You don’t need to have outdoor space to start gardening! Michael Lawrie, Head Gardener for the Trust’s Dumfries & Galloway properties and Head of Threave School of Heritage Gardening, explains how to make your own jam jar garden.
What you need
An empty jam jar
Stones
Twigs
Flower heads
Moss
Some decorations
Step 1
Collect small heads of flowers from the garden or during a walk in your local park, along with some stones, twigs and moss. Add the rocks to the bottom of an empty jar, and then the moss, building up from there. Mist with water occasionally to keep fresh.
Step 2
If you want to grow something in your jar, sow cress or lettuce seeds on some soil or damp tissue paper.
Step 3
Don’t throw away the jam jar lid – you can sow wildflower seeds there on a layer of soil. Remember to plant them out when they’re big enough.
Collect small heads of flowers from the garden or during a walk in your local park, along with some stones, twigs and moss. Add the rocks to the bottom of an empty jar, and then the moss, building up from there. Mist with water occasionally to keep fresh.
You can make a terrarium without it, using moss instead of charcoal. But, it's usually recommended to use charcoal as it does the job a little more effectively. Pro Tip: You can also make your own charcoal by burning some wood and collecting the charcoal that's left over.
It could either be that the terrarium is too damp; if the compost looks sodden with water then it could eventually cause root rot, turning the leaves wilting and yellow. At this point it would be a good idea to keep the cork out for as long as possible until the terrarium has dried out.
A closed terrarium acts as a miniature tropical climate, with plenty of warmth and humidity, but relatively low light. The best plants for this environment are therefore tropical plants that thrive in moist habitats with indirect sunlight, but that are compact and easy to care for.
Under optimal conditions and when properly cared for terrariums can last for decades. Though the average terrarium only lasts from four months to two years. Factors like light, moisture, temperature, selection of plants, and size of the container, all play a role in the lifespan of a terrarium.
The jam jar method (also known as piggybanking or using savings pots) involves dividing your money into separate pots for different expenses. It's a great way to make sure your bills are covered and your money goes exactly where you want it to.
For shelf-stable jam, the USDA recommends jars with the two-part lids (a metal ring and flat lid with rubber gasket). The lid covers the jar, and the ring holds the lid in place as it seals during processing. Jars and rings can be reused for canning, but the lids cannot. (However, you may reuse lids for storage.)
Fill your jar with water and gather your flowers. I've used tulips and daffodils with some foraged leaves from the garden however you could apply these techniques to any flowers and foliage. Add in two pieces of foliage that cross each other in the jar, I have cut mine to equal length to keep a balance in the jar.
Glass jars, the type you use for canning or even cleaned jars that previously held store-bought jam, are great. McClellan also likes lidded Pyrex containers. You can even use plastic so long as you let the jam cool first before pouring it in to avoid melting anything. A refrigerator jam isn't going to last forever.
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