A new direction in floristry has become the creation of florariums - terrariums for plants. Having heard this name for the first time, those who are interested in floriculture become interested in finding out what a florarium is and how to make it with your own hands?

A florarium is a mini garden of plants placed in a glass container. They have an original appearance, are compact in shape and are suitable for any interior. They can be easily placed either on a narrow window sill or on a bookshelf, hung from the ceiling or on the wall.

The history of florariums began in the 18th century. British doctor Nathaniel Ward discovered that some plants have the ability to grow well under glass. He created a glass casket, which was used to transport plants to Britain from different parts of the world. Then a fashion for such caskets appeared; they began to be displayed in store windows and to decorate rich houses and salons. Over time, they began to make not only caskets, but also real castles using stained glass windows.

The purchase of florariums at that time was expensive pleasure, and few people thought about creating them at home. But this is quite possible in our time, when the price of materials, tools and plants is not so high.

Creating florariums is a creative and exciting activity. There are many crafting ideas and tutorials to help bring these ideas to life.

Where do you start creating a florarium? They start with the selection of tools and materials, determining the type of terrarium for plants, and choosing plants.

Tools and materials

To create a florarium with your own hands you need various instruments and materials. Tools are used not only for shaping, but also for caring for plants.

The materials that will be needed to make florariums are as follows:

• Forms for florariums. They are made of glass. In flower shops you can buy various vases for florariums or take ready-made forms - aquariums, glasses, lamps, glasses.
• Drainage - you can use both expanded clay and decorative ones made of baked clay, broken brick or other components.
• Charcoal is placed along with drainage as a disinfectant against diseases and fungi.
• The soil or soil mixture is selected based on the type of plant.
• Ordinary or decorative sand of various colors.
• Decorative elements - stones, shells, figurines, colored glass.
• Plant elements – the plants themselves, moss.

List of tools used in work:

• Gloves.
• Surgical clamp – for fixing plants in narrow containers.
• Tweezers – for planting plants in small forms.
• Chinese chopsticks - for loosening the soil.
• A small narrow spatula or spoon.
• An eraser or plug for compacting the soil.
• A watering can with a long and narrow nose or a syringe.
• Pulverizer.

The formation of a florarium begins with the selection of plants. What plants are suitable for creating a composition?

Choosing plants for a florarium

To create a florarium, choose slow-growing plants.
Cacti are also suitable plants for beginning florarium growers, since they do not require special care. Popular among succulents are aloe, agave, spurge, and crassula; among cacti, astrophytum, prickly pear, rebutia, and notocactus.
Common choices for florariums include calamus, moss, ferns, ivy, tillandsia, fittonia and flowering plants such as azaleas, violets, saintpaulias, cyclamens.
You can clearly see which plants are suitable for eco-gardens in the video:

The most difficult plants to grow will be orchids. They need special care and like plenty of space, so they are used large containers for florarium.
Not only orchids, but also other plants for florariums require special care.

Plant care includes:

• Watering - carried out moderately 1-2 times a week, use settled water at room temperature;
• Pinching and pruning - done when the plant is growing strongly;
• Maintaining a certain lighting level. The location of the florarium is chosen based on the light-loving nature of the plants. Some specimens will need additional lighting from artificial sources.
• Maintaining the temperature at 20-25 degrees. Plants do not tolerate temperature fluctuations and cold;
• Air ventilation.

The plants in the florarium are not bonsai and will grow over time and will need to be replanted. After transplantation, the plants from the florarium become indoor plants. New specimens are planted in place of old plants.
It is important to remember that plants in a florarium do not need feeding, as this can enhance their growth.
Caring for plants in a glass container is painstaking work. However, there are florariums that do not require any maintenance at all.

Let's see what types of terrariums for plants are distinguished.

Types of florariums

Exists a large number of dividing florariums into types depending on the selected plants, type and shape of the container, landscape compositions and placement in space. The combination of these types creates a unique interior.

Let's take a closer look at this detail.

Selection of herbal ingredients

• The plant florarium includes alocasia, deciduous plants, cacti, mini-ferns, mosses, succulents, Crassulaceae and others. A cactus florarium and a succulent florarium are the most popular.
• A blooming florarium is a container where flowers will be the basis of the composition. Flowering plants for the terrarium are rhododendrons, orchids, violets, cyclamen, episcia. A florarium with an orchid and a florarium made from violets are the most common.
• Multi florarium combines representatives of different plant species. This is a real mini-kindergarten in the house.

