One year ago this week, after having had a late breakfast with friends at a busy quirky cafe called Cereal Killer, we strolled through the open markets along London’s Brick Lane. The ten days we spent this time in London, often found us out and about doing short walks around the Cockney area, discovering cute cafes, and exclusive or specialist stores.
This day was no different. Catching my eye, we entered into a peaceful little paradise - a boutique terrarium store, called the Green Factory.
I’ve loved and been fascinated by closed terrariums for sometime now. This shop fuelled my growing interest. Here, plants live enclosed in these micro-environments, some for as many as 20 years. We lingered amongst these enchanted miniature fairy like worlds, wow-ed at the large jars that contained plants that love these conditions, creating their own little ecosystem. By nature they produced the beautiful calm we were experiencing here, yet outside the crowds were still negotiating with the stall vendors, busy with activity.
It was cold, like real cold outside, but as usual Campbell was wearing shorts. The storeowner picked him immediately as being from Australia or New Zealand (apparently we uniquely do this), and struck up conversation. We spent the next while talking ‘terrarium how-to’, and I left intent on exploring this some more when I got home.
Wild About Eve's terrariums are the result of this passion and a little more how-to research.
I love watching the water condensate on the jar almost immediately once it is made and the lid goes on, like it can’t wait or help but begin to do what it does naturally - create its own micro-environment. The moisture produced trickles back down the sides of the glass and waters the plants. This cycle happens over the course of each day.
I love the look of the layers of rock, sand and charcoal, dirt and moss that form the base, which act as a filter to remove toxins, provide drainage, and recycle nutrients back to the plants. It’s exciting to watch little surprises that pop up, like the cute mushrooms, or a fern I hadn’t planted, but whose roots were hidden amongst the others planted. A friend told me she found a baby snail in her’s.
Mostly, I love the calming, enchanting, almost mystical-like aesthetic that the moss, the ferns, and the bonsai-like plants provide. These miniature gardens housed in glass, give me great enjoyment, and connection to the outside world of nature.