https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20211130-the-magical-miniature-worlds-of-terrariums * Homepage Accessibility links * Skip to content * Accessibility Help BBC Account Notifications * Home * News * Sport * Weather * iPlayer * Sounds * CBBC * CBeebies * Food * Bitesize * Arts * Taster * Local * Three * Menu Search Search the BBC[ ]Search the BBC Search BBC Menu Loading Plant The magical miniature worlds of terrariums Share using Email Share on Twitter Share on FacebookShare on Linkedin (Image credit: Lavinia Cerato) Terrariums have shaped the world (Credit: Lavinia Cerato) By Alessia Franco and David Robson2nd December 2021 Terrariums are experiencing a social media-fuelled revival, but as David Robson and Alessia Franco discover, there's far more to these tiny glass gardens than first appears. S Scroll through the more pleasant corners of Instagram or TikTok, and you will soon come across beautiful images of miniature worlds encased in glass - tiny microcosms that are sealed from the rest of the world. Close up, they look like the floor of a tropical rainforest, yet they are so small they can fit on the average bookcase. And when built with the right materials and species of plant, they can sustain themselves with no further maintenance for years - or potentially decades. "If they're properly sealed, you basically create a miniature ecosystem," says James Wong, the botanist, broadcaster and author, whose creations can be found at his @botanygeek Instagram account. The popularity of the terrarium has been growing for at least five years, he says. "It's really exploded." You may also like: * The people who believe plants can talk * How plants have reclaimed Chernobyl * Why 'plant blindness' matters Some may claim that this is simply a modern fad, a case of "hashtag horticulture" that lends itself to eye-catching posts. But terrariums have a long and fascinating history that predates social media by more than 150 years. And the resurgence today may have less to do with their photogenic properties than the sense of peace and calm that they provide, with many finding that the creation and maintenance of these miniature worlds offer a salve to the pressure and uncertainty of modern life. The Wardian Case The history of scientific discoveries is full of experiments that had taken another path from the planned route. Terrariums emerged from one such "accident". The roots of the modern terrarium can be traced to a 19th Century experiment by Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward, an English doctor who also studied botany and entomology. Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward realised that terrariums could transport plants and seeds over great distances (Credit: Alamy) Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward realised that terrariums could transport plants and seeds over great distances (Credit: Alamy) Ward's interest seems to have arisen from a journey to Jamaica as a 13-year-old boy, when he fell in love with the exotic plant life. Growing up, he developed a large collection of specimens, but he was disappointed to find that many species - particularly the ferns and mosses - failed to thrive in his east London garden, thanks, in large part, to the air pollution of the city. The UK was, after all, in the midst of the Industrial Revolution, meaning that his house was "surrounded by, and enveloped in, the smoke of numerous manufacturies", which brought coal, ash and other toxic chemicals into contact with his precious plants. The solution came in 1829 from one of Ward's entomological experiments. He had been trying to hatch the chrysalis of a sphinx moth, buried in some moist mould within a covered bottle. The water, he noticed, would evaporate and then condense on the side, before returning to the mould - seemingly recreating the basic flow of the Earth's weather systems. After a few days, Ward was surprised to find a tiny fern had begun to grow in the sealed ecosystem. The glass microcosm provided the perfect way to control air quality and humidity, Ward realised, allowing species to flourish that had previously withered and died. He first wrote a short pamphlet, The Growth of Plants Without Open Exposure to the Air, which described his methods, and, in 1842, published a book on the subject, titled On the Growth of Plants in Closely Glazed Cases. Terrariums became something of a craze in the 1800s (Credit: Alamy) Terrariums became something of a craze in the 1800s (Credit: Alamy) The "Wardian Case" soon became something of an obsession for the British middle classes, who had found a way to reconnect with nature. They were not merely the interest of hobbyists, however, since they also allowed the long-distant transport of crops around the globe. Pests and rot had frequently ruined attempts to carry seeds across the ocean, while the salt spray and changing humidity had proven deadly for live specimens. Ward's invention - with its self-sustaining ecosystem - proved to be the perfect solution. "It was a key piece of industrial technology," says Wong. And its role in geopolitics should not be underestimated. "It's one of the reasons why European powers could colonise the tropics." He points out that it allowed the transport of rubber trees to places like Malaysia, for example, where previous attempts had all failed - providing an industry to finance Britain's expansion. The transport of tea, into the Himalayas, even helped to reduce Britain's reliance on China after the Opium Wars. Plant therapy Terrariums clearly have a rich history. But what can explain their renewed popularity today? One obvious reason is that, for many people living in apartments without gardens, they are often the only way to exercise green fingers. "If you've got a surface with a light socket, you can have a terrarium," says Wong. (For tips on starting your own, see "Terrariums in five steps".) If sealed properly, the terrarium becomes its own sustainable ecosystem (Credit: Lavinia Cerato) If sealed properly, the terrarium becomes its own sustainable ecosystem (Credit: Lavinia Cerato) Wong agrees that their appealing aesthetics - so easily Instagrammable - have no doubt helped. Yet