Another characteristic that follows the choice of plants is landscape.

Landscape compositions

Florarium desert– a simple and easy-to-perform composition. IN sandy soil place succulents or cacti. The appearance resembles a desert landscape. This florarium does not require careful care and frequent watering.

Florarium a tropical forest its composition is reminiscent of tropical rainforests. Are used moisture-loving plants different heights and multi-tiered. To provide the plants with moisture, place a vessel with water in the composition and hide it behind the decor. To create a tropical forest, you can take begonia, fittonia and transdescantia. Plants will need to be pinched as they grow.

Florarium mountains is a composition of structural stones, forest foothill plants of different latitudes and moss. Plant care depends on the chosen foothills - tropical, alpine or desert. If you choose a high mountain landscape, then use climbing plants and low vegetation resembling trees. This florarium is placed in partial shade.

Florarium hills is a composition of mosses. The use of different types of moss and stones from living nature allows you to create a living picture of greenery on the hill. Other plants can be combined with moss, but they should not distract attention to themselves. Mosses love acidic soils and moist environments, so you need to maintain adequate humidity.

Container shape

These are various geometric florariums.

• Florarium cube;
• Florarium circle;
• Florarium rectangle;
• Florarium pentagon;
• Polygons;

Container type

• Florarium in an aquarium;
• Florarium in a jar;
• Florarium in a glass;
• Florarium in a capsule;
• Florarium in a light bulb;
• Florarium in a glass;
• Other interesting shapes;

Placement in space

• Wall florarium - can be hanging, or can be built into the wall;
• Standing florarium - can be horizontal or can be vertical;

In addition to the above types, there are open and closed florariums.

Open and closed florariums

An open florarium is a glass container with air access from above or from the side. Plants in such a florarium require constant care, watering and ventilation.

The closed florarium has its own ecosystem and access fresh air in such a florarium is limited. Ventilation is carried out rarely, only when condensation occurs. Watering is practically not needed; excess water is removed through the double bottom.

An eternal florarium is a type of closed one; it has a completely enclosed space. This florarium is first made in a container, watered once, and then sealed tightly. Only dwarf evergreen plants that can live in the shade and absorb moisture are suitable for such terrariums.

DIY florarium - master class

Having chosen the look you like, which will be a new decoration in the interior, you can start decorating the florarium with your own hands.

To create a florarium with your own hands, beginners will need 15-30 minutes of time. The most important thing is to select all the necessary components and tools in advance.

A florarium made from succulents will be simple to make. To make this florarium with your own hands, we will use step-by-step instructions with photos.

Step 1. Choose a round container.

Step 2. We prepare shallow drainage, soil for succulents, a spoon, tweezers and a watering can with long nose, moss, stones.

Step 3. Place drainage at the bottom of the container.

Step 4. Pour the soil in layers. We must compact each layer.

Step 5. We plant succulents in the ground and water them.

Step 6. We decorate the florarium with moss and stones.

More difficult step-by-step master class You can see how to plant an orchid in a florarium here:

Florarium using Tiffany technique

One of the most interesting and complex techniques for creating a florarium is Tiffany stained glass. Florarium Tiffany is great idea for a gift. The container is made in the form stained glass, and then fill it with plants.

How to make a florarium with your own hands? Tiffany stained glass is a geometric florarium. You can make it yourself using certain patterns.

Schemes are templates of geometric elements that need to be connected together in a special way. When working with stained glass, you must follow safety rules.

The simplest template for teaching this technique is a pentagon. The diagram is presented in the form of several photographs.

Let's make a stained glass window step by step.

Stage 1. We prepare cardboard, glass and a glass cutter, grinder, copper foil, tape, solder and soldering iron.
Stage 2. Print out the pentagon shape from photo 1, cut it out, and trace it on cardboard.

We make 6 short blanks. We complete the long blanks using a ruler as in photo 2 in the amount of 4 pieces. Cut it out.

Stage 3. We trace the contours of the blanks on the glass and cut out the parts.
Stage 4. We sand the parts evenly. It is important to place the pieces together and turn the edges on each side at the same time.
Stage 5. Take foil and wrap each piece.
Stage 6. Next you need to glue the florarium. We assemble the parts according to the diagram in photo 3.
Stage 7. Glue the bottom pentagons together using tape, then solder the bottom parts using solder. Internal seams are also treated with solder.
Stage 8. Solder top part one detail at a time. The parts should converge at the right point.
Stage 9. We adjust the seams. Then we wash the container.
Stage 10. All that remains is to lay drainage, soil, plant plants and flowers, decorate, and the florarium will be ready.
You can also do without soldering. Look how!

