We carry out preliminary processing of the soil.

Choose your favorite glass container for the florarium.

Carefully lay out the drainage layer.

Fill the container with soil.

We plant plants, creating an invented composition.

We water the plants. We decorate the surface of the soil.

Do-it-yourself florarium of succulents - video

Many of us love indoor flowers and dream of placing them in the house so that they become a beautiful, unusual decor element that fits perfectly into the interior. But not every family has enough space in a house or apartment to afford a winter garden or even a green corner.

And here florariums come to the rescue - miniature gardens inside transparent containers. What is a florarium, what are its features and how to make such a living decoration with your own hands?

The history of the idea of ​​growing cacti and orchids indoors

These dainty mini-gardens are far from a new invention. They have been a traditional decoration of secular salons and showcases of fashionable shops since the 18th century. It was then that Nathaniel Ward, a British naturalist explorer, guessed to place capricious tropical plants inside a container, where a favorable microclimate formed for them.

Ward's box - the first example of a florarium from the distant past

Today, florariums are back in fashion, they are in great demand among lovers of flowers and original design. In our latitudes, it is not easy to create suitable conditions for some plants. But you can easily put a miniature garden in a small dish on a table, shelf, bedside table anywhere in the room.

In fact, the florarium is the same aquarium, but instead of water and fish, it is filled with stones, sand and small plants or dwarf varieties. Due to the small size and closed or limited shape of the container inside such a mini-garden, the effect of a greenhouse is created: the plants are surrounded by heat and high humidity.

In stores, you can find florariums of various types: from professional ones equipped with automatic watering, a hydrometer, lighting and heating, to simple and affordable gardens in aquariums or bottles. But if you want to make such a small miracle yourself, then first of all you need to learn about plants suitable for different types of florariums.

We compose a composition

Select representatives of the fauna for the mini-garden, following these principles:

  • plant height no more than 20 cm;
  • resistance to high humidity;
  • low growth rate.

For which plants is an airtight vessel suitable, and for which an open vessel

Often the question arises as to whether to choose an open or sealed (closed) container for certain types of plants. The first and second options have their pros and cons.

Plants will thrive in the right container.

Table: pros and cons of open and closed containers

Grade Open florarium closed florarium
pros
  • Significantly simplifies access to plants and soil for care;
  • plants get enough fresh air;
  • ideal for cacti and succulents accustomed to dry air.
  • Plants require little to no watering;
  • due to the lack of air access from the outside, plant growth slows down significantly;
  • only rare pruning of grown or dead leaves is needed;
  • Ideal for tropical plants that are sensitive to temperature and humidity.
Minuses
  • Categorically not suitable for plants that cannot tolerate cold and drafts;
  • plants can grow very quickly;
  • if you do not fix the structure very firmly, it will easily be damaged or destroyed by any movement.
  • Excess moisture and gases from the decomposition of the substrate can accumulate in the drainage layer;
  • often requires the use of a double bottom to drain excess water and saturate the substrate with oxygen;
  • requires regular ventilation.

As part of the compositions in the florarium, a variety of plants are used:

  1. Ferns, dieffenbachia, cereal calamus, fittonia, selaninella, and mosses of various species have received the greatest distribution among florarium lovers. With the help of these plants, you can give the florarium the appearance of a coniferous, deciduous or tropical forest.
  2. You can give the florarium a bright look with the help of flowering plants - violets, cyclamens, azaleas and others. But do not forget that they are very susceptible to decay. Either choose types of flowers that are resistant to moisture, or use larger containers and ensure that the florarium is well ventilated.
  3. The florariums with cacti planted in them are very beautiful. For such a product, an open type tank with constant access to fresh air and zero chance of condensation is required. Or pick up cacti native to the rainforest.
  4. The orchids enclosed in the space of the florarium are simply magnificent. But do not forget about how capricious these flowers are. Firstly, in order to build such a florarium (they are called orchidariums), you need to try very hard, and you can’t do without skill. And secondly, you will have to provide heating, lighting, watering with the help of special equipment.

One of the features of plants for florariums is a low growth rate. After all, we are dealing with a very limited space, and if the plant grows rapidly in size, then we will have to regularly update the entire composition. In conditions of small space and a small layer of soil, plants usually slow down the growth process themselves. But for safety net, you can cut the roots a little when planting.

