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Make a mini jungle terrarium

Looking for an easy summer holiday activity with a difference? Why not create your very own homemade tropical paradise with our four simple steps – the only limit is your imagination

Terrariums are easy and fun to make, especially with children or teens, who’ll find peering into their steamy interiors fascinating. It is also great for people who want to bring the outside in. Essentially, a

terrarium is a glass container with a sealed lid. Inside, the warm and humid conditions are ideal for growing small tropical plants. Little aftercare is needed, provided moisture levels are maintained. For this reason, try not to open the lid too often once it’s planted.

Step 1: Choose your vessel

Seek out a big glass bottle with a lid, such as a carboy or bespoke terrarium jar at the garden centre, online, charity shops or car boot sales. Any clear glass container will do – you can wash and reuse large pickle jars, storage jars or use little spice pots for the tiniest of terrariums.

Step 2: Pick the right plants

Select plants to match the size of your terrarium. Local garden centres offer many small potted houseplants; ideally, choose naturally small or slow-growing ones (or you’ll soon be replanting). Foliage plants tend to be better for tropical terrariums, since they won’t need deadheading.

Suggested plants for terrariums

Ti plant: Cordyline fruticosa ‘Purple Compacta’
Polka dot plant: Hypoestes phyllostachya
Snake plant: Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Golden Hahnii’

Step 3: Get planting

For drainage, spread a layer of coarse grit, pebbles or clay granules (hydroleca) over the base. Add a layer of peat-free multipurpose

compost mixed with 20% grit or perlite. Ensure this is deep enough to accommodate the largest rootball. Now, pop the plants in, firming gently but don’t squeeze too many in – allow them room to grow. Add decorative pinecones, bark, rocks, fossils or shells and finish off with moss or fine gravel mulch.

Step 4: Tend the plants inside

Water the plants until the drainage layer is wet. Clean the inside with a damp cloth and remove condensation. Replace the lid or stopper. Water only when the compost begins to dry out (which can take several months).

As the terrarium matures, use kitchen scissors to trim away dead or dying growth – a pair of tweezers are really useful for picking up debris. Keep tropical terrariums in bright situations, out of direct sunlight. East-facing windowsills are ideal. In sunny rooms, position them slightly back from the window.

Making a terrarium is a great activity to try at any age. Why not get grandparents involved or encourage teens to build a mini terrarium of their own or as a special handmade gift?

Find supplies to create a terrarium at our RHS Garden Centres or online at RHS Plants.

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The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.