DIY : TERRARIUM THAT YOU CAN'T KILL

Every year when summer approaches,plants and home gardens become high priority.Since the last few years, it is terrariums that are all the rage.It isn’t surprising when one considers the beauty and character of most terrarium plants, such as succulents and cacti. But as pretty as they look, these individual plants also tend to be expensive and are delicate in nature. So I figured, why not give the traditional terrarium a cost-effective twist? One that is friendly enough for busy peeps and even those that consider themselves as having a black thumb.

This terrarium is simple to make, and these are low maintenance too, because they use air-plants which can survive without soil and minimal water. Other than the plants themselves, you would need glass bowls, decorative rocks and green leaves from the backyard.

Decorative figurines are a plus (raid you child’s toy chest and pick one or two animal figurines)  All you do is arrange these in the glass bowl in an eye-catching manner. In our version, the soil and rocks are solely decorative in purpose since I have used air-plants.

How- To :

-- Lay down your rocks on a tissue paper and roughly spray the paint in a very thin  coat. Use the tissue paper to give the rocks a quick rub down immediately. This  will give a nice, dyed effect to the rocks and they will not look painted.
-- Layer a little bit of potting soil and then layer the colored rocks over them.

-- Gently place the air-plant inside. It need not be pushed down to the soil, just  laid on top. But you can push it down if you want it to be propped up at an angle.
-- Now place the green leaves, twigs or decorative figurines alongside of the plant.

Tips & Tricks :

All the nourishment an air-plant needs, is an hour of soaking  at room temperature and water once every week. Or a cool  mist everyday. Your choice.
- If you are using succulents and cacti, it is best not to mix  them up in the same container, for lasting life. The amount  of water and drainage they need are different. Ice cubes instead  of pouring water in directly is also a good idea.
- Make sure to put rocks and charcoal for drainage. Since we  make these terrariums in bowls, this is difficult to achieve otherwise.

This was featured in the June edition of Malayali Magazine. More DIYs, fashion spread and culinary extravaganza , visit the Malayalimag.com.