  • sphagnum moss;
  • ferns - nephrolepis, pteris, multi-row, asplenium, maidenhair;
  • orchids;
  • Saintpaulias (violets);
  • cyclamens;
  • gusmania;
  • azalea;
  • fittonia;
  • crotons;
  • begonia;
  • cryptanus;
  • crassula - "money tree", echeveria, young;
  • cacti and succulents - notocactus, echinopsis, rebutia, ripsalis, prickly pear.

Photo gallery: flowers for growing in glass vessels

Alocasia - beautifully shaped leaves with bright colors

Varieties of begonias with small leaves


Young, or stone rose

Any kind of moss


Any small ferns


Cacti of many kinds

Saintpaulia, better known to us as violet


For capricious orchids in the florarium, special conditions will be required

List of suitable containers and materials for decoration

Florarium can be arranged in almost any transparent vessel. It could be:

  • small round aquarium
  • a bottle with a narrow neck;
  • clear glass vase;
  • bank of any size;
  • laboratory flask;
  • wineglass;
  • bulb.

In addition, in a special store you can buy ready-made vessels of any geometric shape.

To create a florarium, any transparent glassware is suitable.

Florariums in bottles and very miniature compositions in light bulbs are very popular. They look beautiful, original, do not take up much space. But their independent production is rather complicated: it is difficult to pour soil through a narrow neck, push plants through, arrange all the elements in the right order. Therefore, if you are just learning the art of creating a florarium, start with an aquarium, a large wine glass or a jar.

Photo gallery: florariums in glasses, bottles and other glass vessels

Why not arrange a composition of florariums in square decanters?


Glass cups with a simple shape are a great place for a composition of small plants.


In aquariums, a wide variety of compositions are most often placed.

An ordinary jar can also be turned into a mini-garden

Vase - an excellent container for a florarium in the style of a dense forest


A set of florariums in small hanging balls looks stylish


Bottles with narrow necks are perhaps the most common vessels for florariums.

A laboratory flask is a great shape for a micro-garden

In a glass or plastic teapot, you can make a marine-style florarium

Even in a French press kettle you can make a stylish florarium

From large vases-florariums you can make a whole composition

Florarium "Rainforest" can be arranged in a multifaceted vessel

To decorate the surface of your garden, you can use a variety of materials.

Photo gallery: materials for decorating a home desert or tropics

A small snag of the original form can become the basis of the forest or mountain design of the florarium


Pebbles, shells, pearls - and an ordinary florarium becomes a piece of the underwater kingdom


A layer of artificial snow, ceramic figurines of forest animals - and your florarium turns into a Christmas fairy tale


Expanded clay is suitable not only for drainage, but also for decoration, and colored pebbles complete the look.


Dry driftwood goes well with any plants.


Stones of small and large sizes will give a certain natural style to the landscape of the florarium


Small toy figures made of ceramics, glass or plastic will give the florarium an atmosphere of a fairy-tale performance.


With the help of colored sand, you can create a multi-layered composition

Step-by-step master classes with photos

Preparation and some more inspiration

Home-made florariums are good because the capacity for them can be any, and you can easily find it at home. Therefore, we offer you several options for making a small flower world - from the simplest to the most complex, requiring attention, patience and accuracy.

In the manufacture of a florarium, simple tools will help you:

  • the spoon;
  • tassel;
  • tube or stick;
  • tweezers.

Tools for working on the florarium: spoon, brush, tube, tweezers

It is important to know! To make your florarium not only look beautiful, but also become a comfortable home for the plants living in it, consider the following ratios regarding the height of the vessel: 1 part of drainage, 3 parts of soil and 1 part of the surface decorating material - small pebbles, coarse river sand, moss.

Photo gallery: surface design ideas

A minimum of plants, decoration - and you have in your hands a piece of semi-desert with a reminder of prehistoric oceans

Deciduous forest within the boundaries of the vessel


In the style of minimalism - stones and 1-2 plants

A combination of layers of soil and sand will help to achieve the effect of stepping

From moss alone, you can create the look of a forest corner


Use large, angular stones for decoration to create the effect of rocky mountains.

In an aquarium or a round vessel

The wide opening of the neck makes it easy to fill the container and place the elements in it. You can use not only a round aquarium, but also a large wine glass or such a cute and original hanging container in the form of a drop.

