Want to grow and maintain plants at home but can't even keep a fake leaf alive? Try creating a terrarium.
A terrarium is an indoor plant decoration in a sealable or open glass container with plants and soil inside. It is relatively economical and doesn't take up much space.
Up close, they resemble the floor of a tropical rainforest, yet they are small enough to fit on the average bookcase. When built with the right materials and plant species, they can sustain themselves with no further maintenance for years – or potentially decades.
Some terrariums look complicated, with different layers of soil, pebbles, and other materials, not to mention the tiny plants within, especially to fit into a small bottle.
"It is fun and very simple to do... even children can pick it up. It only requires a few basic tools and materials, including jars and bottles,” said plant enthusiast Suzana Zainal Abidin, 53.
“It doesn't take very long to make a terrarium, usually around one to two hours, depending on the size of the materials and how elaborate the makers want to be with their jars. Most terrariums can last forever because they are self-sustaining. It’s not difficult to look after, but you need to know what to do," she told Bernama here recently.
Suzana, also known as Jan Zainal, said terrarium-making helps people de-stress as it teaches them to enjoy nature in their own homes and how to nurture something that brings them joy.
“It is so relaxing and calms the mind because you get to make something from scratch which you can then take home or put in your office. It can teach us responsibility and also serve as practice for children before having a pet at home because we keep watering them, feeding them with fertiliser and soil, and seeing them grow every day. When you see it thriving, you will feel very satisfied,” said the owner of Taman Hati, a plant studio and cafe.
HISTORY OF TERRARIUM
Jan said the word 'terrarium' comes from the Latin word 'terra' meaning 'earth' or 'soil', and 'arium', a suffix which often represents a location or container.
Terrariums are less popular in Malaysia, and many are unaware of their existence and think they are new. However, Jan said the origins date back to the early 1800s.
It all started in 1842 when an English botanist, Dr Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward, tried to grow ferns outdoors, but they kept dying, presumably due to fumes from the city's factories.
While observing a cocoon he had placed in a covered jar, he noticed that several plants were alive in the soil at the bottom.
Among them was a fern which, unlike those in his garden, looked healthy. As the story goes, Ward placed the container in the window of his study, and the plants inside continued to thrive for years with no watering or outside intervention.
Ward's findings led him to write a short paper titled 'The Growth of Plants without Open Exposure to Air' and subsequently, a book entitled ' The Growth of Plants in Closely Glazed Cases' in the same year.
On the history of terrariums in the country, Jan said she herself ventured into the miniature world of terrariums in 2016,” but as a hobby, it might have started since 2000s in Malaysia.”
“The concept has been around for many years since 1842. So I guess educationally, it would have been used for study of botany in our local universities for a very long time,” she added.
HOW JAN GOT HER START
Jan has taken her love for plants and passion for art to the next level by conducting terrarium-crafting classes in her plant cafe Taman Hati, located in SS2, Petaling Jaya.
Her enthusiasm for terrarium-making started when she resigned as an information technology (IT) consultant in an oil and gas company in 2016 after 20 years of service to be with her family following her father's passing that same year.
"As a child, my grandmother planted herbs, vegetables and fruit trees in front of her house in SS14, Petaling Jaya and this cultivated my interest in gardening.
“I thought of having a short break after I left the company, which led me to register Taman Hati as an enterprise to start a terrarium-making business at home in 2016. Initially, I started it as a hobby by making terrariums at home and sometimes did pop-up at cafes and shops on terrarium-crafting. I also taught kids to grow plants as part of their co-curriculum at Garden International School for two years.
"Then I realised that I needed some space to keep my plants and equipment for my terrariums from my co-curriculum, so I decided to rent half of a shop in Lorong Maarof, Bangsar in 2018, sharing it with another cafe called 'Niko Neko'," she said.
She said that during the pandemic in 2020, Taman Hati plant cafe moved to Jalan Kemuja, Bangsar. However, due to the lockdown, she had to conduct terrarium classes virtually and courier the materials to her customers' homes before the class.
"After two years of being stationed in Bangsar, I decided to move Taman Hati to SS2, Petaling Jaya, which is the current location since 2022 for my customers' convenience regarding parking and to get their plants easily. This shop was also offered by one of my customers who is also the landlord, which allows me to open up the roofs for my plants," she said.
It is no wonder that most customers who enter the Taman Hati plant cafe, located upstairs of a shop lot in Jalan SS2/30, will be amazed by the green space filled with green plants under sunlight, covered by a transparent roof that allows photosynthesis to occur.
TERRARIUM WORKSHOPS
Jan, who runs one-and-a-half hour workshops on terrarium-making and planting for beginners, has taught more than 500 people between five to 80 years of age in her six years of business.
“I started off by teaching a maximum of eight students at a time in the cafe during weekends. I would post information about my classes on social media and frequently attend art fairs and exhibitions. Sometimes my 88-year-old mother would assist me in the workshop since last year, but due to health concerns, she now stays at home," she said.
Through the workshops and the terrarium-crafting process with her cafe staff, Jan found it to be a very therapeutic hobby that is easy to learn.
"It also allows people to be creative with their designs, and they can mix and match a variety of moss, stones, and ornaments to fit their taste,” she said, adding that people could also use any kind of glass container they have, including jam and cookie jars.
She encourages terrarium enthusiasts to repurpose containers they already have at home to minimise wastage.
"I also try to repurpose containers as planters or for my terrariums – such as glasses, jam or coffee jars, and makeup bottles – that can be found at home. It is more environmentally friendly and also, you don’t have to go out to purchase a new container, but if it is a gift, you might want to buy a new container," she added.
TYPES OF TERRARIUM
Jan said she usually shows two types of terrariums during her workshops: open jars and closed jars with a lid, noting that there is a big difference between the two types due to their humidity and maintenance.
"For closed jar terrariums, the moisture can’t escape, so the plants get water from the oxygen that condenses on the glass. It is a self-sustaining environment, so the plants don’t need to be watered as frequently,” noting closed terrariums are suitable for plants that enjoy high humidity, such as fittonia.
“However, an open jar terrarium needs to be placed near a window and watered once every three to four days, depending on the type of plant. If it is a cactus or succulent, watering only once a week with a spray bottle is sufficient,” she added.
She said open terrariums are suitable for succulents and cacti. The plants can be bought from nurseries and garden centres or from Taman Hati.
She said that unlike certain plants that need soil and enough water, terrarium plants can't be overwatered.
"Overwatering might cause something known as ‘root rot’ because the container doesn’t have any holes for the water to drain off, so the roots might rot. This results in the plant dying.
“It is better to be less wet than too wet because plants that are root-rotted can’t be saved, whereas plants that are dehydrated just need to be watered and can bounce back,” she said.
Jan said that besides conducting workshops, she also offers her plant cafe customers 'Do-It-Yourself' (DIY) terrarium kits that come with a set of drinks and pastry, as well as basic tools and ingredients for terrarium making, along with step-by-step instructions.
"While they dine in, they can also choose to make a terrarium assisted by our staff here for RM80 per set; then they can bring home their DIY terrarium," said Jan, adding that her cafe also sells ready-made terrariums from RM60 to RM300.
Edited by Salbiah Said
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