If you're tired of growing indoor flowers in ordinary pots, we offer the opportunity to create a home mini-greenhouse - a flower florarium. This is enough original solution will allow you to easily create excellent decorations for any room. Now you will learn how to make a florarium with your own hands and can even read the step-by-step instructions for completing this task.

What is a florarium: a variety of compositions in glass

A florarium is a real mini-greenhouse, where in glass containers the most different shapes and sizes, living plants are planted. Usually, several types of colors are combined here, and a wide variety of decorative decorations are used: from stones to cartoon figures and rhinestones. Thanks to such additions, it is possible to create very attractive living compositions that can decorate any room.

Did you know? The tradition of creating florariums dates back to the 19th century.IXcentury. In those days, similar compositions were used to decorate shop windows and salons, since glass containers looked more attractive than clay pots or wooden tubs.

Another feature of florariums is that by creating them, you create a special ecosystem with your own hands. After all, usually, semi-closed vessels are used for this purpose, in which the air humidity increases significantly as the flowers grow. Thanks to this, even tropical plants, which practically do not take root under normal conditions, can be grown in florariums. Moreover, caring for plants in a florarium will not be particularly difficult, since they themselves will accumulate moisture for themselves, and weeds appear very slowly in such an ecosystem.

Features of the arrangement of the florarium

The question of how to make a florarium includes many aspects of creating a home greenhouse, which, in particular, relate to the choice of containers for planting plants, and the selection of the plants themselves. Below we list the main points that should be taken into account when creating a composition in jars with your own hands.

Choosing a location for a florarium

The placement of the mini-greenhouse will depend on the size of the florarium container and what kind of flowers are planted in it. Because the large aquarium It will not be possible to place it on the windowsill, then it is worth choosing a plant for it that can grow successfully in partial shade. But when planting succulents, the place for the florarium should be as illuminated as possible.

Another aspect is the combination with the interior. Such mini-greenhouses look best in the foreground, as they attract attention not only with the top part of the plants, but also with the filling of the pot (some “residents” are able to successfully develop even in white sand or special aqua soil). It is best to place it in the middle of the table so that you can look at it flower arrangement from all sides.

What plants are suitable for a florarium?

Plants for a florarium must be selected very carefully, paying attention to the following aspects:

• tolerance of high air humidity, which will inevitably be present in the semi-closed space of a glass container;
• plant size (each flower should not grow more than 20 cm, although if your florarium container is very small, then the size of the plant should be the same);
• slow growth of plants, which will allow maintaining the original appearance of the composition for a long period of time;
• compatibility of colors with each other in the decorative aspect, as well as in growth rates and care needs;
• if you want to see in your florarium flowering plants, then also take into account their tendency to rot after the flowers wither (violets, azaleas and cyclamens, which are best grown in open pots and in well-ventilated places, have a similar characteristic).

To make it easier for you to cope with the task of choosing a plant for your florarium, here is a list of the most suitable ones:

• Ferns.
• Fittonia.
• Crotons.
• Arrowroots.
• Selaginella.
• Alocasius.
• Dieffenbachia.
• Calathea.
• Cereal calamus.

Flowering plants can also be used to decorate a glass container, but in this case you will have to install special ventilation devices next to the florarium, which will reduce the humidity inside the container.

Cacti - not the best perfect option for a florarium, only if we are not talking about tropical varieties that can grow even at high temperatures and humidity. In this case, it is better to plant succulents in an aquarium, many species of which have an external resemblance to cacti.

Important! In such compositions, special moss for florariums is often used, which, in addition to decorative value, allows you to retain moisture inside the container.

Orchids are also well suited for decorating such compositions, but in this case you will have to use special florariums that already have heating, a barometer and a fan installed.

Choosing a location and glass container for a florarium

Mini gardens in glass can be placed in almost any transparent container, which does not have to be glass (plastic products are in no way inferior to glass). It is only important that when filled with sand and other elements, the strength of the material can withstand the load and does not crack. If you want to create a geometric florarium, you can plant flowers in a chemical flask or bottle of an interesting shape. By the way, bottle florariums are the most popular, since their creation requires the most effort. There are also such types of florariums as:

However, creating a completely enclosed florarium is not recommended, since not all plants can tolerate the lack of fresh air flow. Even if the florarium container you choose has a lid, it will need to be removed periodically.

