While
any author creating a fictional story is, in a sense, “world building,” authors
in the fantasy and science fiction genres refer to the term all the time and
claim great credit for doing so. When one is doing it right, one is bringing a
fictional world to life in a reader’s mind by way of dialogue, descriptive scenes
and setting, and more. In a very physical way, you are doing the same thing
when you put a terrarium together as you are most assuredly world building. You are creating an environment that--if you
choose wisely-- will thrive. Choose incorrectly and you may create a dystopia
for your plants or worse.
Miniature Terrariums: Tiny Glass Container Gardens Using
Easy-to-Grow Plants and Inexpensive Glassware seeks to guide you
in creating a beautiful and thriving world. Published by Tuttle Publishing in May
2018, the book is primarily broken into 4 chapters full of information by text
and picture.
The book opens with a short introduction that explains what a
terrarium is, what kind of containers or glassware is best suited for what
types of plants, and how the various chapter categories for the plants are
determined. Along with plenty of informative text, there are numerous pictures
making it very clear what the text is covering A nice touch is the fact that
many of the smaller plant pictures have handy page number citations. Also
included in this section are tips as to what tools you may or may not want/need,
how to basically create a terrarium, watering, the various types of ornamental
gravel, and caring for the plants as the seasons change. Some of this
information varies by type of plant and those differences are explored here.
Then, it is on the chapters with “Chapter 1: Wetland Plants”
starting things off on page 15. Plants that fit this situation will need to be
placed in a sealable container. Most of the plants that are in this section are
various types of moss. Surprisingly, at least to me, moss can come in all
shapes and sizes and not just as a sort of ground cover. It isn’t just moss in
this section as there is also some information devoted to carnivorous plants
and African Violets. The chapter winds up with some advice on the various places
to gather your moss. Apparently, a rolling stone gathers no moss, so you may
have to consider nonmoving rocks or areas under trees in parks and other places
should you seek to be a moss gatherer.
Page 31, begins “Chapter 2: Air Plants.” These are plants that
normally are usually found living in trees and thus will need to be placed in
open hanging containers so that the air in your home or office moves around
them. While you could create a terrarium in a vase with such plants, you could
also construct hanging terrariums of various types. Ways of doing so are depicted
in this section. Hanging Terrariums are not only a great space saver; they
serve as a way to get plants away from pets or children that may be tempted by
their presence.
“Chapter 3: Arid Zone Plants” begins on page 53 and this is where
you find succulents. Such plants come in all types and this allows you to create
a desert like environment or a very low water type one. As in the other
chapters of a book, various types of containers are used here and there are
numerous plant suggestions as well as instructions on how to create the
terrarium shown. One of the neat things in this book can be found at the end of
this chapter with “Practical Tip 3: Finding The Perfect Container.”
This book repeatedly stresses thinking beyond the classic
terrarium style container. Terrarium light bulbs which are lightbulbs specifically
designed to house plants, candle holders, beakers for a science project, and
more are suggested here. This page details numerous options and possibilities
beyond the usual terrarium shape.
Of course, sometimes you can combine the three types of plants into
one container and mix them up. That idea drives “Chapter 4: Mixed Terrariums.” Starting
on page 79, four distinctive possibilities that combine multiple plants from
multiple environments are depicted. Each suggested combination has tips to be successful.
Because you are putting different environments together you are going to need
some skill in maintaining the world so that everything survives and thrives.
Next is followed by a couple of pages devoted to cataloging
succulents by type. The same is done for air plants as well as moss and other
wetland plants. Those pages are followed by a page devoted to details about the
publication of the book, information about the publisher, Tuttle Publishing,
and their mission statement.
Miniature Terrariums: Tiny Glass Container Gardens Using
Easy-to-Grow Plants and Inexpensive Glassware is a colorful and
informative book that works for both the novice as well as the experienced
world builder. It serves as a repository of creative ideas as well as a spring
board for your own creativity. Filled with plenty of information and pictures, Miniature
Terrariums: Tiny Glass Container Gardens Using Easy-to-Grow Plants and
Inexpensive Glassware is going to be a winner for those interested in
creating a magical world.
Miniature Terrariums: Tiny Glass Container Gardens Using Easy-to-Grow Plants and Inexpensive Glassware
Fourwords (division of Actus Interiors)
Tuttle Publishing
May 2018
ISBN# 978-4-8053-1477-7
Hardback (also available in eBook format)
104 Pages
$17.99
Material
supplied by the good folks of the Dallas Public Library System.
Kevin
R. Tipple ©2019
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