How to make a mini cactus and succulent garden

In addition to being beautiful, a mini garden is the ideal option for those who want to add a little nature but do not have much space, it is the ideal alternative for those who live in an apartment, or even for those who do not have free time to ensure the necessary care conventional plants.

Arranged in glass terrariums and even in aquariums, the mini garden becomes a decoration object full of life and delicacy, adding charm to any environment. It can also be presented in different models, with an infinite variety of plants and materials, according to the preference of its creator.

For Babi Vieira, owner of Os Mini Mundos, a company specialized in creating mini gardens and terrariums, these are ideal for those who live in an apartment and have little space with sun, since some species adapt very well to environments with partial shade. “In addition, due to their low maintenance, they are great for those who don’t have much time to take care of their plants. In addition to being beautiful and dynamic decorative objects, they call our attention to the greatness of nature and the entire universe that inhabits a simple moss”, she reveals.

Step-by-step: how to make a mini garden

If you want to brighten up your home with this “alive” decoration object, the professional created a simple tutorial, teaching you how to create a mini garden for your home. Check their guidelines:

Necessary materials:

• 1 container: “can be made of glass, ceramic or clay. Even some not-so-conventional ones like sneakers or a pot. Use your creativity”, indicates the professional.
• Prepared substrate: “about 3 parts of topsoil, 2 parts of sand and 1 part of perlite”, he teaches.
• Stones: “Pebbles or gravel of your choice”, he proposes.
• Succulent plant seedlings: “the ideal is that they have an appropriate size for their container”, he instructs.
• Props: “It’s up to you. It can range from colored sand, characters, pebbles, logs to shells”, he guides.
• Gardening tools: “If you don’t have specific tools, you can improvise using items such as different sized spoons, long tweezers, brush and so on”, he reveals.

mounting mode

1. Wash your container well with soap, removing any unwanted residue from it. In this way, it is avoided that any fungus or insect larvae proliferate in the place. Wait for it to dry completely.
2. Make a small layer with the pebbles or gravel at the bottom, trying to facilitate drainage in case there is an excess of water, since the container usually does not have holes.
3. Use your imagination and mentally draw the scenario you want to reproduce, so you don’t run the risk of putting everything together and then changing your mind.
4. Remove the chosen plants from their respective pots, always taking care to preserve as much of the original clod of soil around their roots as possible. This ensures a better adaptation of the plant in its new home. From there you already know the amount of soil you will need to fill in your container. If the clod is large, place it inside the container and fill it with the prepared substrate to the desired height.
5. Once the seedlings are placed, lightly press the soil around the trunk so that they settle better in the new soil.
6. It is always good not to leave the soil exposed, this causes water to evaporate faster. Place a small layer of pebbles and/or sand, covering it.
7. Once that’s done, finish decorating the scenario with whatever you find most interesting. Use stones, logs, mini sticks, characters or colored sand. Let the imagination run wild.

Best plants to use in a mini garden

According to Babi, The best plants to use in open terrariums without holes in the bottom are succulents and cacti. “Because they need less water than other plants, care is even easier”, he reveals.

Other plants that can be grown in small terrariums are the mini ferns, the peperomia, the carpet moss, the Moon Valley, the old beard, the strawberry geranium, the mini japan calamus, the phytonia and the asplenium bulbiferium. Options abound, just choose the one you like best.

Tutorials to create your mini garden

Do you need further explanations to set up your mini garden? Then check out these video tutorials with demonstrations and ideas of this beautiful decorative item:

Mini succulent and cactus garden

In this video, blogger Gabi Lourenço teaches step-by-step how to create a mini garden with cactus and succulents using a clay pot.

How to make a terrarium / mini garden

In this tutorial, blogger Juliana Góes demonstrates all the steps for assembling a terrarium in a glass aquarium.

Step-by-step mini cactus and succulent garden

For this mini garden, the blogger couple teaches how to set up a beautiful mini garden with various succulents and cacti.

DIY mini garden and concrete pot

To make the mini garden even more beautiful, blogger Darlene uses an old pasta drainer as the chosen container, and even teaches how to make a nice little concrete vase for decoration.

DIY: how to make a terrarium

Here, blogger Carla demonstrates the steps to assemble a beautiful terrarium, leaving a reused glass can as a container suggestion.

How to make a terrarium

In this video, blogger Karol Pinheiro uses an unconventional shaped glass vase to teach how to make a beautiful terrarium. She also explains the possibility of using cactus seeds or seedlings when assembling.

Mini gardens ready to buy online

If you want even more practicality, there are online stores with terrariums and mini gardens ready for purchase. Check out a selection of beautiful mini gardens and choose your favorite:

In the most varied containers, terrariums or mini gardens are integrated into the environment and bring freshness and life to any corner of your home. It’s worth choosing one that matches your style and start taking care of this beautiful piece of nature.

How to care for your miniature garden

Despite being practical, a mini garden needs care like any other. For Babi, it is always necessary to remember that succulent plants are native to dry and very hot regions, and do not need much watering. In addition, they like a lot of natural light and watering is only necessary when the soil is dry, so they do not survive in the air conditioning climate. “Watch your plants, they always give very clear signs of what they need”, he teaches.

It is also worth mentioning that the plants, no matter how small, will grow inside the chosen container, and it is necessary to leave a space at the time of assembly so that this occurs without complications.

Another important tip is to leave the terrarium or mini garden exposed to the sun only in the morning.

25 photos of mini gardens to get inspired!

Still in doubt on how to set up your mini garden? Check out this selection and let yourself be inspired by the most varied examples of mini gardens and terrariums. Note the chosen containers, the plants used and the compositions with different types of decorations:

Whether for those looking for greater contact with nature, or for those who want a beautiful and charming decoration object, a mini garden will bring more life and joy to your home. bet!