A Sentiment

God knew what He was doing when He sent a gentle breeze and brought a lovely butterfly to set my heart at ease. The happiness of your friendship and the gentleness of your words have touched my life in special ways and now I feel assured. Thank you for your loyalty and for reading everyday. I only hope you find things to make a happy day.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

The Terrarium

I found this big jar at the only garage sale that I went to this summer. I drove by and saw a table with a couple of these on it and went around the block and pulled into the parking area. I have always loved old blue canning jars and this looked like a huge canning jar. I don't know what it was originally used for, but I had a plan for it. I put it on my little table and just "lived with it" for a month. There it sat...empty. People asked, "What are you going to do with it?" I started researching about terrariums. I had always loved the little worlds of terrariums. I could imagine little creatures living inside of one. Maybe a tiny lizard or a carnivorous plant. A mini "garden of Eden perhaps?"  A tiny perfect garden with no weeds and virtually no care. Finally the day came when I decided to buy some tiny plants for it. I went to a nearby greenhouse and talked to a clerk who had made one of these. She told me of the tiny chameleon that came in on some plants and how she took it home and put it in the terrarium and it lives still... more than a year later. Another clerk took me around and showed me the plants that would be suitable. He talked me into the bigger plant...I still think it will someday have to be replaced with a smaller one. He said that with a jar this tall...I needed height. He told me to just keep it trimmed. We'll see... I happen to like mossy plants...so I bought a moss and a baby tears to cover the bottom. I asked him about carnivorous plants and he told me of the plant needing to go dormant in the winter... definitely    not one for my terrarium. I am a lover of stones and rocks...so they found a place in my "garden." First a layer of stone, then a layer of sphagnum moss, then a layer of potting mix, then the plants and a tiny birdbath. The birdbath was a gift from my grand kids a few years ago. It's been out in my garden since then. Now it holds a place of honor in this "Garden of Eden." It used to have two birds on it, but I couldn't get it in the opening at the top of the jar with two...so I removed one of them. He sits in the baby tears like a bird looking for a worm. Sadly I couldn't find a chameleon at the nursery...so my jar sits empty of critters. Probably a good thing. That tall plant reaches the top...so he would have no trouble getting out. Can't you just see we two old people scrambling around trying to catch a lizard? Makes me laugh to think of it. Well, now I have something to look at when winter comes. A mini garden to care for....just my speed right about now :)
Balisha

11 comments:

Lona said...

Oh I just love this! I love antiques too and then to have a garden in it that just makes it all the more beautiful.

Pat said...

Your project is wonderful...love the jar. Looks like a fairy garden.

Wsprsweetly Of Cottages said...

Well, I know you KNEW I would just love it..and I do!! It's wonderful. I am still babying my wheelbarrow garden..but it's in under the patio now out of the horrible heat of the sun.

I love the way you can see all the layers ..tiny rocks for drainage...everything. You don't say how tall it is..but it must have a wide enough mouth for your hand to get in to do the planting.

I had to smile when you said "just my speed now.." I so understand totally. :)

I have lost so many of my Ivy's in this heat..or they have been attacked by something. I Ivy's get a little red mite out here in california that kills the in a matter of days. I feel bad at the loss of so many I have raised.

The little birdbath is so sweet. I can't wait to use my tiny flower pots. I am still looking for another container for a smaller garden..but so far..nothing has caught my eye.

I won't be here for part of September so that is why I am slowly beginning to put out a bit of fall flowers in the house. Not much..just a bit. It seems every year the urge to dig out so much decor gets less and less. :(
Am I getting old, Balisha. In October Howard and I will turn 76 and 79. It's a little..scary.
Hugs,
Mona

Gatsbys Gardens said...

This is just wonderful Balisha! I had made many terrariums years ago and now they are popular again. I even saw them displayed at an art museum during the winter in hand blown glass creations.

Eileen

acorn hollow said...

I love your little garden. what a wonderful thing to have through the winter.
Cathy

Barbee' said...

Delightful! Maybe that was a pickle jar.

Balisha said...

I measured the jar and it is 20 in. tall and 34 in. around. I found that I had to let up on how much gravel and dirt I was putting in...because it would be so heavy to lift. It has a wooden handle and a wire bale. Afraid to hold it by the handle, because of the jar being so old...it might not hold.
Barbee...Did they have such huge pickle jars??

Barbee' said...

I think they did, Balisha. In stores one could buy one pickle out of a large jar of pickles. Sometimes they were in crocks or large barrels. Of course that was before our time, yours and mine. I Googled pickle jars and came up with the following list of photos that are fairly interesting. I scrolled down slowly and looked at them.
CLICK HERE (I hope the link works.)

Barbee' said...

Me again. Three of them made me think of you and your post after I kept scrolling and browsing. One shows a jar in barrel shape with a bail handle, one shows a Paphiopedilum orchid growing inside it, and another is a craft project that I thought looked like something you may have done.
CLICK HERE
And... CLICK HERE
And, finally,
CLICK HERE

Anonymous said...

I have been looking for two of those jars forever and you just happened on them. How lucky is that. Beautiful.

Balisha said...

I haven't seen a jar like mine since i found this one. Sadly, the terrarium didn't work out...now it is just on display in the loft area in our living room. I've had offers to sell it, but I like it too much even empty.
Balisha