I have been seeing succulent terrariums all over the place, and have yearned to make one of my own. I’ve always loved the look of succulents. Their leaves – arms? – look so soft to me. Does that make sense? Or did I just make you feel uncomfortable? I haven’t ever planted succulents before, and when I was walking through Home Depot and saw a small display of these little beauties, my plan was born!

Because I’m a frugal gal, I opted to use a fishbowl that I have held on to ever since my failed attempt at fish ownership. There are many glass vases and bowls out there that are perfect for terrariums; I’ve even seen some individual succulents planted in mason jars!

Now here is the part of the post where I say, “Don’t do what I did!”

It was regular episode of Amateur Hour when I was planting these little fellas. I was chatting on the phone with Grandma Gardener, who was pretty blase about the whole thing: “Oh, succulents are easy! You’ll do great! Just don’t over-water them.”

“Over-water? What do you mean?”

“They only need very small amounts of water, especially in a terrarium…”

“Oh. Okay…. crap.”

“What happened?”

“I think I’ve just given them a death sentence.”

Thankfully, the soil has dried out a bit, and the succulents have proven to tolerate a reckless plant-mother.

Pyjamas fo’ life! Apparently we don’t ever wear clothes.

When the girls are allowed to take a peek at the terrarium (it is normally kept in a higher spot, away from clumsy hands and flailing arms), the stories that they concoct make the dirty fingernails and damp-soil-anguish worth it. They marvel at the tiny little bunnies and create stories about the miniature egg hunt.

It’s not a very sophisticated terrarium (and seriously, do a bit of Googling and you’ll see some truly fabulous succulent arrangements), but it’s perfect for our little house. I may have to find a few more succulents to make my own… but that’s another project for another day. Because apparently I’m going to make an Easter tree.

No, I’m not.