Evening star., 1940-12-14
Terrarium Lovely Gift
Familiar Woods Has Inspiration
AS Well as Needed Materials

design and the suitability and prac-
ticability of the plant material used.
The native woodland terrarium is
esting to make.
First, select a glass container. 1t
may be oblong, bubble bowl, fiat
sided fish globe or a squat fish
globe: in fact. any glass container
that fires your fancy may be used.
We might add that we found ours
at "10-cent" store. Both the fiat
sided fish globe and the squat globe
are easy to work with.
For your material you might make
trip to familiar woods, where ap-
parently all nature sleeps peace
fully. Here you may tramp about
a bit on the brown carpet of fallen
leaves and in this spot, where ma
ture rests, notice the beauty of the
bare trees-that old log covered
with lichens-the gay patch of
fern-the beauty of the terrain.
Don't let any of this escape you, for
| it is here you will get your inspira-
! ton, as we'll as material for your
terrarium. Poke about a bit under
the leaves and there. like magic,
lovely green vegetation will appear
|. tiny plants. crows foot,
Wintergreen, ebony, Christmas and
maiden hair ferns, striped rattle
snake plantain, violas, hepatica
wild orchid, Partridge berry vine
with its bright red berries
almost an endless variety to choose
from. Don't stop just yet, for you
must gather some moss, the velvety
cushion variety, and some clusters
of the tiny fern-like kind; also
the thin, fiat moss to line the con-
tainer. And don't overlook the
beautiful gray moss with tiny red
flowers. Some or all of these can be
used in the terrarium. Select the
tiny plants unless the container is
to be large.
AS you collect your material, folc
each plant in a bit of waxed paper
before placing in box or basket. Mos!
should be stripped, and packed with
the green surfaces together, to keer
them fresh and clean. Gather few
small, dark rough stones for you
foundation work. Watch for inter
esting pieces of bark, ichens, pebbles
and other bits that might work init
your scheme. 1t really doesn't taxi
long to gather this material
Now we are all set to go to work
First, line the sides of containe
with fiat moss. Then place an incl
or so of gravel in the bottom. o.
this sprinkle some ground ant
broken charcoal to keep the terra
rum sweet. Then add leaf mol'
to receive the actual planting. AS II
a larger garden, differences of leve
add charm and character to the ter
rarium. Set small stones in place +
help attain this effect and pile tn
leaf mold up behind them in the de
sired contours. In this "landScap
ing" the shape of the container mus
govern the design. If it is square Q
rectangular, the contour will prob
! ably slope upward from front t
= back. If round or globular, cente
elevation will perhaps be most sat
isfactory.
e Place the large rooted plants frs
being careful to tamp the leaf mol
t we'll about the roots. The large
e plants will no doubt be most effectiy
y at the back and end of the containe
S Small ferns are particularly good an
:. should be planted with their crown
o above the soil. Next comes the mo.
r which should be packed tightly abol
y the stones and on top of the leaf
v mold. Then set in the lichen-coN
t cred bark and other attractive bit
). A light sprinkling from a han
|. spray, and the terrarium is set U
d and ready to live as a little world t
h itself. Naturally, it must be prt
t vided with a glass cover. This yo
e can have cut at your neighborhoc
hardware store.