| For many of us, apartment living comes with some | | | | complex ecosystem. |
| very distinct advantages and some disadvantages. As | | | | Regardless of your personal preference, a terrarium, |
| much as I love living in the country, all of the painting, | | | | while no substitute for a walk in a rain forest or trek |
| pruning and other work that comes with owning a | | | | through the desert, can become a focal point of your |
| home is a real chore. Walking up the hill to my old barn | | | | living space. You can choose from a wide array of |
| provides me with scenic views, wide expanses of lush | | | | plants that may other be hard to maintain in the |
| greenery and wild flowers, and all the work seems | | | | average flowerpot. |
| worth it. | | | | Many varieties of violets, mosses, ivies and succulents |
| I occasionally think back to the relative simplicity of | | | | can be used to populate your terrarium. A properly |
| apartment life where sweeping, dusting and laundry | | | | established terrarium provides growing conditions that |
| made living relatively easy and carefree. Nevertheless, | | | | are much easier to maintain and can be self-regulating |
| the relative convenience of apartment life can mean | | | | when correctly designed. |
| sacrificing a connection to the sights and smells of | | | | As with the care of any living thing, plants require |
| nature. | | | | attention and nurturing. Deciding on the right |
| There is a way to bring Mother Nature into your | | | | combination of plants and growing media will require |
| apartment, the terrarium. Terrariums are a great way | | | | some homework. An understanding of the proper light |
| to bring a beautiful and diverse slice of nature into the | | | | sources and temperature conditions can play an |
| home. Terrariums are generally defined as enclosures | | | | important part in deciding what types of terrarium |
| that are used recreate conditions found in nature, | | | | plants are right for you. |
| mostly for plants and small land animals. | | | | Some plant species can survive in somewhat limited |
| For most of us, the terrarium is like a miniature | | | | light and moisture while others need a more precise |
| greenhouse, where we can grow and observe | | | | combination of heat, light and humidity. The good news |
| species of plants that might not otherwise survive in | | | | is that the choices you have are as big as the great |
| the average home environment. Anyone who has | | | | outdoors and you are sure to find something that fits |
| taken a walk through a greenhouse remembers the | | | | your personal tastes. |
| smells, the warmth and the feeling of life all around. | | | | Plant terrariums can be valuable educational tools for |
| While a terrarium is not quite the same as having your | | | | children, giving them a chance to observe up close |
| own greenhouse or outdoor garden, you can welcome | | | | how different plants grow and develop. The |
| Mother Nature into your home. | | | | experience can also give children and adults alike a |
| Available in sizes large and small, terrariums can be | | | | real appreciation of the tremendous diversity found in |
| purchased completely established or you can design | | | | nature. |
| your own unique growing environment. The choices of | | | | Perhaps just as important, a terrarium can help children |
| plant life are as wide and diverse as those found in | | | | feel a sense of ownership and help develop a certain |
| nature, from the tropical atmosphere of a rain forest, | | | | amount of discipline and responsibility. Just as caring for |
| to the arid beauty of the American Southwest. | | | | pet, living plants need attention and care. This |
| Many years of living in the coastal desert that makes | | | | experience can be gained whether living in a suburban |
| up much of Southern California showed me that the | | | | home, rural farm or urban apartment setting. |
| desert is indeed a truly unique and fragile environment. | | | | So whether you live in the country and what a piece |
| Many folks look at the desert and see a hot, sandy | | | | of the desert in your living room or you live in the city |
| place devoid of plant life, except for the occasional | | | | and need to experience the lush greens of the tropics, |
| cactus or Joshua tree. The truth is that the desert | | | | there is a terrarium design that right for you. |
| supports plant life of great beauty as well as a highly | | | | |