Create a Desert Plant Terrarium

Create a desert plant terrarium

This terrarium is planted with beautiful, easy-to-grow-cacti – we show you how create it.

A table displaying which months are best to sow, plant and harvest.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
At its best
At its best

Plant is at its best in January

Plant is at its best in February

Plant is at its best in March

Plant is at its best in April

Plant is at its best in May

Plant is at its best in June

Plant is at its best in July

Plant is at its best in August

Plant is at its best in September

Plant is at its best in October

Plant is at its best in November

Plant is at its best in December

To do
To do

Do To do in January

Do To do in February

Do To do in March

Do To do in April

Do To do in May

Do To do in June

Do To do in July

Do To do in August

Do To do in September

Do To do in October

Do To do in November

Do To do in December

This open cube terrarium makes a chic home for desert plants like cacti and aloes, which are happiest in a dry location.

Topped with a mulch of pale grit and chunky pebbles, the effect is that of a landscape in miniature. Don’t be afraid to play with the top dressing if you want. You could use horticultural sand, or even pecking grit for birds – the grain size is somewhere between gravel and sand – which will add a more naturalistic feel.

Most garden centres will sell a decent range of small cacti and succulents to use in your terrarium. We opted for a varied selection including a globose gymnocalycium, glaucous pilocereus and speckled haworthia.

Consider bigger or differently shaped terrariums, too. There are lots out there, from simple cubes to geodesic designs with copper framing.

Follow these easy steps to planting up your desert terrarium.

Most garden centres will sell a decent range of small cacti and succulents to use in your terrarium.
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You Will Need

  • Cube terrarium
  • Free-draining compost or cactus compost
  • Small cacti, aloes or haworthia (3)
  • Grit mulch
  • Pebbles

Step 1

Plant a shallow layer of grit in the base of an open container (to avoid humidity building up), followed by a 4-5cm layer of cactus compost.

Adding grit to the terrarium
Adding grit to the terrarium

Step 2

Plant the cacti, using kitchen tongs to handle the very prickly ones. Alternatively, wrap in paper and plant by hand.

Placing the cacti in the terrarium
Placing the cacti in the terrarium

Step 3

Using a teaspoon, add a decorative mulch of pale gravel around the cacti. Once the gravel has been added, artfully place several of the pebbles on top. Water sparingly to settle the plants.

Adding decorative pebbles to the terrarium
Adding decorative pebbles to the terrarium
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Start your cacti from seed

If you’re looking to save a bit of money, cacti are easy plants to grow from seed, which is cheaply obtained. You’ll often come across cactus seed mixes, so you’ll have fun observing the cacti as they grow and take the shape of different species. Find out how to grow cacti from seed.

Photo: Getty Images.