How to choose soil for a florarium?

For plants in a florarium, loose soil that has neutral acidity is best suited. Therefore, the easiest way is to buy a ready-made soil mixture for ferns in the store, which differs in the indicated properties. But still, it is more rational to focus on the needs of each flower. For example, when growing selaginella, do not allow lime in the soil.

Another important nuance in preparing the substrate for a florarium is the absence of the need to fertilize it. After all, if there is a lot in the soil nutrients, the plants will quickly grow and spoil the attractiveness of the composition. Also, the soil should be light so as not to lead to rotting of the root system of the flowers. If you prepare the substrate yourself, then use equal parts for it:

• peat;
• perlite;
• vermiculite.

To ensure that the acidity of the resulting soil mixture is acceptable for plants, you can add 1 tablespoon of dolomite flour to it. If you are planting cacti or succulents, add a little coarse sand or fine gravel.

Features of placing a plant in a glass container

Before planting plants in a container, it is important to decide where you will place it. If it is located near the wall, then all the “inhabitants” should be placed so that the composition is attractive only on one side. For example, plant taller types of flowers behind and leave moss in the foreground. But it is best to plant the plants in a centered manner, since the florarium will still have to be periodically rotated in relation to the light source to ensure uniform growth and direction of the flowers. In this case, the tallest plants are planted in the middle, and the shorter ones are placed around them.

Important! If you are creating a fairly large florarium (for example, an aquarium), then the flowers in it can be placed directly in pots, which are simply decorated with moss or shells. If they are planted directly in a glass container, then it is also necessary to create a drainage layer in it, the ratio of which to the rest of the substrate should be 1:3.

When planting plants in a florarium, consider the following rules:

• the container for plants must be clean, since when using an old aquarium, they can become infected with various diseases;
• do not try to plant many plants at the same time, because close plantings will provoke the flowers to stretch upward;
• select plants for the composition with the same needs for lighting, soil and humidity.

Rules for caring for a florarium

Maintenance of the florarium is practically not required, since its own independent ecosystem is created inside the glass container, which provides itself with moisture. However, some important requirements still need to be observed.

What should the lighting be like?

If you created a florarium with your own hands from succulents, then they will need a lot of light, but it is important that it does not hit the plants at a right angle (such placement can cause burns on the leaves). Typically, all tropical plants that are suitable for growing in florariums tolerate partial shade very well, so they can easily grow even in the far corners of the room.

November 2016

Do you know what a florarium is? As you can understand from the name itself, it is something related to plants. This is true. This is a composition of flowers. Only these are not the usual pots and flowerpots with flowers. A florarium is flowers placed behind glass. More precisely, a living plant composition located in a glass terrarium - a jar, glass, bottle, aquarium, etc. Sometimes a florarium is also called a “garden in a bottle.” And it’s not at all accidental. After all, in this way you can create a miniature tropical forest, a piece of desert or rocky landscape.

Beautiful florariums

The first person to discover the possibility of containing plants in vessels was the 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 closed glass vessel in which they transported different kinds exotic plants from tropical and subtropical countries to Europe. Thanks to this, new plants, unknown at that time, spread throughout the world. Very soon, Ward's boxes appeared in the interiors of fashionable secular salons of the time.

Florarium with orchid, moss and other plants

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

Small florarium

Advantages of growing florariums

A lot of people dream of growing tropical species plants do not have such an opportunity in a city apartment. After all, a tropical flower is capricious, it needs special temperature regime And high humidity- he needs a greenhouse. And here the florarium will become an excellent alternative to bulky greenhouses and greenhouses. A special microclimate is created in the terrarium thanks to closed space. And this has a beneficial effect on 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 (driftwood, pebbles, various figurines) in glass vessel- decoration in the interior of any home.

Florarium is very interesting! Both adults and children will enjoy caring for and observing the “garden in a bottle.” An unusual composition will become the “highlight” of your home.

Tall florarium

Florarium with a carnivorous plant

Florarium with succulents

Florarium with stones, moss and other plants

Original florarium with orchid

What is needed to create a florarium

Creating a florarium with your own hands is an interesting and not at all difficult task. Even a completely inexperienced amateur gardener can do this task. You just need to know a few secrets of how to make a florarium at home.

