Posts by Alexander Whaley

I kept seeing terrariums that looked flat after a month — moss mats and one lonely fern, nothing else. When I started adding the right “supporting cast,” the scenes finally looked alive and...

I’ve stared at a once-vibrant moss terrarium and wondered why it faded to dull brown almost overnight. If you’re seeing crispy edges, pale patches, or a sludge-brown carpet, you’re not alone...

I used to treat terrarium accents like decor — a pretty pebble here, a splash of sand there. Then I watched a lush moss bowl crash after I sprinkled “harmless” beach shells on top. The wrong...

I’ve built more glass terrariums than I care to admit, and I’ve steamed more air plants than any grower should. If your Tillandsia turn brown at the base or mold creeps up the glass, the...

I’ve built terrariums on north-facing shelves, bathroom counters, and the dim end of a hallway. When I picked the wrong succulents, they stretched into sad noodles within a month. When I picked the...

When I built my first succulent terrarium, I crammed in the cutest rosettes I could find and parked the bowl in a bright room. Two months later, stretched stems, rot, and algae told me everything...