Posts by Alexander Whaley

I put my first terrarium outside on a sunny April weekend and cooked a patch of moss by lunchtime. I’ve since moved dozens of terrariums outdoors for summer without losing a leaf, but only after I...

I’ve raised countless seedlings in steamy glass terrariums because it’s the easiest way to get flawless germination on a windowsill. The trouble starts the day you try to move those pampered...

I started propagating succulents on a sunny windowsill tray, and they shriveled faster than they rooted. Moving the process into a terrarium finally gave me consistent humidity without daily misting...

I used to shove any pretty fern into a glass jar and call it “tropical.” A month later, I’d have crispy tips, fungus gnats, and a sad swamp that smelled like a locker room. Once I nailed the...

When my first air plant finally blushed pink and threw a flower spike, I fussed over it like a new pet — and then panicked when the spike browned and the plant stopped growing. If you’ve watched...

I’ve watched more than one lush Fittonia terrarium collapse into a wilted, yellowing mess in under a week. The pattern was the same every time: glass fogged, leaves perked, then overnight droop and...