'arium' - a place for something
ariums come in all shapes, sizes and types. Open, closed, large and mini. There are terrariums, paludariums, vivariums, rhipariums, aquariums and my own named preservariums. Our page tries to cover the essentials of ariums, how to make them, the differences between them and how to care for them.
The different types of arium
the term arium means 'a place for something' and comes from Latin. There are many different types of arium, from ariums in relation to plants to ariums in buildings - like the Planetarium. So what's the difference between them when we talk about planted ariums?
Terr - arium
Contains soil - terra (Latin meaning 'earth')
Aqu -arium
Contains water - Aqua (Latin meaning 'water')
Palud - arium
An aquatic and earth combination. Palu - meaning 'to lick or lap' - where the water meets the earth
Rip - arium
No definitive description, but generally a vivarium with elements of water, like a small pool, or stream/ waterfall. the planting is generally slightly different as well. The Ripa part of the word comes from the Latin word riparius, meaning “bank” or “shore.” The word itself translates to "a shore-like place".
Viv - arium
A Vivarium is a Latin word (‘Vivere’’) meaning ‘to live’ so technically any arium is a vivarium. However, most people refer to a vivarium when talking about an enclosed environment for reptiles
The history of the terrarium
Terrariums have been around for many many years and have fluctuated in popularity. The craze of plants inside small glass containers stems from the Victorian period and a small experiment with a moth! In 1829, in a large sealed bottle partially filled with soil, Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward, a London physician with a keen interest in the natural world buried the chrysalis of a sphinx moth, with the hope that it would hatch.
During the experiment he noticed a tiny plant growing in the soil, which he had not planted. It was a fern, and over the course of 3 years, the fern flourished. He realised that this sealed jar had created the perfect environment for the fern to flourish - protected from the elements and toxins from the environment, and kept moist from the natural process of transpiring and the condensation falling back down the glass sides to water the soil. The warmth inside gives tropical plants the heat they need, whilst the water creates the humidity. The original Wardian case, named after Nathaniel, were large wooden boxes. Over the years these were re-designed and during the later part of the nineteenth century, a Wardian case filled with ferns became a feature of many middle to upper class Victorian homes. During the Great Exhibition of 1851 a selection of ornate and large Wardian cases filled with ferns from exotic destinations were displayed. Wardian cases were used for transporting thousands of exotic plants around the world, including tea! And so the terrarium was born. the ornate terrariums that followed are simply miniature greenhouses. made in different sizes and shapes, some of the older examples are truly stunning and if you're lucky enough to see an original it can cost thousands. a few examples below.
The modern terrarium
Modern terrariums come in all shapes and sizes. glass jars are popular and are great for recycling old coffee jars. clear bottles are also used alot and are great for taller growing plants. demijon jars are lovely for big plants like ferns as long as a cork is used in the top, as are large pickling or old sweetie jars. I also use antique glass objects like glasses, scientific jars and bottles and even glass teapots. Anything that can be planted and sealed can be used.
If you're creating an open terrarium then pretty much anything can be used, as long as its deep enough to hold soil deep enough to plant in and you don’t overwater.
How to choose the right type of arium
If you're making your own then it's really important to choose your arium carefully. You should consider a few things before you embark on making one as they can be expensive to make and potentially loose if not done correctly.
where will it be kept
what plants do you like
how light is the room
how much time are you willing to spend caring for it
what sort of look do you want
what's your budget
how much space do you have
All of these questions will help you to make a decision on what will work best for your situation and your needs and help you create an indoor garden that you will love
Indirect light or shady rooms - tropical plants and ferns
The best type of terrarium to use for this space is a closed terrarium. Tropical plants prefer shade and humidity and moisture, as does moss, which is perfect for closed terrariums.
Bright light or sunny rooms - arid plants
An open terrarium is best here. Mediterranean plants, succulents, cacti etc, prefer bright light and drier conditions, so an open terrarium is a really bright spot - but not in direct sunlight - would be best
Low Maintenance
If you want a low maintenance terrarium then you really need to be going for a closed vessel. once you water it and seal it you shouldn't really need to touch it again short of any trimming of overgrowing plants, or topping up the water in the winter when heat and growth might slow down
A bit of care
Likewise, if you are happy to give your terrarium a little bit more attention then an open terrarium is good. You will need to keep this watered according to the needs of the plants you choose and potentially deal with any pests that might make homes in your plants
The Look
If you want something that looks like a jungle, or a moss garden with lots of natural elements like wood or rock, then you will need to create a closed terrarium. moss won't really grow well in an open terrarium and doesn't work with arid plants. If you're more into your cacti and succulents or you want something with a trailing plant hanging over a shelf, then opt for the open arium.
How much do you want to spend
A closed terrarium will in general cost you upwards of £40 to make just on substrates and plants. then you have to cost in your container, which has an unlimited cost depending on what you want to buy. Tropical plants are sometimes difficult to get as tiny plants, especially ferns, but it is possible. arid plants are usually cheaper as are the containers because the variety you can use is wider - glass vases, food jars, bowls - are all usable as open containers.
Want to make your own?
if you're read the above and feel ready to give it a go yourself, read our how to guide to get started.
You can find supplies to make your own in our terrarium section by clicking one of the products below, and you can buy plants in our shop
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