With so many relatives, acquaintances and close friends we must keep being creative to think of new interesting gift ideas. But don’t you often feel out of time and ideas to think of original gifts? These days many people give usual gifts, but you are probably reading this because you want to prepare something unique, right? Many people haven’t heard of terrariums, so it will make a special gift that will last for months or even years. Or maybe you want to make one for yourself?
What makes terrarium a good gift?
Terrariums make great gifts because your friend or relative will not need to spend tons of time looking after the plants or to water them every day. But at the same time, they will enjoy a little bit of greenery in their lives. This mini ecosystem or garden will not require much of your or their time.
Of course, you can get a ready-made terrarium gift like this or this. This is a good choice if you don’t have time or interest to make your own terrarium.
But would you not like to make a terrarium yourself? Think of putting your own twist to it and setting the scenery, creating the design… Your friends or relatives will truly appreciate the time that you have spent to make this unique gift for them.
Today I will share some beautiful terrarium gift ideas and will describe how to prepare them for giving away. These terrariums will be made with Wardian cases of different shapes and sizes.
Please note that I will give only basic information on how to prepare different terrarium layers (soil etc.) in this article. I will be mostly sharing ideas and tips on which plants suit specific terrariums. I would recommend you reading my full article on creating terrariums with step by step instructions, here.
Why Wardian case?
Wardian case terrariums are considered the best terrarium planters that you can buy. They look beautiful and are luxury gifts for someone that has everything.
I will be mostly using products from H Potter , as they have the biggest range of quality terrariums. I will also discuss what are the advantages of each terrarium type and who it would suit the most.
Even though their terrariums are not the cheapest, they are very sturdy, with no rusting bases and leaded glass. I can say from my experience that this quality terrarium gift will be cherished and reused for years to come.
What about the supplies?
H Potter terrarium cases don’t come with all the supplies to make your terrarium. But if you want something for one time, you can get their terrarium kit, which come in small, medium and large sizes. They recommend required kit size in the description for each terrarium case. The kit will contain only planting supplies, so you will have to buy your own plants and decorations.
If you are planning to create more than one terrarium, I would highly recommend buying your own supplies. This is because their kits contain very small amounts of ingredients. Also, the soil that is included may not suit your chosen plants the best.
Reasons why I like these terrariums:
- The big plus is that it has a hinged roof and you will be able to open its top for watering.
- The thick base is waterproof and made of non-rusting materials. And no water will leak from the bottom.
- As you already know, condensation can become quite a problem sometimes. With this container, you will be able to open its roof to let some fresh air inside the container.
- I love its vintage Victorian style design
- You can choose to open the roof or keep it closed (depends if you have tropical or humidity-loving plants).
- Great for decorative display for any occasion.
- You can take the whole glass display off if you need to prune or change the plants, remove any dead leaves or change the decorations.
You can change your design at any time by lifting the glass that goes on top. Doing so will not disturb the design or the base layers. I think this is an amazing feature that many other terrariums planters don’t offer.
First terrarium gift idea: Six-sided terrarium/fairy garden
Why should you choose this container? This container is a perfect size for a small gift. You will be able to easily carry it with you. But however, it will be suitable only for small or medium plants and decorations. It is approximately 12 inches in height and 9 inches in width.
So, let’s start discussing on how you can also make this amazingly beautiful terrarium. Note that these steps will be the same for any terrarium that you choose to make from the list.
Step one: You will need the terrarium case/container.
It also looks elegant, classy, vintage and is made of a material that will not rust. This means that the lucky owner of this container will have a chance to use it again and again. The base of this planter is quite large, so you will have enough depth to pour base layers for your plants.
Step number 2: Filling the base
You will have to fill the base of this terrarium with stones, pebbles or sand. I would highly recommend using pebbles. Using sand is also a choice. But if you wish to use sand for decorative purposes, try adding it on the top. As the base is rather deep, it will not be visible anyway.
After filling the base layer with pebbles/rocks, add some activated charcoal, as it helps to take in all the toxins and prevents bacterial growth.
The next step would be to add a soil potting mix. This will be different for each type of plant. Read the full article on creating terrariums for guided information.