So where to start?

Creating a florarium should begin with preparing all its components, as well as tools that may be useful during the work.

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

• glass vessel - can be of any shape and size. For an open florarium (display florarium), a rectangular, round or geometric aquarium, a large bowl, a vase, or a glass are suitable. For a closed version - an apothecary bottle, a jam jar. In order to create a hanging mini flower room, you can use special containers purchased in the store, or even an ordinary incandescent lamp. Florarium in a pot-bellied bottle is very popular.
• Decorative elements - beautiful pebbles, shells, pebbles, small colored glass, driftwood, moss, ceramic figurines, etc. Whatever your imagination and taste is enough for.
• 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 carbon is added to the soil in order to maintain its freshness and to absorb foreign odors.
• Drainage is necessary for a florarium. If you don't use it, the roots of the plant may turn sour and it will simply die. For drainage, use sand, pebbles, expanded clay, or a plastic grid.
• Tools – a surgical clamp for planting a plant in a container with limited access (if you are making a florarium, for example, in a bottle). Alternative option surgical clamp - Chinese chopsticks or tweezers. Pinned on a knitting needle, wine stopper, or a school eraser - for compacting the soil. A medical bulb, a miniature watering can or a small spray bottle - for watering plants.
• Devices for microclimate control (thermometer, hygrometer) and lighting - these devices will be necessary to create a moist florarium from tropical plants, requiring high humidity.

Necessary items for creating a florarium

Florarium with a panda figurine

Beautiful bright florarium

Florarium with deer figures

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 compatible with each other in size, color, texture and be similar in maintenance conditions.

Florarium with orchid and fern in the interior

For a dry florarium with a rocky or desert landscape, succulents are ideal: Crassula, agaves, 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, and 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 components of a humid “mini garden in a bottle.” Various types of moss and fern are used for the composition. But most often, this moss is sphagnum, and from ferns - polyrow, pteris, asplenium.

Mushroom florarium

Saintpaulias, cyclamens, azaleas, guzmanias, and orchids are suitable for a florarium with beautifully flowering plants. True, the latter are very whimsical and their maintenance requires lighting and a ventilation system.

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

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

Unusual florariums

Florarium care

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

Tall florarium with cacti

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

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

It is necessary to wipe the walls of the vessel, monitor and change the layer of soil in a timely manner, and remove diseased and damaged plants. Also, in the absence of artificial lighting, 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 all the care. Easier than some potted plants.

To create a home decorative garden, you will need a minimum of costs, a little free time, maximum imagination and great desire. And the result will be a fantastically beautiful decorative mini-garden. Be it an unusually shaped hanging vessel with an orchid, or a geometric florarium with moss and cacti. In any case, it will certainly 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)

Behind such an unusual, extravagant name lies an equally extravagant alternative to standard plastic plant pots. A florarium is often called a flower terrarium. A transparent container in different variations is ideal for growing the most finicky plants. A home mini-greenhouse will decorate any nondescript corner in the house.

Ideas for florariums

With the help of bright decorative elements and correctly selected plants, you can create a beautiful composition that will delight the eye for many years. There are many options for designing a florarium. We will look at the most popular of them.

Desert

This best option for those who are just beginning their acquaintance with the world of plants and who do not have the opportunity to devote too much time to the florarium.

To create a mini-desert, a special geometric container without a narrowed neck or a small round jar for an aquarium is suitable. The soil can be decorative sand of different colors and shapes (large or small), small pebbles or ceramic particles.

Suitable plants include succulents, kalanchoes, cacti, agave and melaphora. They are not picky about care and watering. In spring, water replenishment can be done once a week, and in winter - once every two weeks. It is better to place this mini-greenhouse on windowsills, because this group of plants loves the sun's rays.

A tropical forest

A great opportunity to test your creative skills and recreate the wild Amazon forest. For maximum effect, a voluminous flower display (also called a paludarium) is suitable, where you can plant several types of different large plants at once, and for a miniature you should choose a small container with an open top.

The soil should consist of leaf soil or a combination of sand and peat. This will help maintain the desired humidity of the florarium. The following plants will make a beautiful background: small ferns, dwarf ficuses, begonias, crotons, asparagus. You can also decorate the overall picture with realistic animal figures and a small waterfall made of polymer clay.

