A brief history of florariums
The history of florariums dates back to the 19th century. Dr. Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward (1791 – 1868), a London physician, acquired a special moth pupa during a trip to South America, which he brought back to England in a jar with moist soil. During the journey, ferns sprouted from the barren soil, which were traditionally not found and could not survive in the cool English environment. However, thanks to the sealed jar, they not only survived the journey, but also remained green for another 4 years, until the jar opened due to rusting, and they perished.
This discovery allowed them to transport exotic plants from the tropics that would have been unthinkable in Europe before. This also boosted smuggling, allowing coffee, tea bushes and rubber tree seedlings to be transported around the world in sealed jars, i.e. portable mini greenhouses.
Dr. Ward developed a glasshouse with a lockable lid, which he called the “wardian case.” From then on, exotic plants could be transported from overseas to homes and greenhouses in this container.
It became increasingly fashionable, especially among the English aristocracy, to have their own florarium, in which they could keep rare orchids and ferns.
The florarium is therefore a wonderful accidental discovery that still brings color and life to our homes today.
Placing florariums in the apartment
Florariums feel good in almost any part of the apartment. However, there are a few criteria that you should keep in mind. It is very important that under no circumstances should they be placed near a window (not even if the window is not on the sunny side, as there may be a greater temperature difference) or in the hot sun, as it is always several degrees warmer in the glass, so the glass heats up due to the solar radiation, and the plants can get cooked due to the greenhouse effect . The same is true for places near heating . It is important to avoid completely dark places . Taking these three conditions into account, it looks wonderful in any semi-shaded place in the apartment, be it the coffee table in the middle of the living room, your favorite bookshelf, or even a desk. Try to observe it as much as possible, especially in the first few days . You will immediately see signs that the bottle garden likes its new place or not. The first 1-2 week observation period is very important , as this is when we can really see if the location of the florarium is really suitable. If it gets too humid even though it has been ventilated with a crack open for a short time several times, find another place for it. This 1-2 week observation period starts again every time it is moved. It is very important that the small bottle garden is observed conscientiously at the very beginning, because if we just put it in the place we have chosen and do not deal with it, we may miss important signs that have already appeared immediately, but if noticed too late, they may have irreversible consequences. However, if we have managed to find the place that it likes, after the 1-2 week observation period we will really have no problems with it, you do not have to look at it every day, just admire it, and it is not a problem if we travel for several weeks and leave it alone , because it takes care of itself.
Florarium care
Tropical Florariums are magical little miniature rainforest gardens that, if they love their place, can sustain themselves for years and require almost no care.
What we should pay attention to:
The florariums were given the appropriate amount of water when they were made, so they do not need to be watered.
During the first period, the ecosystem settles into its new location, which can take 1-2 weeks. At this time, it is important to observe how the small garden feels and what it needs. If we see excessive condensation on the glass, i.e. more than half of the wall of the container has water droplets, which lasts all day, or even several days, carefully wipe the inner wall with a paper towel so that the humidity is not too high and leave the glass ajar for a maximum of half an hour! Repeat this until the glass clears of condensation on its own and only fogs up once a day. Do not open the glass completely, only ajar, as prolonged ventilation over too large a surface can cause the florarium plants to wilt and the bottle garden to dry out. Observe how the plant behaves in which place in the apartment. If its leaves become wilted or brown, it is worth moving it to another location, cutting off the dried/rotten leaves and removing them from the bottle!
Bottle garden plants love light, but the florarium should not be placed in direct sunlight, as it can get hot and the plant may cook in the humid environment, so semi-shaded places in the apartment are best.
The walls of the florarium become humid, this is completely normal, the plant regains water through this cycle. Usually, the humidity can be more intense in the morning and evening hours, after which the glass becomes clear, there is no need to wipe it!
If the environment is still considered dry and less humid, water it with a spray bottle or use a small syringe/pipette to drip a little water at the base of the plants! Be sure to give the bottle garden less water in such cases, strictly only as much as it needs, because if you overwater, the excess water cannot drain away and the plants in the bottle garden may rot.
Once the ecosystem has been established after 1-2 weeks, do not open the glass frequently, as the essence of the florarium is to maintain itself, the ecosystem inside is working and subsequent ventilation may upset this!
If you want to shape the plant, use a small pair of scissors to pinch it off to achieve the desired size!
Don't be alarmed if small creatures, tiny animals appear in the glass, they are the so-called jumping forks (they only feel comfortable inside the glass, they won't climb out of it). They feed on dead plant parts, which they recycle back into the soil, so the plants in the florarium will be continuously supplied with nutrients, which is why the closed ecosystem can function well on its own, and the tiny jumping forks also help maintain the cycle. Whether just in the garden, only here, locked in a bottle.
Visit the FAQ page for more details on the conditions that threaten florariums and the reactions of plants.