I had tropical fish for many years.  However, one year when we moved it was to a walk-up apartment with wooden floors.  Fish tanks were not allowed.  So I decided to turn my aquariums into terrariums and grow a variety of houseplants.  I had gardened extensively when we lived in Florida and we were known as having one of the most beautiful yards on the block.  However, houseplants require different care in a poorly lit apartment with freezing weather.  They died.  I tried planting again and they died again.  One Saturday while I was at work my husband and daughter went shopping at the flea market.  They brought home some lovely cactus plants for me.  My daughter said, "Here Mom, we have the brown thumb special for you". 

The cactus plants grew and thrived throughout the cold, snowy winter in that miserably dark apartment.  We lived there for three years and the cactus plants transformed the aquariums into a lovely addition to our living room.  Here are some ideas on how to get started with your own brown thumb special -- a cactus terrarium.

Decide where you would like to place the terrarium(s) and measure the space so you will know which size container will fit.  I had several terrariums from a small 5 gallon tank to a size known as "20 gallon long".  Don't go out and buy an aquarium if you don't have one.  Any of a variety of glass containers will work equally well.  Just choose something that has a wide opening on the top for the transfer of fresh air. 

Buy or gather the supplies to get started.  You will need the glass containers, gravel for drainage, rocks for creating hills in the landscape, extra cactus potting soil for the hills and valleys, small pieces of moss to grow on the rocks, and a variety of cacti in different colors, sizes, and stages of blooming.  Also, I added some smooth succulent plants to contrast with the spiked cactus.

Begin by putting a 1" layer of gravel in the bottom of the terrarium.  Spread the gravel evenly.  This is necessary for proper drainage.  Cactus plants need to have fairly dry soil or the roots will rot.  The gravel will compensate for any over-watering.

Next add the cactus potting soil mix.  Add enough to cover all of the gravel plus another 4" minimum.  This will allow for root growth.  Level the soil. 

Decide where you would like to have hills.  Place a rock in each area and completely cover it with potting soil until it looks like a hill. Do not push the rock down as you cover it as it will compact the soil.  The cactus roots will do best in loose soil. 

Place other smaller rocks around the terrarium and put moss on the bare parts of these rocks. 

Plant the succulents next.  I planted small ones near the moss and on top of the hills. 

The last plants to be placed in the terrarium are the cactus plants.  This will lessen the chance of being stabbed with the spikes since everything else in the terrarium is already in place. 

Do not cover the terrarium.  Cactus and succulents do best in an environment with lower humidity.  Fresh air will also allow the terrarium to dry out in between the times it is watered. Cactus and succulents require some sort of light every day.  Sunlight is best but indoor lights that are turned on for several hours every day should also work.  I kept a small cactus terrarium in a kitchen that was in the center of that dark apartment without any exposure to sunlight and the plants thrived.  However, I frequently cook from scratch so the kitchen lights were on for an extended time each day.  They were soft white lights which mimic sunlight.

Water the plants about once a week.  Dry soil will encourage the cacti to flower.  A cactus terrarium really is a brown thumb special -- they lived.