Skip to content
Terrarium Atlas

Field guide collection

Terrarium Basics

The foundations: what a terrarium actually is, how a sealed jar recycles its own water, and which style suits the plants and space you have.

Featured guide

All Terrarium Basics guides

Terrarium Basics

How Does a Closed Terrarium Work?

The water cycle inside a sealed jar explained simply, and why a balanced terrarium needs so little intervention.

8 min readplanned

Beginner pathway

  1. 01

    Understand Terrariums

    How a sealed ecosystem recycles its own water, and what that means for care.

  2. 02

    Build Your First One

    Container, drainage, substrate and planting order in a single sitting.

  3. 03

    Choose Plants & Moss

    Species that stay small, tolerate humidity and hold their colour.

  4. 04

    Keep It Thriving

    Reading condensation, managing mold and pruning on a light schedule.

Build Your First Terrarium With Confidence

Get the free Closed Terrarium Quick-Start Checklist.

Newsletter coming soon