New terrarium

I'm so tickled with how it turned out! My idea was to make a fairy garden, so I searched the house for anything that would work. Here's what I came up with. What do you think? Honest opinions, please! I can handle it! LOL
It only has plain white paper for a background right now, which I'm not particularly thrilled with, but I tried one of those printed backgrounds for an aquarium and it was way too busy, and I can't stand seeing the electric cords behind it if there's nothing there. I'm thinking maybe I could find or create a light blue background with wispy clouds at the top and use that. What do you think of that idea?
Let's see if I can remember what all is in it. I tried to use plants that would be fairly compatible. I know some will grow to be too big, but for now they work fine. I can always replace what gets too large, if it can't be pruned back.
Polynesian Ivy
Palm Seedling
Codonanthe devosiana 'Paula'
unknown Hoya
Silver pothos or philo or whichever it is, Scindapsus pictus
Episcia 'Silver Skies'
Episcia 'KeeWee'
Episcia 'Grey Lady'
Episcia 'CoCo'
Episcia 'Chocolate Soldier'
Episcia 'Blue Heaven'
African Violet 'Biscayne Trail'
African Violet 'Rob's Toorooka'
African Violet 'Winnie the Pooh'
African Violet 'Midget Gumdrop'
Oxalis - Fire Fern
unknown Philodendron
some kind of moss-looking stuff LOL
I need a little water lily to float in the pond, a small bench, a small fairy to sit next to the pond, and a tiny frog. THEN I'll feel like it's finished!
Here's an overall picture of it. Please ignore the aquarium thermometer stuck to the front left. I started to remove it, but think now that I'll leave it on for a while to see what it shows the temperature to be.

The pond, fence, and pathway...

The hills to the east! LOL

Nice job! I love it. Can't wait to see your frog and fairy. That will complete it, I think. Good Luck!

Don Ü

Nice Job! Mine are so mundane. Strictly functional and no pizzaz! Nice little landscape you have there.

You could use wallpaper with clouds on it for your background. What a nice set-up you have made.
Nancy

adorable!

I'm like lali - completely functional.....

You're right - those episcias will love it in there and completely take over. Just wait until the first round of runners and stolons start forming! lol! They are easy to prune, though, and make great fillers while other slower plants are settling in.

Oh Amy,How wonderful!That took some time I bet! All your plants look so happy.Question if I may?What did you use for the adorable stepping stones?I just love it! : ) Nancy

Awesome!!!!!! I love it

That is so sweet! I've been toying with the idea of making one, you gave me new ideas!

Nice Terrarium Gardening Amy ! Gesneraids are terrific for Terrarium let me know how your Av's do and if they bloom ? I've seen many cool ones at shows but they were made for show arrangements. One thing fun is to keek the minis in pots cover them and switch them back and forth with blooming plants

I know I replied to this thread before...Wonder if it was when Dave was updating and it is floating in cyberspace somewhere? Anyway...Thank you all for your compliments!

Nancy (sarahclarinda), I love the cloud wallpaper idea! I'll have to look for that!

Key, all the Episcias except Silver Skies love it. I don't know what the issue is, but I'm not sure that Silver Skies is going to make it. Most of the larger leaves have died. Any ideas?

Nancy (cedarnest), it did take a little while, but not nearly as long as you'd think. Planning it and getting everything straight in my mind definitely took the longest. I don't like to start a project til I get my mind fully wrapped around it, which is quite an effort in itself! LOL The stepping stones are just little flat circular glass pebbles. My parents gave me their aquarium and those were in it, so I soaked them in bleach water and placed them. I'm sure you can probably get them at a pet supply store.

Allison, I did not keep the AVs in pots, so I've been keeping a very close eye on them. Biscayne Trail seems to LOVE it in there. New growth abounds! Jill mentioned that Midget Gumdrop and Winnie the Pooh sucker like crazy for her, but she'd kept them covered to increase humidity (a clear salad container, I think she said, but I can't remember for certain) and that seemed to cut down on suckering. She suggested they might be good candidates for the terrarium. So far so good with those two as well. I'm not noticing as much growth on them as Biscayne Trail, but they still seem to be doing very well.

The palm seedling died and I've removed most of the moss because it got rather funky looking. One of the Fire Ferns that I had stuck in there as just a cutting didn't make it either. Otherwise, all is well. The Polynesian Ivy and Codonanthe are growing like crazy! :o)

hi Amy - wierd. I just noticed yesterday that my silver skies on a capillary mat is doing much better than the one in the terrarium. So.... I would recommend pulling it out and potting it deep. I know other people who grow this in a terr, so I don't know why we're having problems...

I was headed towards the plants, but decided to check in at DG one more time. I'll pull Silver Skies out and repot it very first thing. I'm assuming Episcias will root up the neck where the leaves have been lost just like an AV will? I hate that you're having trouble with yours, too, but it makes me feel a bit better that it's not just me.

yup, they do it even more easily than AVs. just bury the neck.

waiting to hear from you again on whether, and how the AV bloomed -- and just how big the smallest AV has gotten - AND, what is the smallest one called?
I am in the midst of the "planning" design phase and having fun ordering plants that I think will do -- I am going to try mixing in some Escheveria. we shall see. it will be a closed system most of the time. I am off to look at Episcias.
You have given me some great ideas! thanks, Julie

Very nice!

I've grown a few Silver Skies but never in a Terrarium .
E. 'Silver Skies' is small leaf Hybrid but a vigprous grower so I fount it could fill a good size pot full !
I admire the ones Dale Martin grew on a trellis :))
http://www.gesneriads.ca/episci10.htm

Very cool! Looks like a little garden. Very nice.