Terrariums

September 21, 2015
Self-described “garden lifestyle retailer” Colletti, who works at the Shop in the Garden store in the New York Botanical Garden, offers step-by-step guidance for designing, creating, and maintaining miniature enclosed landscapes for vibrant indoor growing. “Think of yourself as a garden designer on a minuscule scale. You’re actually designing a garden or recreating a landscape from nature,” she writes. Using her knowledge as a retailer in conjunction with her love of plant design, she walks readers through the process of creating a viable terrarium with guidance on what supplies to buy and where to get creative. Her ideas range from traditional fish bowl enclosures and hanging vessels to creative cookie jar and cake platter enclosures with sand, moss, or pebbles as the base. Colletti includes plant ideas and design schemes for ecosystems such as the tropical terrarium (lots of air plants), the woodland (ferns and mosses), or the desert (succulents, cacti), all illustrated with abundant color photos. In all cases the basic premise is the same: a thriving ecosystem that sits on the dining table, rendering the joy of watching nature in progress in a small world you created.