When I was a little girl, I used to be quite taken with those miniature green houses to keep cacti in. I had several in my room at my dad’s apartment and I lovingly tended to them. I still remember how satisfying it was to look at the tiny clay pots all lined up under a glass roof. My tastes haven’t evolved much since then and the surest way for me to reach my happy place is to stare at a flowering cactus (or at a palm tree).
About two years ago, while visiting Pop Gallery in L.A., I stumbled upon a magical mini-world made by artist Katie Goldman MacDonald. It made me long for a little bit of desert in my London flat. Since I can’t live in California and escape to the desert when I want to, I figured I could bring the desert to life in London. Of course, lugging a terrarium all the way back from L.A. was out of the question so I decided to make my own.
I had a certain container shape in mind and it took me a while to locate what I wanted, but I eventually found it in A+R on Abbot Kinney Blvd. It is actually a decanter made by Secondome, who seem to specialise in animalistic shapes. Perfect. Yesterday, with the help of Mini’s little hands, I planted my cacti and succulents in their new home: my first terrarium!
Traduction – Mon premier terrarium, inspiré par le désert Californien.
Here is a step-by-step guide to make your own cactus terrarium:
1 – Line the bottom of your container with 2 to 3cm of horticultural gravel (for drainage).
2 – Add a layer of horticultural charcoal (this is to avoid mold and smells).
3 – Cover it with about 10cm of cactus soil mixed with a bit of sand.
4 – Dig holes in the soil and transfer the cacti (you will have tidied up the roots beforehand).
5 – Place your terrarium in indirect sunlight and water once a month.
Here is a selection of pre-made terrariums you can buy now if you don’t want to make your own:
