Tiny Terrarium Talks

Before we begin, I would like to present you with the option of engaging with my learning project this week via Fotobabble and/or this blog post. If you are interested in following along using the Fotobabble, check out Tiny Terrarium Talks here.

 

This week on my terrarium travels led me and my boyfriend to a shale bed. We had decided that we wanted to go on a terrarium date and being that I hadn’t taken him to the shale bed yet we devised our plan. We decided to start with tiny terrariums as to get a sense of what the process was and see how things worked.

 

We started our terrariums by layering some loose rocks and shale into the bottom. Then we added a layer of dirt, followed by a layer of shredded leaves, topped with more dirt. We finished our base by adding a some more shale and rock as decorative features.

 

As we were headed back to the river bed, we came across moss growing on the ground. It wasn’t typical moss as it had mushrooms and fungus growing on it. We decided to both incorporate a piece into our terrariums. My boyfriend’s had a small plant growing out of the moss and mushrooms while mine was mostly mushrooms.

 

After climbing down the shale ledge and crossing the small river stream, we found some tiny shells to add to our ecosystems. As we explored the river bed I came across a plant that looked familiar. Although I do not advise touching unfamiliar plants, I decided that this plant was the final element that I wanted to include in my ecosystem. While harvesting a sprig of the plant, it started to release the familiar smell of mint, which leads me to believe that I now have wild mint growing in my terrarium.

Before climbing out of the river bed and back up the shale layer, my boyfriend and I added a small handful of river water to our glass jars. Then we tightly sealed the lids, put them away for safe keeping and crossed our fingers that they wouldnt break on our way up.

 

On our drive home from the shale bed, I was examining both of our terrariums. I noticed a beetle had somehow managed to find a new home in my boyfriend’s terrarium as well as a centipede. Although I have thoroughly examined mine, there is no sign of life aside from plant life and creatures to small to see with the naked eye.

 

The next day when I went back to check on our terrariums I was happily surprised. The mushrooms in mine were happily flourishing and not affecting the other plants inside the jar at all. Furthermore, both my green moss and mint plant had taken over night and were still looking healthy. In my boyfriend’s jar, Mr. Beetle and Mr. Centipede had been hard at work rearranging their new home and making tunnels through the base. Both bugs as well as the small plant growing out of the moss-fungus appeared to be happy and healthy.

 

Day two of the sealed terrariums has led to some interesting insights. Surprisingly, my green plants still remain unaffected by the mushroom and mold spores present from the leafs and fungus. Furthermore, my mint plant has grown and is now touching the top of my jar lid. I am unsure whether or not I want to break the seal and trim it, or leave it to see how it responds to its sealed environment. In the second jar, Mr. Beetle is still doing well, however, I have not seen Mr. Centipede. As mentioned in the Fotobabble, I’ll be keeping an eye out for him.

 

Next week, my goal is to make a large terrarium that has a charcoal feature in it. I am curious to see how the terrarium with charcoal grows and sustains itself verse the terrariums without. Additionally, I am super excited to be making a larger terrarium. I would like to include a piece of drift wood within this jar. I think it would be a cute additional feature where plants can grow or insects can crawl (if any happen to find there way in during the process).