Mountains

The name largely speaks for itself. The main idea is to create a high-mountain landscape. It is worth turning your attention to ivy, cacti, seleginella. They do not require special care. It is enough to maintain the temperature required for these plants and water them as the soil dries out. Organic matter or large pebbles are suitable for soil. Stones of different shapes can be an excellent imitation of rocks. For an aesthetic effect, you should take a closer look at slightly narrowed containers.

Orchidarium

This is a special type of florarium, which involves breeding orchids. Installing such a treat will require a little more time and effort, but will fully justify its effect. The container must be equipped with heating and proper air supply. The background for plants can be other plants of different colors or large stones. Do not forget that the front part of the florarium must remain open so that you can see the composition from all sides.

Florarium with moss

The popular funny plant has more than 10,000 species. To create a stylish florarium, you can use several of them at once, where some will serve as a background, and others as the main part of the composition. Ideal choice considered to be sphagnum moss. With its help you can make an imitation of fir trees or other trees. The ideal soil for moss will be an acidic environment.

In a light bulb

One of the most original options design of a florarium, where not only the plants, but also the plant itself become its central part appearance. Burnt out old light bulb in a matter of minutes it will turn into a stylish decorative element. Such a miniature plant terrarium can be placed on the smallest hanging shelf.

Fine disinfected sand is quite suitable for the soil, and for the base - moss, succulent, craspedia flowers, dried branches, shells, pebbles. The main thing in creating such a florarium is the careful and step-by-step transformation of the light bulb into the desired vessel.

Creating a flower terrarium with your own hands is a great opportunity to save money and get involved in the creative process. To design a florarium, you need to prepare everything in advance necessary items: container (vase, aquarium jar, bottle or other chosen option), soil (it must match the plants), drainage (expanded clay, sand or pebbles), plants, decorative details for decoration, filtered water, tools (small spoon or spatula, tweezers , sprayer, scissors). Next you need to do everything one by one:

1. First you need to carefully prepare the container. To do this, pour boiling water over it and wash it thoroughly.

2. Then you need to pour drainage, the height of which should not exceed 4–5 cm. It can be expanded clay, fine sand, aquarium pebbles or stones. You can place several tablets of activated carbon on top of it (grind into powder in advance). This will help protect the soil from chemicals that may come with the water.

3. Moist soil from 4–10 cm must be poured over the drainage. This can be mixed organic matter, fine sand or a ready-made substrate.

4. Gently level the finished soil using a small spatula or spoon. Use it to form small holes (recesses) for the selected plants.

5. Plant the necessary plants using tweezers and lightly sprinkle them with soil. It is very important that they do not touch the walls of the container (to avoid rotting) and do not displace each other.

6. Spray the plants with filtered water and check the soil moisture. If it is not enough, water it.

7. Decorate the composition with decorative elements (driftwood, stones, polymer clay figures, dried twigs). This must be done in last resort, because the basis of the florarium should be plants, and the background should be decor.

Such a simple master class can be carried out not only alone, but also with family or friends.

Florarium – photo

Decorating home florariums has become fashion trend recent years. And this is completely justified - after all, you really want to bring a piece of nature into the everyday atmosphere of the apartment, and even in such a original form. To learn more about how to decorate a florarium with your own hands, what containers and materials you can use, we suggest visiting the photo gallery with many pictures of successful works. See, inspire and decorate the interior of your home with these beautiful compositions. Enjoy watching!

Not every apartment has room for fresh flowers in pots and vases, or even time for planting and caring for indoor plants. modern life is often not enough. An excellent solution for those who love plants, but do not have the opportunity or time to fully grow them, was invented by florist designers: florariums. A bunch of modern interiors decorate miniature “gardens in bottles”, they are stylish decor, a great alternative to potted flowers and a bright green spot in the room.

A guide to making a florarium with your own hands can be found in this article. A list of plants suitable for miniature compositions is also presented here, as well as the most popular types of “bottle gardens” are described.

What is called a florarium

For the first time, some semblance of a modern florarium appeared in the eighteenth century. Then one biologist tried to grow exotic flowers and plants in an environment that was unusual for them, and in order to create the necessary microclimate for them, he placed the seedlings in a closed glass vessel. The result was something like a greenhouse or greenhouse; this prototype is still used today in botanical gardens or greenhouses.

Nowadays fashionable florariums are essentially glass, acrylic or plastic vessels. The main requirement is that sunlight or artificial light can penetrate through the transparent walls, because without light, as we know, plants are unable to live.

