Posts by Alexander Whaley

I’ve lifted the lid on a pretty terrarium and been hit with a whiff of swamp. I’ve also smelled sweet soil that told me everything inside was balanced. Odour is the quickest health check a...

I learned the hard way that a terrarium doesn’t die while you’re gone — it dies in the week before you leave. I used to water “just in case,” move it to a darker shelf, and cross my...

I remember staring at my first air plant “family” wondering if those tiny side shoots were a win or a warning. A month later, the mother browned at the base, the pups stalled, and I learned the...

I’ve rebuilt more terrariums than I care to admit because succulent leaves kept dropping overnight while the plants looked otherwise healthy. When you see plump leaves on the soil like confetti,...

I built my first moss terrarium with a handful I pulled from a shady curb strip. It looked perfect for two weeks, then tiny centipedes and a gray fuzz took over. Since then I’ve sourced moss the...

I’ve built more terrariums than I can count, and I’ve also watched a few turn into foggy, moldy messes on friends’ coffee tables. The common thread: confusion between preserved moss and live...