Bottle Gardens

Product Information

Aerangis spiculata is a miniature epiphytic orchid species, which originates from Madagascar and the Comoros Islands, where this plant can be found growing upon trees, in areas of humid forest. If you’re using a terrarium kit, follow the directions on the package to build your garden in a bottle. Bio-char is charcoal that has been steeped in a ‘tea’ that is teeming with beneficial life forms, it will feed and nourish the garden for many years – it might seem expensive but only a teaspoon is needed! This bendy terrarium grabber tool thing was honestly essential (and has a surprising amount of dexterity).

Or, if you’re in need of an easier DIY terrarium project, check out this step-by-step terrarium guide.

Finally, using the funnel, pour in a deeper layer of the potting mix appropriate for your type of plants – all-purpose potting mix for foliage plants or a specialized mix for succulents and cacti. If possible, avoid opaque lids, as they reduce the light levels, and metal screw-tops, which can rust. Finally it was really good that the amount supplied was just right for the size of my bottle garden. The best thing about these accent plants is that you can generally trim them down to tiny cuttings and just sprinkle them in. All three plants will accept medium light levels, quite high humidity conditions and will be happy with warm temperatures, even in Winter.

The first layer should be a very porous material to help with drainage and prevent fungal attacks caused by too much moisture. I’m attracted to demi-johns, usually used for home brewing, but they are tall and have very narrow necks, so are difficult to work with. He said: ‘At the time the chemical industry had changed to transporting things in plastic bottles so there were a lot of glass ones on the market.Immediately remove any plants that die and because it's so important we are going to say it again, be careful when you water! If you don’t have a suitable position that gets enough light, or wish to place your terrarium away from a window, you’ll need to add artificial grow lights (as normal domestic lights aren’t suitable for plants). Keep in mind that anyone can view public collections - they may also appear in recommendations and other places. Add 1-2cm of compost, and then remove your plants from their pots, gently massaging the roots to loosen them.

It was Easter Sunday 1960 when Mr Latimer thought it would be fun to start a bottle garden ‘out of idle curiosity’. Adiantum raddianum ‘Fritz-Luthi’ requires well-drained but moisture retentive compost, and soft, indirect lighting.

Love Island All Stars viewers praise Sophie Piper for 'snitching' on scheming Georgia Steel during secret flirty chat with Tom Clare: 'He's gonna tell the villa! In some respects this is the hardest part of the task and the difficulty factor rests solely on the size of your bottle neck opening.