Any container is suitable as a vessel for a florarium; it is advisable that it has a narrow neck or lid - then it will be easy to create a suitable microclimate inside.

You can decorate your home either with purchased florariums or choose any containers available in the house to make a mini-garden:

• old fish aquarium;
• a terrarium left in the house from a newt, spider or toad;
• beautiful bottles of unusual shape;
• jars for spices or cereals;
• vases made of glass or plastic;
• glasses, glasses and other utensils with transparent walls.

Advice! It is better for novice florists to choose florarium containers with a wider neck or a lid, because planting plants through a narrow hole in a container is quite difficult, but it should also turn out beautiful.

The main task of the florarium is to maintain the microclimate to which plants are accustomed in nature. It is thanks to this that tropical flowers, capricious plants that need high and constant humidity, various mosses and succulents can be grown inside the vessels.

If you equip the florarium with a heating system and a light source, you will get an independent bio-environment in which the most whimsical and capricious plant species can exist.

Attention! If you use a florarium with a lid, it must be ventilated regularly. This is necessary in order to avoid the accumulation of condensation on the walls of the vessel.

Depending on where the florarium will be located, choose the shape and type of vessel. So, for window sills, a florarium display with a lid or hole in the upper part is preferable. Such florariums are easy to maintain, because access to the plants is free, they can be watered, fed and replanted at any time, without using special devices and tools.

Those florariums that have a long neck and a small hole are more difficult to maintain. But inside such vessels the same microclimate with its own temperature and humidity is constantly maintained. It is in such closed containers that tropical and capricious plants, accustomed to a warm and humid environment, are planted.

Florariums of any type fit perfectly into modern designs, they are simply irreplaceable in cramped rooms and studio apartments, where there is simply no room for ordinary fresh flowers. A mini-garden in a bottle will also be an excellent solution for busy people who do not have time for complex plant care.

Varieties of florariums

As noted earlier, plant terrariums imitate the habitat of various plants or flowers. Therefore, you need to create a florarium based on the requirements of those plants that were chosen to create the composition.

Inside a glass florarium you can create a microclimate of the tropics, desert or deciduous forest; in beautiful jars they recreate the atmosphere and topography of mountains, rocky cliffs, the resulting landscapes are often decorated with various figures, stones, bright shards and other decorative elements.

Attention! It is necessary to understand that a certain microclimate created inside a florarium dictates its own requirements for soil composition, temperature, watering regime and degree of illumination.

Composition “Tropical Forest”

This florarium composition is based on natural tropical forests with high humidity and constant hot temperatures. To achieve naturalness, the plants in the florarium are planted in several tiers, thereby repeating the structure of the jungle: herbs, shrubs and tall tropical trees.

In order for the composition inside the florarium to be clearly visible, the foreground must be left open, gradually increasing the height of each “tier” of plants. To “populate” a glass container, it is not at all necessary to look for expensive and rare exotics; ordinary store-bought indoor flowers, which are always freely available, are also quite suitable.

Important! It is necessary to buy miniature, dwarf or slow-growing plants so that the composition in the florarium pleases the eye for as long as possible.

Tropical plants love complex soil, consisting of several fragments. For beginners, the following soil composition is suitable: leaf soil, peat, coarse sand. All soil components need to be mixed; additionally, colored soils are used for decoration.

Exotic plants love humidity - there should be about 75-90% moisture inside the florarium. Therefore, it is better to plant these plants in closed florariums or place a small container with water inside, and then decorate it with stones or dry moss.

The following indoor flowers can be used as miniature copies of tropical plants:

• common ivy;
• miniature fern;
• begonia;
• phytonia;
• asparagus;
• chamedonia;
• slow growing bamboos.

All these plants need approximately the same soil, temperature and humidity conditions and frequent watering.

Important! Such plants need enough heat– about 25 degrees. They also need to be frequently sprayed and watered regularly.

Florarium of succulents

For those who have very little free time, or who regularly go on business trips, leaving their home for a long time, a composition for a florarium in the form of a desert or semi-desert is perfect.

The basis of such a florarium are unpretentious succulents: cacti, Crassula, agaves, Kalanchoe or euphorbia. All these plants need the same sandy soil with good drainage. They tolerate both high and low temperatures (most succulents are comfortable even at +13 degrees). A florarium with cacti and crassulas does not have to be watered often, and they grow quite slowly - which is excellent for compositions in a jar.

