Guest reviewer Kevin Tipple is back with his review of a book on terrarium gardening. Check out his blog Kevin's Corner for more book reviews and book news, as well as links to topics of interest.
Reviewed by Kevin Tipple
While
any author creating a fictional story is, in a sense, “world building,” authors
in the fantasy and science fiction genres refer to the term all the time and
claim great credit for doing so. When one is doing it right, one is bringing a
fictional world to life in a reader’s mind by way of dialogue, descriptive
scenes and setting, and more. In a very physical way, you are doing the same
thing when you put a terrarium together as you are most assuredly world
building. You are creating an
environment that--if you choose wisely-- will thrive. Choose incorrectly and you
may create a dystopia for your plants or worse.
Miniature
Terrariums: Tiny Glass Container Gardens Using Easy-to-Grow Plants and
Inexpensive Glassware seeks to guide you in creating a beautiful and thriving world.
Published by Tuttle Publishing in May 2018, the book is primarily broken into 4
chapters full of information by text and picture.
The
book opens with a short introduction that explains what a terrarium is, what
kind of containers or glassware is best suited for what types of plants, and
how the various chapter categories for the plants are determined. Along with
plenty of informative text, there are numerous pictures making it very clear
what the text is covering A nice touch is the fact that many of the smaller
plant pictures have handy page number citations. Also included in this section
are tips as to what tools you may or may not want/need, how to basically create
a terrarium, watering, the various types of ornamental gravel, and caring for
the plants as the seasons change. Some of this information varies by type of
plant and those differences are explored here.
Then,
it is on the chapters with “Chapter 1: Wetland Plants” starting things off on
page 15. Plants that fit this situation will need to be placed in a sealable
container. Most of the plants that are in this section are various types of
moss. Surprisingly, at least to me, moss can come in all shapes and sizes and
not just as a sort of ground cover. It isn’t just moss in this section as there
is also some information devoted to carnivorous plants and African Violets. The
chapter winds up with some advice on the various places to gather your moss.
Apparently, a rolling stone gathers no moss, so you may have to consider nonmoving
rocks or areas under trees in parks and other places should you seek to be a
moss gatherer.
Page
31, begins “Chapter 2: Air Plants.” These are plants that normally are usually
found living in trees and thus will need to be placed in open hanging
containers so that the air in your home or office moves around them. While you
could create a terrarium in a vase with such plants, you could also construct
hanging terrariums of various types. Ways of doing so are depicted in this
section. Hanging Terrariums are not only a great space saver; they serve as a
way to get plants away from pets or children that may be tempted by their
presence.
“Chapter
3: Arid Zone Plants” begins on page 53 and this is where you find succulents.
Such plants come in all types and this allows you to create a desert like
environment or a very low water type one. As in the other chapters of a book,
various types of containers are used here and there are numerous plant
suggestions as well as instructions on how to create the terrarium shown. One
of the neat things in this book can be found at the end of this chapter with
“Practical Tip 3: Finding The Perfect Container.”
This
book repeatedly stresses thinking beyond the classic terrarium style container.
Terrarium light bulbs which are lightbulbs specifically designed to house
plants, candle holders, beakers for a science project, and more are suggested
here. This page details numerous options and possibilities beyond the usual
terrarium shape.
Of
course, sometimes you can combine the three types of plants into one container
and mix them up. That idea drives “Chapter 4: Mixed Terrariums.” Starting on
page 79, four distinctive possibilities that combine multiple plants from
multiple environments are depicted. Each suggested combination has tips to be
successful. Because you are putting different environments together you are
going to need some skill in maintaining the world so that everything survives and
thrives.
Next
is followed by a couple of pages devoted to cataloging succulents by type. The
same is done for air plants as well as moss and other wetland plants. Those
pages are followed by a page devoted to details about the publication of the
book, information about the publisher, Tuttle Publishing, and their mission
statement.
Miniature
Terrariums: Tiny Glass Container Gardens Using Easy-to-Grow Plants and
Inexpensive Glassware is a colorful and informative book that works for both the novice
as well as the experienced world builder. It serves as a repository of creative
ideas as well as a spring board for your own creativity. Filled with plenty of
information and pictures, Miniature Terrariums: Tiny Glass Container
Gardens Using Easy-to-Grow Plants and Inexpensive Glassware is going to
be a winner for those interested in creating a magical world.
Miniature Terrariums: Tiny Glass Container Gardens Using
Easy-to-Grow Plants and Inexpensive Glassware
Fourwords (division of Actus Interiors)
Tuttle Publishing
May 2018
ISBN# 978-4-8053-1477-7
Hardback (also available in eBook format)
104 Pages
$17.99
Material
supplied by the good folks of the Dallas Public Library System.
Kevin
R. Tipple ©2019
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