Instead of a regular aquarium, you can use such an original vessel

We will use it in the master class. You will need the following materials and tools:

  • a suitable glass container with a volume of 1.5-2 liters;
  • plants, for example, 1 stone rose and 2-3 bushes of peperomia or saxifrage;
  • soil that matches plants;
  • drainage (sand, small pebbles, expanded clay, broken brick);
  • activated or charcoal;
  • plants;
  • decorative elements for decoration (figures, houses, branches, driftwood);
  • spatula or spoon, long tweezers, sprayer, watering can, scissors.

Prepare the vessel, soil, drainage materials, charcoal, selected plants, decor and the necessary tools

Before starting work, prepare the selected container. It must be thoroughly washed, treated with boiling water and degreased with alcohol.

Working process:

  1. First, pour drainage about 4 cm high into the bottom of the container. It may consist of coarse sand, expanded clay, pebbles, decorative stones or other similar materials.


    Pour a small layer of drainage on the bottom of the vessel

  2. Put activated charcoal on top of the drain, either crushed or directly in tablets. You can replace it with charcoal. This tool will prevent the formation of mold and rot in the future by absorbing chemicals that come with water.


    Lay a layer of coal on top of the drainage

  3. Now fill in moistened soil. For this florarium (with stone rose, saxifrage and peperomia), it is advisable to use a mixture of 1 part of leafy soil, 1 part of peat and 2 parts of coarse sand. You can not lay the coal with an additional layer, but simply mix it with the prepared soil. Tropical plants are more suitable for ready-made substrate from a specialized store. To add more decorativeness to the florarium, try alternating the soil with layers of colored sand.


    Cacti of many kinds

  4. Carefully level the soil layer. Use a spoon to make holes for the plants. The distance between them should be about 3 cm, so that the roots growing over time do not interfere with each other.
  5. Now you need to get the plants out of the pots and carefully clean their roots from the ground. After that, take the bushes with tweezers one at a time and place them in the recesses made. Sprinkle the roots with soil, using a scoop or a tablespoon for this. Plant plants so that their leaves do not come into contact with the walls of the aquarium, otherwise over time they will begin to rot from the accumulated condensate.


    Gently place the plants in the soil, crushing the ground so that the roots do not stick out.

  6. Spray plants gently with a spray bottle. You can water the soil a little if you think it is a bit dry. Spread moss around the plants, add decorative decorations if desired. In this florarium, pieces of bark or sprigs of an unusual shape will look good as an addition. Moss in this case serves not only to decorate and give a forest style to the composition; it will absorb excess moisture and regulate the temperature of the soil.

    Decorate the composition with moss, pebbles and figurines

Caring for the florarium is simple: provide it with enough diffused sunlight without access to direct sunlight, water it as the soil dries.

In a big tall jar - for beginners

The larger the volume of the vessel and the wider its neck, the easier it is to create a florarium. You will need the following materials:

  • jar with a volume of 3 liters;
  • charcoal;
  • soil from 1 part of peat and 2 parts of leafy soil;
  • plants - asplenium or arachniodes, cryptanthus, ofiopogon, balsam;
  • gloves;
  • scoop;
  • watering can.

Prepare jar, plants, moss, soil and tools for work

Do not forget about the rules of hygiene and safety. Since you are working with soil and a glass vessel, wear gloves on your hands.

Working process:

  1. Pour a layer of charcoal about 5 cm thick on the bottom of the jar. Mix the remaining charcoal with the prepared soil.

    Make a drainage layer of charcoal, mix the rest with soil

  2. Start adding this mixture to the container in layers. Press the soil down firmly every 5 centimeters to prevent air pockets from forming.

    Pour the soil into the jar, constantly crushing it

  3. When the jar is half filled with soil, start planting the selected plants. Observe the required interval of 3-4 cm so that the bushes do not interfere with each other - the size of the jar allows this.

    Plant plants in the ground so that they are at a small distance from each other

  4. Make sure that all the roots are deepened into the ground and do not stick out. If necessary, correct the plants, then tamp the earth tightly.

