When you live in a flat, it’s not always easy to bring nature into your home. Of course a bunch of flowers or a house plant can help and I’ve managed to keep my peace lily for six years, which is truly unprecedented for the keen gardener that I’m not.
When I spotted on Twitter a terrarium workshop at The Forge in Bristol, I got really excited for it might be my chance to easily create and curate a little garden.
I booked my ticket and joined a group of 20 enthusiasts for a glass of bubbly and an insight into the history of terrariums from Emma of London Terrariums.
Created by accident by Victorian physician Nathaniel Ward, who discovered that ferns could develop healthily in a closed jar, terrariums have fascinated botanists and amateur gardeners for generations.
Armed with our glass jars and an array of home made tools using corks, sticks and brushes created by Emma, we followed her instructions and set ourselves to work on our very own little gardens. Some of us went for flat soils, while others like me opted for the slanted terrain. Picking up ferns, ivy and delightful moss, we lost ourselves in the joy of terrarium making.
It’s trickier that it looks, and once I’d watered the plants and put the lid down on my creation I felt a fabulous sense of achievement and pride that stuck to me all the way home while holding my jar tight against my chest like a new born baby.
I’ve waited a long time to post this because I was worried my plants would not survive. Against all the odds though, my little garden is alive and well and I urge any plant lovers devoid of green fingers like me to give it a try!