For this particular container you will need approximately 0.7 pounds (320 grams) of gravel and 0.01 pounds (50 grams) of charcoal on top. Then you will have to cover it with approximately 0.45 pounds (205 grams) of soil potting mix suitable for your plant.
After planting the base, it is time to add your plants and decorations.
What plants would be best for this terrarium?
You can also make something simple in this terrarium. Think about planting miniature African violets or succulents. While begonias can last only for couple of years, succulents will live for many years with proper care.
I would highly recommend using air plants and carnivorous plants for this type of container. The thing is, these plants love moisture and will thrive in a closed container. Even though you can open its roof, it will be closed for most of the time.
For planting air plants, use base layers, but no potting soil, as these plants only attach themselves to a filling. Carnivorous plants will enjoy humidity and will amaze a person that will receive this amazing gift.
If you decide to plant succulents in this container, make sure to keep opening the roof to provide the plants with lots of sunshine!
Terrarium gift idea number 2: Tall Wardian case terrarium for taller plants
This Wardian case is bigger, so will be perfect for taller plants.
It is about 14 inches in length, 9 inches in width and 20 inches in height. This is much taller than the previous planter.
You will also need more supplies for setting up this terrarium. You will approximately need 1.8 pounds (850 grams) of pebbles, 0.375 pounds (170 grams) of charcoal and 2.2 pounds (995 grams) of recommended soil for your chosen
plant. Then use your own plants and imagination to decorate and add props. You can also use moss to cover everything up. This way you can create a ‘forest’ or ‘mountain’ design.
Plant options for this Wardian case:
- One of the plant choices for this terrarium case would be orchids. Most orchids get quite tall, but you can find ones that are around 10 inches in height. But please remember that orchids will not last for too long – they live for around 8 to 12 weeks.
- Another plant option would be amaryllis. These are very pretty flowers that will last for about two months. Make sure to pick ones that are from 10 to 12 inches, or it will be too tall for your terrarium. Measure the depth of your soil and see how much height you have left for your plants.
- You can also plant kalanchoe in this terrarium, but make sure to leave the roof open. These plants do not like moisture.
- Begonia flowers are very pretty and diverse. Make sure to pick ones that do not get more than 16-17 inches long. For example, you can pick Wax begonias or Rieger begonias, which look like roses. Make sure to leave the top open for most times as they can’t stand high humidity levels.
- African violet are beautiful plants for terrarium. They are bright colored and love sunshine.
Gift idea number 3: Wide Wardian case for planting miniature plants
As this terrarium case is 10.5 inches long x 8.5 inches wide x 10.5 inches high, small plants will suit it better.
For the base layers you will need approximately 0.7 pounds (320 grams) of gravel and 0.01 pounds (50 grams) of charcoal on top. Then you will have to cover it with approximately 0.45 pounds (205 grams) of soil potting mix suitable for your plant.
This planter will be perfect for small and tropical plants. Miniature plants for this terrarium can include:
- Succulents, like cactuses and jade plants
- Ferns
- Air plants
- Mosses
- Baby tears
Make sure not to heavily mix humidity loving and tropical plants. This will create a mixed environment for them and may be hard to care for.
Include succulents with different props like miniature palm trees to create desert design. You can also pour some sand on top.
If you are planting tropical plants, this terrarium is very suitable for this. The side roof can open fully for proper ventilation, so no moisture builds up in this terrarium.
How to transport a terrarium gift?
It is better to carry terrarium in hands while transporting. This will ensure that your designs and plants inside the terrarium don’t move.
If you cannot carry the terrarium, place it in a box or bag that will not move. You can fill the sides of the box or the bag with papers (for example newspaper). This way your terrarium will stay in one position while traveling in car, bus or other transport.
Don’t move or bend your terrarium while moving. Also, don’t hold it from the sides as the weight of soil, pebbles, sand and plants can overweight and fall through the bottom tray.
H Potter also offer larger stand terrariums, and you can use these as room decorations with many flowers and plants in them. There is also an interesting terrarium idea inside the coffee table with clear glass. You can admire the plants through this glass while you are having a cup of coffee in your living room.
Hope you feel excited about these ideas and can’t wait to try them yourself! Make sure to read my other articles on creating and caring for terrariums!