Demijohn terrariums are unique, enclosed glass bottle gardens that make for beautiful and intriguing home decor. These bulbous glass vessels provide ample space for creative planting designs and perfectly showcase mini indoor environments.
If you can get your hands on a demijohn bottle, follow these simple steps to create your own distinctive terrarium bottle garden.
Supplies You’ll Need
- Demijohn bottle – 25L or larger is ideal
- Activated charcoal
- Horticultural sand or gravel
- Indoor potting soil
- Sheet moss or dried moss
- Assorted small tropical houseplants
- Long tweezers or chopsticks for planting
- Funnel
Step-By-Step Instructions
Create the Drainage Layer
Proper drainage is key for a healthy terrarium. Start by adding a 1-2 inch layer of horticultural sand or gravel at the bottom of the demijohn. This allows excess water to drain away from the soil.
Top the gravel with a thin layer of activated charcoal to help filter the water and prevent odors. The charcoal also provides a nice visual separation between the drainage layer and soil.
Add the Potting Soil
Next, add approximately 2-3 inches of indoor potting soil. Use a funnel to direct the soil into the narrow opening of the bottle. Add a little at a time to prevent clogging
Optional – Place some decorative pebbles or stones along the sides over the drainage layer. This hides the filtration layers and looks more natural.
Plant the Terrarium
Now for the fun part – selecting and positioning your plants! Use long tweezers or chopsticks to carefully lower greenery through the tiny bottle opening
Tips for choosing plants
- Select low-growing, compact houseplant varieties that won’t outgrow the space.
- Miniature plants, mosses, and succulents are great options.
- Opt for plants that can tolerate high humidity.
- Mix up textures, colors, and leaf shapes for visual diversity.
- Start with a focal point plant like a small fern or vine.
- Add accent plants like Pilea, Selaginella, and creeping varieties.
- Finish with a moss topper like mood moss or sheet moss.
Take your time arranging and enjoy the creative process! Mist occasionally between plantings to keep the soil moist.
Finish and Enjoy
Once planted, place your terrarium in bright, indirect light. Mist lightly to help plants settle in. Monitor soil moisture and condensation levels. An equilibrium will be reached with minimal maintenance needed.
Now sit back and watch your one-of-a-kind glass bottle garden thrive! Demijohn terrariums are sure to become beautiful focal points wherever displayed. Just be careful not to overwater or overplant them. With proper care, your closed glass ecosystem can last for years!
Extra Tips and Tricks
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Add a layer of colored sand or pebbles at the bottom for a pop of color.
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Choose plants with similar light and watering needs for easier care.
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Add a thin layer of activated charcoal above the gravel to help filter water and keep it fresh.
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Use long tweezers or chopsticks to carefully position plants and decorations inside the narrow opening.
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If condensation builds up, open the lid for a few hours to allow fresh airflow and prevent mold growth.
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Water sparingly as the enclosed terrarium creates its own water cycle.
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Use a spray bottle for misting rather than pouring water directly into the soil.
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Consider adding sphagnum moss atop the soil to help retain moisture.
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Promptly remove any dead leaves or plants to prevent decay issues.
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Have fun selecting plants and decor to create a unique mini-ecosystem!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a demijohn terrarium?
A demijohn terrarium is a type of enclosed garden made using a large, bulbous glass vessel. Demijohns are typically used for winemaking or brewing beer but can be repurposed into indoor plant gardens.
What types of plants can you use?
Good options include mosses, ferns, succulents, air plants, and other small tropical varieties that thrive in humid, enclosed environments. Do research to ensure chosen plants will do well inside a closed terrarium.
How do you maintain a demijohn terrarium?
Monitor moisture levels, water when soil is dry, and trim any dead plant matter. Open occasionally to control humidity and prevent mold growth. Clean glass walls to prevent algae. Overall, maintenance is low once equilibrium is reached.
Can you make your own demijohn terrarium?
Yes! With simple materials like gravel, charcoal, potting mix, and small plants, you can create your own demijohn bottle garden at home. It’s an enjoyable DIY project that allows for customization.
Where can you buy a demijohn terrarium?
Check home and garden stores, plant nurseries, or online retailers. You can also repurpose a found demijohn bottle from a second-hand shop or flea market.
Conclusion
Creating your own demijohn terrarium is a rewarding project that results in beautiful and unique indoor gardens. Follow the drainage, soil, and planting steps outlined above to transform a glass demijohn bottle into a thriving display piece. Take care not to overplant or overwater your mini ecosystem. With the right care, your demijohn bottle garden can flourish for many years, bringing natural beauty into any space. Get creative and have fun designing your own distinctive terrarium!
Plants Link to heading
I didn’t like the idea of buying plants on the internet and getting them through the post, but in the end that’s what I did. I bought a few plants from different suppliers, and the quality of plant and packaging did vary quite a lot. The worst arrived in poor condition and died pretty quickly, but the best arrived in great condition and good health.
I built a test terrarium first. I used a green fittonia and an asparagus fern, because I really liked those plants, plus a few varieties of moss. However, the asparagus fern really didn’t seem to like it inside the demijohn and started dying off pretty quickly. Plus it seemed a little sparse only having two plants in there.
I built the first proper terrarium, the one pictured below, a couple of months after the first, after I’d seen how things had settled with the test one. This time I used the following plants:
- Pink and green fittonia (nerve plant), 5cm pot
- Arabica coffee plant, 7 cm pot
- Calathea makoyana (peacock plant), 5cm pot
- Nephrolepis (fluffy ruffles), 6cm pot
And the following types of moss:
- Mood moss (dicranum scoparium).
- Carpet hypnum moss (hypnum cupressiforme).
The demijohns Link to heading
I had the unfortunate task of clearing the family home last year, and one of the things I found was a couple of dusty old demijohns. I had fond memories of the sound they made slowly burbling away under the stairs when I was a child. My parents used to make home-made wine (my favourite being parsnip wine or parsley wine – I can’t actually remember which of the two it actually was), and when I got to High School I began to make my own too (my favourite being gorse blossom wine).
I’ve also been interested in closed ecosystems for while, enjoying stories like Sealed Bottle Ecosystem Only Watered Once in 53 Years. I have been wondering if that might be a partial answer to some of the problems my house plants have been having with the excessive levels of dust in the area and the susceptibility of some to red spider mites.
So I thought it’d be nice to combine the two, and bring the demijohns back to life as terrariums.