    Pack the soil around the plants

  5. Place moss between plants.

    Now spread the moss on the free areas of the surface

  6. Carefully water the plants in the container. It is better to do this with a watering can with a thin spout, directly on the soil, so as not to damage the leaves (if water gets in, they can begin to rot, which will lead to the appearance of fungus, mold, and the death of the entire composition). Place the florarium in a place with diffused lighting so that direct sunlight does not stimulate the rapid growth of plants. You do not want to redo the florarium every 2-3 weeks, do you?

    Water the planted plants from the watering can

  7. Further, you only need to care for the plants in the florarium. Watering is needed no more than 1 time per week, depending on the selected plants. You can also trim the leaves if they start to grow outside the jar.

    Over time, simply cut off the leaves that extend beyond the boundaries of the vessel.

Succulent semi-desert in a candy vase

Such a florarium with cacti and succulents is simple both in execution and care. But it is unusually beautiful due to the combination of several types of cacti (gymnocalycium, echinopsis, milkweed, prickly pear) and stone rose - a plant called young.

Florarium with a semi-desert landscape in a vase is very beautiful and unpretentious

If you have the opportunity to use painted cacti, be sure to do so to brighten up the composition.


For this florarium, pick up a few cacti and succulents

So, you will need:

  • plants;
  • a low cylindrical candy vase;
  • soil for cacti and succulents;
  • small pebbles or expanded clay for drainage and the top decorative layer.


Vase, plants, soil and expanded clay - everything you need for your semi-desert

Wash the vase in hot water, dry and degrease, and then proceed to the manufacture of the florarium.

Working process:


Cacti and succulents do not require frequent watering. On the contrary: the less water, the better they feel, and most importantly, they grow less, which is very important for the limited size of the florarium. Therefore, care for such a composition will be reduced to watering once every 1.5-2 months and removing dust from the surface.

geometric garden

Vessels of various complex geometric shapes are very fashionable now - from a simple pyramid to a pentakis dodecahedron. They have many faces, and not always symmetrical and the same in size, which is why the figure takes on a fantastic shape. You can create such a vessel yourself, but you cannot do without certain special skills and tools. Therefore, it is better to buy a finished product, and apply your imagination directly to the creation of a florarium in it.


Polygonal vessels are great for creating a florarium

You will need:

  • polygonal vessel;
  • succulents - young, cereus, stonecrop Morgan, antimime or others;
  • moss (sphagnum);
  • soil from leafy earth and river sand in equal proportions;
  • drainage (expanded clay or small pebbles);
  • decorative sand, pebbles, figurines.


Prepare the vessel, plants, moss, soil and tools

When choosing a container, decide immediately on which edge it will stand. The thickness of the soil layer and the number of plants that fit in the florarium depend on this. The base of the composition - drainage and soil - should be no more than 1/4 of the entire vessel, and most importantly - its level should be below the hole in the tank.

Working process:


Water the soil no more than once a month and, if necessary, wipe the leaves with a damp sponge from dust or spray from a spray bottle. As the succulents grow, they will need to be seated.

Microworld in a light bulb

This option is perhaps the most difficult. Before you start arranging the interior space, you need to carefully prepare the vessel. And since this is a light bulb, some skills are needed, in particular, disassembling the base.

Florariums in a light bulb are usually made closed. Thus, a self-sufficient microclimate is created inside the container, ideal for any plants used.


Florariums in a light bulb - jewelry work

Prepare, in addition to the bulb itself, the following tools:

  • pliers;
  • scissors;
  • tweezers;
  • screwdriver;
  • protective glasses.


For work you will need pliers, scissors, tweezers, a screwdriver and glasses

And for the "stuffing" take:

  • sand;
  • any succulent plant - gasteria, aloe.

For safety reasons, be sure to wear safety glasses and proceed to disassemble the base.

Working process:

  1. Take the light bulb in your left hand and gently crumble the bottom of the base with pliers. It will easily give in, because it is made of fragile material.


    Crumble the bottom of the plinth with pliers

  2. Using a screwdriver, dismantle the coil inside the light bulb.


    Remove the spiral with a screwdriver

  3. Remove all internal fragments with tweezers.


    Remove the rest of the parts from the light bulb

  4. The light bulb is completely ready to place the contents in it.


    Light bulb ready for next steps

  5. Before you start creating the landscape, make a small stand so that the light bulb is stable. It can even be droplets of silicone glue.