In nature, succulents live in deserts or semi-deserts, so sand is suitable as soil for them. It is better to take sifted clean sand, not too large a fraction. Multi-colored layers of sand, pebbles or beautiful pebbles at the bottom look very impressive in a transparent vessel.

Although it is believed that florariums are more intended for tropical plants, desert inhabitants also feel great in cramped vessels. It is better to choose containers for succulents with a wide neck or open at the top - after all, they do not need excess moisture.

Even a child can create a composition from desert plants, this is perfect solution for beginner florists. All you need is to take a jar or vase, fill it with sand, decorate it with a couple of stones and plant some plants. Caring for a florarium with a desert inside is even easier: summer time water once every 7-10 days, in winter reduce watering to once a month (succulents sleep at this time). Desert plants are accustomed to the sun, so they will be comfortable in the hottest window of the apartment.

Advice! If you need to go on vacation or a business trip, you don’t have to ask your neighbors to water the florarium with succulents - they can withstand “drought” well, many types of these plants even begin to bloom under such stress.

Mountain landscape in the florarium

In real nature, mountain flora can be divided into two types: plants covering rocky slopes, filling rocky plateaus and peaks, and those growing in the foothills.

Based on this, we can say that the combination of succulents and tropical plants, which were already mentioned above, is perfect for a mountain composition. When creating a rocky composition in a florarium, you need to make several levels (at least two). The top of the “mountains” is planted with desert plants that are unpretentious to the composition of the soil, and at the base of the “slopes” tropical plants that love moisture and nutritious soil can be planted.

Important! It is imperative to arrange good drainage in the florarium so that different plants felt equally comfortable in tight spaces. Pebbles, stones, expanded clay or broken bricks are suitable for these purposes.

To create a mountain florarium, all you need to do is find a couple of beautiful stones with sharp edges and textured chips - they will imitate mountains. Plants can be planted in small containers that can easily be hidden behind stones - this will make them easier to care for.

Florarium with moss

An excellent option for creating a living composition in a glass vessel is moss. More than ten thousand species of moss are known; in nature it grows everywhere: in the mountains, in the North, in humid forests, there are varieties of moss that can develop even in hot deserts.

Thanks to this unpretentiousness of moss, it is excellent for creating beautiful and durable compositions in vases and indoor florariums. Mosses are often used to decorate existing compositions, covering various gaps and decorating unsightly areas. However, florariums filled with only different types this plant.

Advice! It is not at all necessary to buy moss in florist shops; it can be found in the forest, in the country or near a pond. To replant moss, its top part must be carefully cut off, leaving the roots in the ground - this way the plant will better take root in its new location.

Moss loves highly acidic soil, so to plant it you need to purchase special soil or take it from the place where the plant was cut. To make the florarium look full, its bottom can be covered with a thick layer of ordinary soil or sand, add stones - a couple of centimeters of acidic soil will be enough for the development of moss roots.

Caring for such a florarium is very simple: the moss just needs to be regularly sprayed with water. Ideally, the moss should always be moist, but not too wet.

Plants for florarium

The requirements for plants for florariums are simple:

• miniature;
• slow growth;
• unpretentiousness;
• good tolerance of proximity to other species.

Almost every plant can be adapted to the conditions of a florarium. Those that grow quickly have their roots trimmed during planting. They create capriciousness suitable conditions. Flowers that need special soil or separate watering are planted in miniature containers.

The most suitable and quite affordable plants for florariums:

• orchid;
• fern;
• cacti;
• selaginella;
• arachniodes;
• peperomia;
• Pilea;
• tillandsia;
• calamus;
• saxifrage;
• asplenium.

All these plants can be found in any flower shop.

How to make a florarium with your own hands: a step-by-step master class

To make a florarium in a vessel with a narrow and long neck, you will need skill and special tools, such as tweezers, bamboo or wooden sticks, a brush, a soil funnel, a syringe for watering and others.

For beginners, terrariums with a wide neck or a large hole in the top or side of the vessel are more suitable.

You can create a spectacular decorative element for your home in just a few minutes. To do this you need:

Advice! After a layer of sand, it is recommended to lay activated carbon in tablets (you can crush the tablets or replace them charcoal), it is covered with soil on top. This will protect the plants from fungal infections, in addition, the coal will absorb excess moisture and filter water.

Making a fashionable and stylish accessory for your home is not at all difficult - all you need is an ordinary glass jar. Step-by-step instruction will be clear even to a beginner, and you can clearly see the process of making large florariums in this video: