After receiving The New Terrarium in the mail, I’ve been very excited to make one.  Last weekend, I bought all the needed ingredients: plants, glass jars, rocks, soil, and activated charcoal.  I also found a great online video who gave simple instructions, and I highly recommend it.

First, I added about an inch of gravel/small pebbles to the clean jar.  Then, I added about a 1/2 inch of activated charcoal (*not like the charcoal you grill with; I found mine at Petco in the aquarium section.  It helps keep the moisture balance in check since there’s no drainage).  Then I added my soil, choosing an all natural potting soil mix.  Next, came plants: White Creeping Thyme, Miniature Thyme, Mossy stonecrop (a sedum), Dwarf bugleweed, and October Daphne (also a sedum).  After arranging and planting, I lightly misted all the plants and put the lid on.  Apparently you only need to mist every month or two when things start to get dry, since the terrarium will keep it’s own little ecosystem with the lid on and the existing moisture inside.

Unfortunately, I apparently misted too much and over watered mine, which is the number one cause of terrariums failing.  I also noticed inside I had feathery-thin and web-like strands on some of my plants, and I’m not sure if this was some sort of growth or perhaps from a little friend who snuck inside when I was planting.  In any case, a week later a few of my plants look very weak so I’ve decided to remake my terrarium with different plants.  Hopefully I can save these little ones and put them outside in the garden.

Does anyone have any advice as to this strange thin growth inside?  Also, has anyone else used sedums with much luck in a terrarium?

{to view more of my in the garden photos, please visit my Flickr}