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Hughes Has Terrariums
(They make a great Mother's Day gift)
Join our terrarium class on Mother's Day - May 08 at  11am
Terrariums are a very hot trend right now. Not only are they charming, they are easy to care for - you do not have to be a gardener to be successful. In fact they thrive on neglect.
Hughes is carrying three styles of Terrariums using water plants, house plants or succulents.
For the do-it-your-selfer
How to make your own terrarium
* Decide what plants you would like to use for your terrarium, for example water plants, succulent and cacti, or low light house plants.
* Pick a container. Generally you use a clear container such as a aquarium, jar or any glass container. Have fun with this. Turn a container on it side. Use an interesting antique bottle, the choices are endless.
There are open and closed terrariums.
Closed Terrariums - Inside a closed terrarium is a continuous rain cycle. Moisture evaporates from the soil and plant leaves and condenses on the terrarium's roof and walls, drops down and re-moistens the soil. The ideal plants for enclosed terrariums are those that prefer moist soil, a humid environment, and low to medium light.
Open Terrariums - Open terrariums require more frequent watering since the moisture escapes into the air, but they're still extremely low maintenance. Look for plants that need less moisture and thrive in low to medium light. With open terrarium you can also try plants that won't work in the moist environment of a closed terrarium - such as succulents and cacti.
*Put 1/2 to 3 inches of pea gravel or pebbles on the bottom.
*Next a layer of activated charcoal to filter the water and keep it clean.
*After the charcoal put a layer of sphagnum moss. (This is to keep the soil from seeping into the rocks).
*Next comes the soil. If using succulents use a cactus blend. For water plants use our aquatic soil. For house plants use a good house plant mix. You need just enough to cover the roots of your plants.
*Then the fun part - putting the plants in. Use plants that will stay on the small side or plants that can be trimmed back easily. A mix of sizes, leaf texture and color will add interest to the terrarium. A big serving spoon work well to insert the plants.
Moss terrariums can be naturally beautiful by themselves creating a lush, green carpet in a terrarium. Hughes carries bags of live moss that contains three different kinds of moss for different textures and shades of gre en.
*The final step is to add the accents. The accents can make the whole terrarium. Good accents that you can use are recycled glass, pieces of moss, nice rocks, twigs, fun miniature ceramic figures.
Tips for a successful Terrarium
Do not fertilize - You want to keep the plants small and slow growing.
Keep your terrarium out of the direct sun. Bright indirect sun is the best.
Small drops of condensation say you've got the right amount of water. Big drops indicate too much water; no drops indicate too little.
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