    Attach something to the light bulb as a stand to ensure stability

  6. You can buy sand or collect it from the street. In any case, you need to rinse it well in running water. Do this until the water is completely clear.


    If you pick up sand on the street, be sure to rinse it

  7. Now pour the sand into a baking sheet and bake in the oven. This is a must, so you will destroy harmful microorganisms and mold spores.


    Bake the sand to kill mold and micro-organisms

  8. Gently pour some sand (a layer of about 1-1.5 cm) inside the light bulb. To make it easier, use a funnel or a piece of paper folded in half.


    Pour some sand into the light bulb

  9. Place the moss on the sand with tweezers, position it correctly with a thin stick. Moss can be collected in your country house or you can buy a package of a dry plant in a flower shop. He does not need special care and watering.


    Lay moss on the sand

  10. Very gently push the succulent inside the light bulb, be sure to root first so as not to damage the dense leaves. Move the bush with a thin stick and press the roots into the sand.


    Insert the plant with tweezers and deepen its roots into the sand

So the small florarium in the light bulb is ready. You can optionally add some other decorative element, for example, a figurine.

Such a florarium requires almost no care, since the shape of the light bulb ensures the circulation of the necessary amount of air and moisture for the plant. The condensation generated is enough to keep the humidity at the right level so that you do not have to water the plant. All that is needed is to wipe the light bulb from dust from time to time.

As you can see, even such a scrupulous, almost jewelry work can be on the shoulder!

Video: how to make a tiny florarium inside a light bulb

Video: instructions for making a florarium in a vase-glass with your own hands

Video: all the nuances of creating a florarium

The art of making succulents and other plants can be simple or very difficult, but it's a great activity for the whole family. Parents and children will be happy to participate in it, and in the end you will get your own personal little cozy world enclosed in transparent borders. Share with us your experience of growing plants indoors. Good luck and enjoy your home!

I really love miniature and graceful gardens in glass containers. When I first saw the florarium, I realized that this graceful beauty was missing in my house. And I decided that it is quite possible to make it with my own hands, planting there exactly those flowers and plants that I love.

Plants behind glass look beautiful, very compact, and at the same time they do not require much attention and complex care,

Florium is a small winter garden in glass, a mini-greenhouse, in which you can grow any of the most exotic and unusual flowers. Thanks to the microclimate that occurs in a glass container, you can create a piece of the tropics, a mini-desert or a rocky landscape at home.

The florarium can be of any shape and size, it can be closed (that is, a glass container can have a lid), or be open.

What do you need to make a florarium

Glass conservatory is easy to make even for beginners. In order to create this beauty with your own hands, you will need:

  • any glass container (aquarium, jar, vase, flask, teapot, bottle). Size and shape do not matter, it all depends on your imagination and your taste;
  • drainage (this is a mandatory detail for a florarium, since in a mini-greenhouse, water can damage the roots of plants much more than when growing flowers in open ground;
  • charcoal;
  • suitable primer (it should not only have the right composition, but also look beautiful, because it will be clearly visible through the glass;
  • plants that are suitable for growing in such conditions;
  • decorative elements (multi-colored pebbles, colored sand, ceramic figurines, decorative moss, shells, etc.) These are optional elements of the florarium, but they will give it additional charm.

Of course, different types of florarium require different preparation from their creators. If growing succulents in an aquarium or any other glass container is not difficult at all, and even a beginner can handle it, then creating a piece of the jungle and tropics at home is much more difficult. But there is nothing impossible in this either.

How to choose suitable plants for the florarium

Any plants, if placed in a greenhouse, will begin to actively grow and develop - heat and high humidity are very conducive to such growth. However, some plants grow to such an extent that they can fill the entire container, and some, on the contrary, wither away from the intense heat.

Therefore, it is necessary to select plants that like such a microclimate, and which are easy to care for. For example, it is difficult to grow a home rose in a florarium.

The most hardy and grateful residents of glass containers are succulents, or, more simply, ordinary cacti. Given the many varieties and forms of this plant, you can create a very interesting florarium.

At the same time, cacti grow slowly, do not require complex care, are hardy and quite decorative. They are ideal for creating a small desert or rocky landscape in an apartment.

If your goal is to see a piece of the tropics in the apartment, then you can plant tradescantia, begonia, ivy, ficus, and pilea in the aquarium.