this is often overstated, he suggests. "People will often say it's been driven by social media, but what they don't bother to look at is what the actual text is. If you look at the hashtags that people use, it's things like # PlantParenthood or #PlantsMakePeopleHappy. So there's definitely a mental-health rationale behind it, or a therapeutic rationale." The act of tending a terrarium can entrain mindfulness, he says, and provides a sense of control. "In a world where everything, can seem uncertain or frightening, there's something miraculous about being able to essentially play God in a planet of your creation." Bianca Corso at work, creating a terrarium (Credit: Alessia Franco) Bianca Corso at work, creating a terrarium (Credit: Alessia Franco) The therapeutic benefits of terrariums proved to be a particular attraction in the recent lockdowns. "I saw a real influx in people wanting to get into horticulture and grow their green thumb," says Emma Terrell, from Ottawa, Canada, whose company The Urban Botanist offers kits and workshops on the creation of terrariums. "People saw it as a way to relax, unwind, get creative, and engage with that innate need within us to engage with nature." This was certainly the case for Bianca Corso, a bookseller from Palermo, Italy. Her specialism is the terrario letterario ("literary terrarium", or, to catch the snappiness of the Italian, "literrarium") that each takes its inspiration from the descriptions of gardens in novels such as Madame Bovary. She labels each one with the relevant quote, and also notes the passage in an illustrated diary that resembles a book of magic potions, as a record of all the terrariums she has created. Her inspiration always comes from "the classics" she says. "It is in those pages that I remember how nature has always been present, in the lives of everyone." She still remembers the excitement of creating her first terrarium. "When I arranged the plants in the glass container, I'd often hold my breath," she says. Lavinia Cerato, the founder of Glass Life, emphasises the therapeutic value of terrariums (Credit: Lavinia Cerato) Lavinia Cerato, the founder of Glass Life, emphasises the therapeutic value of terrariums (Credit: Lavinia Cerato) The creation of terrariums has also offered enormous comfort to Lavinia Cerato from the small town of Sulbiate in Lombardy, who suffered a life-changing spinal cord injury aged 11. Despite severely reduced mobility, she has found ways to realise her visions. "I built my own tools, and I construct my terrariums pebble after pebble, plant after plant," she says. She has now turned her passion into a business, Glass Life. Terrariums in five steps Choose plants adapted to low light and high humidity. Think "lower stories of tropical rainforests," says Wong. Some aquarium plants also work. Avoid cacti and succulents suited to bright, arid conditions. Pick the right substrate. "My number one tip is not to use compost," says Wong. It fosters mould. Instead, try a mineral-based substrate such as kurodama soil, used for bonsai. Cover your soil with moss. It creates the illusion of a forest floor. "I've researched all the different species, there's only one that's easily accessible and very reliable. It's called Leucobryum glaucum, sold by florists as 'bun moss'." Add a grow lamp. Not essential, but it helps in low light. Try a desk lamp with a daylight bulb, and an artificial timer for "dawn" and "dusk". Avoid overplanting. "There is only so much soil, water, room to grow - so overcrowding with too many plants can be a pitfall," says Terrell. "Try using decorative materials to fill space instead: natural bark, driftwood, stones, mosses, figurines." Cerato compares the process of creating a terrarium to writing a story and then sharing it with others. She finds it deeply therapeutic. "My terrariums have saved me," she says. Focusing on these projects proved to be a particular lifeline during the lockdowns. "I just concentrated on the visual effects that I wanted to obtain, leaving the rest of the world outside." Relax and recharge The psychological benefits of nature and gardening are the subject of ongoing research, but many studies already lend support to the idea - with mounting evidence that the mere presence of plants can reduce anxiety, and help to refresh the mind after a period of deep concentration. This is often reflected in subjective physiological measures, such as blood pressure or levels of the so-called "stress hormone" cortisol. Some have hypothesised that the specific geometry of vegetation - such as the repeating "fractal" patterns of a fern leaf - is particularly restful for the visual system, which evolved to be immersed in flora. For Wong, it's the physical hand-to-leaf contact that brings the biggest benefits. "Physically playing with a terrarium and busying your hands - it's the opposite of doom scrolling, because you're doing something positive." Gardeners, he says, tend to be optimistic. "Because they know they want to see a more positive future. And they have a hand in creating it." -- Alessia Franco is an author and a journalist focusing on history, culture, society, storytelling and its effects on people. She is @amasognacredi on Twitter David Robson is a writer based in London. His next book is The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Transform Your Life, to be published in early 2022. He is @d_a_robson on Twitter -- Join one million Future fans by liking us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter or Instagram. If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter, called "The Essential List" - a handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Culture, Worklife, Travel and Reel delivered to your inbox every Friday. Share using Email Share on Twitter Share on FacebookShare on Linkedin Share Around the BBC Explore the BBC * Home * News * Sport * Weather * iPlayer * Sounds * CBBC * CBeebies * Food * Bitesize * Arts * Taster * Local * Three * Terms of Use * About the BBC * Privacy Policy * Cookies * Accessibility Help * Parental Guidance * Contact the BBC * Get Personalised Newsletters Copyright (c) 2021 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. [p]