Terrarium

Terrariums are mini indoor gardens that are perfect for people who want to decorate their home or office with houseplants, but don't have a lot of time to care for them.

Instructions to make your own terrarium from ehow.com:-

• Select a glass container. Large jars, compotes or aquariums are all excellent choices for building a terrarium. Make sure to clean it well with hot, soapy water before you start.
• Next you want to create the terrarium's drainage layer. Layer about an inch of large pea gravel in the bottom of the container. If the container has a narrow opening, create a funnel with the paper, then pour the gravel through the funnel and use a chopstick to move the gravel into place. Add a ½-inch layer of ground charcoal over the gravel.
• Pour 2 to 3 inches of fresh potting soil over the drainage layer. Use a sterilized soil mix. The soil and drainage layer should take up about 1/4 of the terrarium container's space.
• Select small plants that all require the same type of care. For example, use all tropical sun-loving or all drought-tolerant plants. Never mix plants with different growing requirements.
• Think about how you want to place the plants within the container. Taller plants should go in the back of the jar and shorter ones in the front. Dig planting holes in the soil with a chopstick or your hand if it fits through the container's opening.
• Remove the plants from their containers. Trim off any yellow or brown foliage. Remove any extra soil from around the roots, then tease the roots apart gently, and place the plants into the planting holes. Cover the roots with soil and gently firm the soil around each plant.
• Water the terrarium after all the plants are in place. Use a funnel to wash the sides of the terrarium as you water.
• If you created a tropical terrarium, you have the option of covering the jar with a lid or glass dish. This step will seal the environment and create a miniature rain forest. Just be aware that sealed terrariums are at risk of overheating if placed near a sunny window. Skip this step if you used drought tolerant plants, such as cacti and succulents, as it will create too humid an environment for them.
• Tips and warnings :-
• Some plants that do well in terrariums are African violets,ferns and hypoestes. Others are listed in the Garden Helper.
• Moisture will appear on the inside of the jar. Crack the lid for a few hours to allow some moisture to escape.
• Use very little fertilizer - you want to keep the plants small and not encourage new growth.
• Don't overwater. The plants will create their own moisture through evaporation. When the sides of the glass are dry and no moisture is evident inside the jar, water sparingly.

From Chapter 21 - Specialized containers and systems of culture, and Appendix 2 of The Encyclopaedia of Ferns An Introduction to Ferns, their Structure, Biology, Economic Importance, Cultivation and Propagation by David L. Jones ISBN 0 88192 054 1:-

The following species are small enough for cultivation in terrariums. Those suitable only for larger terrariums are marked with an *. The list includes creeping ferns as well as those with a clumping growth habit. Some ferns dislike excessive humidity but will succeed well in a drier terrarium. These are indicated under comments.