Those plants that are characterized by rapid growth (for example, tradescantia and ivy grow instantly) will have to be pinched, or even replaced with new ones as they grow. You can plant a mini-orchid in a tropical florarium, it blooms very beautifully, and orchids bloom for a long time.

If you want to have a mountain landscape before your eyes, then it makes sense to combine plants - plant succulents and stone roses in stones, and place ferns, violets, ivy above.

In mountain florariums, large stones are the basis. In addition, it is better to make such a garden multi-level. This is more difficult, but your efforts will not be in vain - it is simply impossible to take your eyes off such a composition.

DIY Florarium

Let's see how to do it yourself. There is nothing difficult in this. The right materials, a little patience and imagination, a natural glass container, suitable plants and decorative elements - and the florarium will perfectly fit into the design of your apartment.

Prepare all the elements that are needed to make the florarium. Wash the container thoroughly, wipe it dry and pour drainage on the bottom.

As a drainage, you can take any materials, up to broken bricks or pebbles, but colored decorative stones look the most beautiful in such compositions.

Charcoal should be laid on top of the drainage. You can lay it out directly in tablets, or you can crush it and pour it in an even layer. This is a necessary precaution - a layer of charcoal will prevent the growth of mold, which is detrimental to your plants. Coal is especially important for mini florariums.

Soil should be poured on top of the coal layer. If the soil and coal are mixed, it's okay, such a nutrient mixture is perfect for the florarium.

Some mix the soil and charcoal at once, and add this mixture to a glass container without making separate layers. Such a device florarium is also quite acceptable.

If you are planting succulents, then you will need sand as a soil, which should first be sifted to make it light and loose.

If you are designing a "rainforest" type florarium, you can purchase a ready-made soil mixture. For decoration, you can add colored sand or small multi-colored pebbles to this mixture.

After that, the soil should be slightly leveled and holes for plants should be made in it. Plants are planted with ordinary medical tweezers, it is more convenient than with hands, and the plant will be whole. After planting, the roots of the plants should be carefully sprinkled with soil.

Be sure to make sure that the leaves of the plants do not come into contact with the walls of the aquarium, as they may later rot due to condensation and humidity. Therefore, if the leaves are on the plants that you have prepared for the florarium. large. they should be cut off.

After this, the plants, along with the soil, must be moistened. This can be done with a special sprayer. At the same time, watering and spraying the plants in the florarium should be done with warm, settled water.

After that, you can add decorative elements to the container with plants - figurines, stones, colored moss. This will give the composition brightness and make it more elegant.

What is the difference between a mini-florarium

A miniflorarium is exactly the same miniature garden in a glass container, it just differs from the usual small size. Accordingly, if the capacity for such a florarium is chosen small, then the plants are planted there, small and elegant.

These can be miniature violets, mini-orchids, species of ivy and tradescantia with small leaves, small forms of succulents.

Where to place the florarium

Neither open nor closed florarium should be placed close to the window - the sun's rays falling on the glass will be refracted, and the burn of plant leaves is quite possible.

Therefore, it is better to place your composition in a place where direct sunlight does not fall. In summer, they will have enough light, but in winter, you can move the container closer to the light.

If your florarium is dominated by light-loving plants. it is necessary to make artificial lighting for them, this will add not only light to the composition, but also decorativeness.

Install the florarium so that its "face" is turned into the room - for sure you want to admire your composition from anywhere in the room.

If you prefer a closed florarium, then you often do not need to water the plants in it - moisture in a closed container will be enough. Watering should be done very carefully, because it is easy to erode the soil in which the plants are planted.

If you pour water over glass, the composition will quickly lose its charm due to streaks.

At the same time, a closed florarium must be ventilated periodically, especially if condensation appears - drops of moisture on the inner surface of the glass. Otherwise, mold will appear in the container after a while.

Open florariums should be watered more often. however, if you grow cacti there, watering should also be kept to a minimum - these flowers do not like water, preferring an arid atmosphere.

It is not necessary to fertilize plants in a florarium, especially in a closed one, since fertilizing stimulates growth, which in this case is clearly useless. If the plant is clearly not feeling well, you can add quite a bit of fertilizer. diluting it in a ratio of approximately 1:5.

Florarium with water

Open florariums with water look very interesting - a kind of miniature pond in a glass container. However, such a composition requires much more care, as the water blooms quickly.

