Posts by Alexander Whaley

I’ve built dozens of terrariums that looked gorgeous on day one and collapsed by week three. Every time, the problem traced back to “pretty” accents that quietly altered drainage, pH, or root...

I used to think terrariums had to live in pricey apothecary jars. Then I ran out of jars and started experimenting with what was already in my kitchen and garage. The surprise: several “odd”...

I’ve kept air plants on bookshelves, in hanging globes, and even inside a cheese dome. The only time they struggled was when the container ignored airflow. If you’ve watched a healthy Tillandsia...

I built my first terrarium on a kitchen table with a spoon, a jar, and blind optimism. The result looked pretty for two weeks and then turned into a foggy swamp with melting plants. I learned fast...

I learned to love air plants the hard way: by frying a few on a sunny windowsill and drowning others in a well-meaning soak. If you’ve had crispy tips or limp, rotting bases, you’re not alone. In...

I learned to water succulent terrariums the hard way: one summer I turned a perfect mini-desert into a swamp with a single enthusiastic pour. If your terrarium looks great for two weeks and then...