Species

Region

Comments

Actiniopteris semiflabella

Tropical-Semi-Tropical

excellent

Adiantum capillus-veneris*

Tropical-Temperate

needs lime

Adiantum diaphanum

Tropical-Temperate

excellent, spreading habit

Adiantum hispidulum

Tropical-Temperate

performs well

Adiantum raddianum* and cultivars

Tropical-Temperate

smaller growing cultivars

Adiantum reniforme

Temperate-Semi-Tropical

likes dry atmosphere best

Anarthropteris lanceolata

Temperate-Semi-Tropical

spreading habit

Anogramma chaerophylla

Tropical-Temperate

fast growing, may naturalize

Anogramma leptophylla

Semi-Tropical-Temperate

likes drier atmosphere

Asplenium adiantum-nigrum*

Temperate-Semi-Tropical

performs well

Asplenium alternans

Tropical-Semi-Tropical

drier atmosphere, alkaline mix

Asplenium attenuatum

Semi-Tropical-Temperate

likes drier atmosphere

Asplenium aureum

Temperate-Semi-Tropical

clumping

Asplenium capillipes

Semi-Tropical-Temperate

small clump

Asplenium cardiophyllum

Semi-Tropical-Temperate

tiny creeping species

Asplenium ceterach

Temperate

drier atmosphere, alkaline mix

Asplenium cheilosorum

Semi-Tropical-Temperate

creeping habit

Asplenium flabellifolium

Temperate-Semi-Tropical

spreading habit

Asplenium formosum*

Semi-Tropical-Temperate

clumping

Asplenium hookerianum

Temperate-Semi-Tropical

delicate fronds

Asplenium normale

Tropical-Temperate

clumping

Asplenium oligophlebium

Semi-Tropical-Temperate

clumping

Asplenium pekinense

Semi-Tropical-Temperate

small clumps

Asplenium prolongatum

Semi-Tropical-Temperate

tip rooting

Asplenium rhizophyllum

Temperate-Semi-Tropical

needs lime, tip rooting

Asplenium ruprechtii

Temperate-Semi-Tropical

tip rooting

Asplenium ruta-muraria

Temperate

needs lime

Asplenium septentrionale

Temperate

small clumps

Asplenium trichomanes

Temperate-Semi-Tropical

needs lime

Asplenium tripteropus

Semi-Tropical-Temperate

proliferous

Asplenium varians

Semi-Tropical-Temperate

small clump

Asplenium viride

Temperate

needs lime

Blechnum chambersii*

Temperate

erect clump

Blechnum fluviatile

Temperate

flat clump

Blechnum membranaceum

Temperate

neat grower

Blechnum penna-marina

Temperate

spreading habit

Blechnum spicant and cultivars

Temperate

small clumps

Bolbitis heteroclita form

Semi-Tropical-Temperate

spreading mossy carpet

Callistopteris bauerana

Semi-Tropical-Temperate

finely divided fronds

Cardiomanes reniforme

Temperate-Semi-Tropical

appealing fronds

Cheilanthes argentea

Temperate-Semi-Tropical

needs dry atmosphere

Cheilanthes austroteniufolia*

Temperate-Semi-Tropical

spreading, adaptable

Cheilanthes californica

Temperate-Semi-Tropical

needs dry atmosphere

Cheilanthes covillei

Temperate

needs dry atmosphere

Cheilanthes distans

Temperate-Semi-Tropical

spreading, adaptable

Cheilanthes sieberi

Temperate-Semi-Tropical

spreading adaptable

Cystopteris bulbifera

Temperate

may naturalize

Cystopteris fragilis

Temperate

delicate fronds

Diplazium subsinuatum

Semi-Tropical-Temperate

excellent, distinctive fronds

Diplazium tomitaroanum

Semi-Tropical-Temperate

clumping

Doodia caudata

Temperate-Semi-Tropical

small clumps

Doryopteris concolor

Tropical-Semi-Tropical

likes drier atmosphere

Doryopteris ludens

Tropical-Semi-Tropical

dry, needs lime

Doryopteris palmata

Tropical-Semi-Tropical

dry, needs lime, difficult

Gymnopteris marantae

Temperate

dry, difficult

Lemmaphyllum accedens

Tropical-Temperate

creeping habit

Lemmaphyllum microphyllum

Tropical-Semi-Tropical

creeping habit

Leptopteris fraseri*

Semi-Tropical-Temperate

needs high humidity

Leptopteris hymenophylloides*

Temperate-Semi-Tropical

needs high humidity

Leptopteris superba*

Temperate-Semi-Tropical

needs high humidity

Macroglena caudata

Tropical-Temperate

excellent, needs coarse mix

Nephrolepis exaltata 'Mini Ruffle'

Tropical-Temperate

small, ruffled clumps

Notholaena sinuata*

Temperate-Semi-Tropical

dry

Notholaena standleyi*

Temperate-Semi-Tropical

dry, may need lime

Oenotrichia tripinnata*

Temperate-Semi-Tropical

excellent

Paraceterach muelleri*

Semi-Tropical-Temperate

dry

Paraceterach reynoldsii

Semi-Tropical-Temperate

dry

Pleurosorus rutifolius

Temperate-Semi-Tropical

dry

Pteris ensiformis and cultivars

Tropical-Temperate

excellent

Pyrrosia rupestris

Temperate-Semi-Tropical

drier

Pyrossia serpens

Temperate-Semi-Tropical

drier

Quercifilix zeylanica

Temperate-Semi-Tropical

drier

Selaginella australiensis

Tropical-Temperate

spreading

Selaginella brisbanensis

Semi-Tropical-Temperate

spreading

Selaginella kraussiana

Temperate-Semi-Tropical

spreading

Selaginella longipinna

Tropical-Semi-Tropical

clumping

Selaginella martensii

Semi-Tropical-Temperate

clumping

Selaginella mollis

Semi-Tropical-Temperate

spreading

Selaginella serpens

Tropical-Semi-Tropical

spreading

Selaginella umbrosa

Semi-Tropical-Temperate

clumping

Trichomanes species

Tropical-Temperate

needs high humidity