Nevertheless, the unusual and decorative nature of mini-reservoirs attracts many amateurs to their creation, who are not stopped by the difficulties of caring for the composition.

Plants for such a florarium should be chosen especially carefully. Special flower arrangements for aquariums are best suited.

Master class - video:

Florarium or plant terrarium is a small home greenhouse, a transparent container made of glass or plastic, inside which plants grow. Dry air in the winter season, lack of lighting, cold on the windowsill from window glass and lack of time for regular care often put an end to the dream of having your own tropical garden with moisture-loving and heat-loving species. It is the florarium that is the ideal solution for those who love exotic plants, but the climatic conditions of an ordinary city apartment do not favor their breeding.

What is a florarium

As a rule, the florarium is made of glass or dense translucent plastic, there are also completely wooden models or combined ones, with transparent inserts. Unlike a terrarium, a florarium necessarily has a narrowed inlet at the top or side to ensure a microclimate inside the container. Often this hole is completely covered by a lid. Special containers for growing plants are used, as well as all kinds of glass bottles, jars with lids, large bottles of wine, bowls with a narrower opening, laboratory flasks.

The main purpose of the florarium is to maintain a more or less stable level of humidity and temperature, as in a greenhouse. Special equipment for heating and lighting can make the florarium independent of the source of natural light and heat. All this allows you to grow the most whimsical plants in a container that require certain conditions and care. if the florarium is completely closed, it is necessary to ventilate it regularly so that condensation does not accumulate on the walls.

For plant terrariums, rectangular aquariums, terrariums for turtles, snakes and other animals, round large vases, bowls, even ordinary glass cups or glasses are used. This option is also called a showcase florarium. Access to plants here is open from above, which means that it is necessary to strictly observe the temperature regime, regularly water and spray, and prevent drafts if the plants need it.

Another important advantage of florariums is their compactness, which is especially important for owners of small apartments and small window sills, where there is not enough space for large flowerpots. A variety of plant compositions in the terrarium look very stylish and extraordinary, especially in comparison with standard pots with houseplants.

It is worth remembering that no matter how slowly the plants grow, sooner or later they will become crowded in a small container. Then the flowers can be transplanted into pots, and the florarium can be filled with a new composition.

Types of florariums

Florarium, in fact, imitates the natural habitat of selected plants. Therefore, you need to create a florarium with your own hands, based on the climatic zone and habitat. Do not plant ferns from wet forests and succulents from the desert in the same terrarium. Each type of florarium needs its own watering, ventilation and temperature regime so that the entire plant composition does not die. Let's look at the three main types of florariums.

Florarium "Tropical rainforests"

The compositions are based on tropical rainforests with a huge variety of plants, for example, the Amazonian rainforests, the rainforests of Southeast Asia, the Atlantic equatorial coastal forests. Even in a miniature container, you can recreate the likeness of multi-tiered selva forests using plants of different heights. It is important that the foreground of the composition remains open, making it possible to see all the tiers. Although the image of the rainforest is created mainly visually, using plants that are freely available in flower shops. It is not necessary to look for rare tropical species. The main condition for the selection of plants for the composition is similar soil requirements, moderate growth and the need for high relative humidity. It is preferable to use the soil of complex composition, with an admixture of coarse sand, leafy soil, peat. To maintain high humidity, you can put a small cup of water in a vessel and decorate it, put a small snag pulled out of the water.

Plants: ivy , asparagus, dwarf ficuses, calamus, begonias, miniature ferns, crotons, phytonias, hamedorea, selaginella, some types of bamboo with moderate growth.

Care.Caring for compositions with plants from the humid tropics largely comes down to maintaining optimal humidity and temperature in the container. Humidity level 70-85%, temperature not less than 25°C, frequent watering or spraying in conditions of very dry air in the apartment or when using an open terrarium.

Florarium "Semi-desert"

If you have neither the time nor the desire to monitor the humidity in the terrarium, often water and feed the soil, it does not matter, there are plants that do not need careful care at all. We are talking about the inhabitants of deserts and semi-deserts - a group of plants under the general name of succulents. And although it is believed that florariums are only suitable for tropical plants, succulents also do well in containers. For them, it is just convenient to use open terrariums and vessels without a narrowed neck. The soil can be formed from coarse and finely sifted sand, put a few stones, decorate with ceramic fragments.

