When will I get tired of posting pictures of our wedding terrariums, you ask? I really just don't know, but it's not today!
Don't the pale greens and pinks look great against the milk glass?
It was only a matter of time until I "dug in" for some fun wedding centerpiece making. Especially after I fell in love with a DIY Terrarium Workshop and then decided that my wedding centerpieces would be open terrariums in vintage vessels. I've been collecting vintage milk glass for this purpose since the fall.
Last weekend at The National Home Show, I brought home a few new succulents from one of the booths.
I busted out the milk glass and some of my favourite vessels, and went to work. Here's our current collection.
And here's a brief DIY recap, in case you missed my last post:
You Need:
- Glass Vessel (You will need some depth for the soil.)
- Succulent or Cactus
- Gravel (You can purchase this at a pet store, since it's used in aquariums.)
- Granular Activated Charcoal/Carbon (Again, this is available at a pet store, or you could open up your water filter and use what's inside.)
- Sand, Glass, Gravel or Pebbles (To cover the soil.)
- Moss and Decorations (optional)
- Tools (Spoons, chopsticks, paint brushes and tweezers would all work.)
Steps:
1. Begin with a layer (a couple of inches thick) of gravel at the bottom of your vessel for drainage, and add roughly 3 tbsp of carbon. Swirl to mix. The gravel provides drainage and the charcoal/carbon helps to eliminate impurities for healthier plants.
2. Add two cups of soil (Adam also mixed some charcoal in with the soil) and lightly pat it down using an available tool.
3. Create a hole in the soil (all the way through to the gravel) by either digging or poking through it. (We forced a thick cylindrical tool through it, while twisting side-to-side.) A dry paint brush can be used to clean any dirt from the inside of the glass.
4. Choose a plant and loosen some of the roots before placing it in the hole. Use some of the available tools to pat down the soil around the plant.
5. Pour in a layer of sand, ground glass or finer gravel to cover your soil.
6. Decorate with moss, rocks and sea glass.
Water with 1 1/2 shot glasses full of water once every three weeks. Keep away from direct sunlight. Feel free to "prune" succulents if they get too crazy during their growing cycle.
What do you think? Aren't those pink succulents pretty? I think for the wedding, we'll use these as the base and add some fresh cut flowers in vases and candles to each table. We don't plan to have very many tables, so I think we're actually finished!
How exciting is that? Probably exciting for you guys too because I can't think of another excuse for a terrarium post for a long time now! I think next we'll move on to the invitations. We've narrowed down our options and want to be ready to send them out fairly soon.
Aren't they sweet?
