A terrarium can help liven up the interior of your RV. And they’re easy to set up and maintain.
Most RV interiors are so…manufactured. If you’re like us, you want a little green, a little life to break up the same old sameness that you share with other owners of your same RV brand or model. You want your RV living environment to have the same breath of nature as you see outside the windows. Here’s how to bring nature inside, with an easy-to create terrarium.
This open-air tabletop garden is an easy and fun way to add a little green to your RV’s indoor space. All of the supplies are available at your local garden or hardware store and takes just a half hour to create.
What you need
Find a glass vessel or container, something that appeals to your personal design style, will fit the interior of your RV, and takes up just the right amount of available space (maybe on a shelf, table top, or side table).
For plants, a good starting place for your first terrarium are cacti and other succulents. They’re pretty easy to care for, are very forgiving if you forget to water them regularly, and tolerate variations in temperature and humidity (but prefer warmth and a little dryness).
Small, interesting-looking stones, small statues, or other pieces of miniature art are good additions to add visual interest. Don’t pick something too big — these should complement your plants, in color, shape, and size.
You’ll need a small amount of potting soil and some sand to plant your cacti and succulents in. There are mixes for terrariums, so if you can get that, it will help your plants to thrive better. A needful of small rocks will also help to create a stable planting base for your terrarium.
Follow these step
- Start with a glass, open-topped container, such as a squat vase, wide-mouthed jar, fishbowl, or even a special terrarium bowl (many craft stores can help you out there — here’s one of our favorite ones
we found on Amazon.com).
- Fill the bottom of your terrarium vessel with a 1″ to 1-1/2″ layer of small rocks or pebbles. This will collect water drainage and provide a root base for your plants.
- Add a layer of potting soil made for cacti and succulents. It should be deep enough for plants to root into, about 2-1/2″.
- Using a spoon, make a hole in the solid large enough for the biggest plant. Nestle the plant in the hole, tamping the soil down to firmly hold the plant in place. Plan for about one plant for every 1″ of terrarium vessel container (i.e. a 5″ wide terrarium vessel would have five plants in it).
- Continue with the rest of the plants, from the next largest down to the smallest. You’ll find it easiest to start at the back of the container or terrarium vessel and work your way forward.
- Once all of the plants are arranged, add about 1/4″ of sand around the plants.
- Add in any decorative stones or other elements for visual interest.
we found on Amazon.com).Most cacti and succulents like direct sunlight every day. Lightly water the base of your terrarium every two weeks or once the soil dries out.