Plants: all kinds of succulents of the original form - young, agave, adromiscus, beard, greenovia, wild, kalanchoe, malefora, spurge, euphorbia, different types of cacti.

Care. Watering should be done as the soil dries. During the growth period, from spring to autumn, once a week is enough - one and a half, and in winter - once every three to four weeks. If you went on vacation for a couple of weeks - do not worry, the plants will meet you in the same perfect form. Succulents prefer moderate room temperature, even cool in winter - 13-15 ° C. The sun's rays are needed, so placement on the windowsills is quite justified.

Florarium "Mountains"

Mountain plants in plant terrariums can be conditionally divided into two types: inhabitants of high-altitude rocky, semi-desert plateaus and plants of forest foothills, including tropical rainforests. Therefore, the assortment of plants for a florarium with a mountain landscape is generally the same as for the other two species. The dry mountainous regions are characterized by plants of semi-deserts, and the forested mountains are inhabited by moist forests. For rocky areas, specific representatives of the Gesneriaceae are Saintpaulia, as well as some climbing plants. Again, depending on the chosen direction, the soil should be oily, saturated with organic matter and with good drainage, or desert, with large pebbles. Actively use large stones of irregular shape, with sharp edges and chips, which will imitate rock ledges and peaks.

Plants: seleginella, ferns, ivy, saintpaulias, succulents, cacti .

Care corresponds to either florariums with tropical plants or desert ones.

Florarium "Moss"

Mosses are a division of plants spread over all continents, numbering more than 10,000 species! In nature, mosses grow in almost all climatic zones, often in very extreme habitat conditions. Usually bryophytes form dense clusters in shady places, love moisture, so they can grow in close proximity to water. Although there are many species that thrive in sunny dry areas, as well as in conditions of constantly low temperatures. In florariums, moss is often an additional element covering open ground. But it is quite acceptable to make the main character of the composition out of moss. To do this, you can both purchase moss for landscaping and decorating indoor plants in flower shops, for example, sphagnum moss, or dig up some types of moss in the forest. It is advisable to cut only the upper part, without the rhizome, to allow the moss cover to recover. The moss composition can include other plants, but try to make sure that they do not overlap or detract from the soft velvety cover. Moss does well in acidic soil, so you can purchase a special moss substrate from the store that can be laid on top of ordinary soil. With moss, florariums with a temperate forest landscape are well obtained.

Care. Create conditions for the natural habitat of moss. Place a container of water in the florarium, spray the entire composition frequently.

Master class how to make a florarium with your own hands

In order to make a florarium with your own hands, you will need:

  • glass container with or without a lid (aquarium, vase, jar)
  • soil that matches the plants
  • drainage (sand, small pebbles, expanded clay, broken bricks)
  • activated or charcoal
  • plants
  • decorative elements for decoration (figurines, houses, branches, driftwood)
  • tools (shovel or spoon, long tweezers, sprayer, watering can, scissors)

Prepare a planting container. Wash it well, pour boiling water over it. Pour a drainage layer 3-4 cm high. It can be expanded clay, coarse sand, pebbles, decorative pebbles for an aquarium, and the like.

Place activated charcoal directly in tablets or crushed on top of the drainage, fine charcoal can be used. This is necessary to absorb harmful chemicals from the water and prevent mold and mildew. By the way, it is recommended to water and spray the plants in the terrarium with filtered water.

Pour moist soil 5-8 cm on top. By the way, crushed coal can be mixed with the soil, and not laid in a separate layer. For compositions with desert plants, sifted sand can be used, and for tropical plants, a ready-made substrate. For decorative design, layers of soil can be alternated with thin layers of colored sand.

Level the soil, use a spoon to make small indentations for the plants. Remove the plants themselves from the pots, clean the roots. Using tweezers, carefully plant the plants, sprinkle the roots with soil. Make sure that large leaves do not touch the walls of the container, otherwise condensation may constantly accumulate on them and they will rot.

Planted plants gently spray with a sprayer. If the soil is not moist enough, pour water from a watering can with a thin spout. Add decorative elements.

Here is another master class on how to make a florarium in a bank. By the way, a great joint activity with children!


Photos of different types of florariums for inspiration