My Take on West Elm Succulent Terrariums
Have you guys seen the latest selection of glass terrariums at West Elm? I love and want them all. Every single one.
However, I already have 20 houseplants (not an exaggeration, that’s the exact current number), and I really can’t justify it right now.
But guess what I could justify! Getting some to give as Christmas gifts and planting them myself – ! Ha!
Pretty, right?!
The one on the left is the Brass Base Terrarium in the small size. I’m actually not sure what the plant is, which frustrates me to no end. Anyone have any idea? All I know is that it has a pretty yellow flower and looks like a super sturdy citizen. I like it.
The other one is a small gold Faceted Terrarium, and the plant is a crassula capitella ‘campfire’ succulent. (I’m pretty confident about that because I have a couple of them. They are awesome and hardy, and the edges turn red in full sun.)
Just like when I made my Ikea succulent bowl, I created my own succulent mix by combining regular potting soil and perlite. Since terrariums don’t have any drainage, I didn’t want my friends to have to water these very often, so I used a little less perlite. Hopefully the potting soil will hold enough moisture to keep these comfortable for about a month. We’ll see, though! I also put a layer of small rocks on the bottom so any extra water will stay away from the roots.
I put a layer of crushed glass on top so that they’d look pretty (and to keep soil from splashing around when they get watered). I got it from Ikea and I’m really into it.
I think it’s made of broken mirror. I hope that’s not bad luck.
Anywho, planting succulents with such a small opening was no joke. I put a thin layer of soil on top of the rocks, then put the plant on top of that. I used a spoon to pack my soil mix around the plant, but inevitably, I dumped soil all over the leaves. My new trick is to use a small paintbrush to knock it off – it works like a charm!
Man, I love these. I have a couple West Elm gift cards that I’ve been saving for something really special (like a sofa), but I might need to bust one out to get a few terrariums for myself.
Don’t worry, though – I didn’t leave this situation empty-handed. I couldn’t resist getting a tiny little cactus to plant in this random copper votive holder I found in our house.
… At least, I think it’s a votive holder. It belonged to our house’s previous owners. I have no earthly idea what the crest on the front is for, but it has a skull and crossbones on it, so it gets my stamp of approval. I haven’t cleaned off the patina because I’m lazy I like the rustic look.
So, that was my fun project last weekend. On the agenda this weekend: doing some scouting and sourcing for an upcoming deck overhaul. And maybe some spray-painting, because, duh. Woohoo!
What are all you lovelies up to this weekend?
