Image via Wikipedia

by Adam Fulford

Behold a magnificent desert landscape within a glass case in your own room. What desert plants do you like — cacti, aloe, cotyledon? Would you decorate it with landmarks of your own design — a crystal, a dry bone, a spaceship?

Desert terrariums work best in large containers and need to be open enough for air to circulate and moisture to evaporate.

Plants Good For Dessert Terrariums:

• small cacti
• Aloe
• Crassula
• Jade
• agave
• aloe
• cacti
• cotyledon
• crassula
• echeveria
• haworthia
• sanseveria
• sedum
• kalanchoe
• opuntia
• succulents

Soil For Desert Terrariums:

Option 1 for desert soil: desert mix from a plant shop

Or

Option 2 for desert soil: Make your own

• 1 part potting soil
• 2 parts sand, washed free of salt. Set it up a large open container (not closed like the containers for other kinds of terrariums).
• Using different colors of sand can create visually pleasing effects.

NOTE: Of course, this being a desert terrarium, be careful not to water it too much — the soil should be fairly dry.

Tags: Biology, Desert Terrarium, Ecology, Ecosystems, gardens-by-design.net, Plant, Sonoran Desert, Southwest