Spring is in the Air... And on my Desk!

I think we can all agree that the most notable features of spring's arrival are the little bud and blooms that begin popping up anywhere they can. Inevitably, the new sprouting brings out my inner gardener. I just have to get some dirt under my nails and some plants all to myself. This year I finally got it together to make a desk terrarium!

My new baby on the right! (Photo by Sejal Soni)

My terrarium features a pyramidal container, a handful of succulents, one cacti, a piece of sea glass, and the smallest marimo in the world (unconfirmed). 

"What's a marimo?", you ask...

Tiny marimo in tiny glass bulb; quarter for scale (Photo by Sejal Soni)

It's a rare type of algae found in only a few lakes in the world. It is a free-floating algae that gets a spherical shape from being tossed in light currents. They can range in size from my baby one (about 0.5 cm across) to 30 cm across. They were originally found in Austria but have since been found in Japan, Iceland, Scotland, Estonia, and maybe other places. They have become popular aquarium plants (sometimes inaccurately called moss balls) as they only need an occasional water change and some rotation to get light to the entire sphere. 

Gotta keep the marimo moving (GIF by Sejal Soni)

Terrariums enjoy a reputation of being beautiful low-maintenance, mini-gardens. No green thumbs or plant knowledge required! The carefree living is possible because terrariums are designed to be free-standing ecosystems where the plants and soil take care of each other. 

More of my terrarium (Photo by Sejal Soni)

Shout out to Urban Sprouts and their inspiring terrarium collection (Photo by Sejal Soni)

So hopefully my terrarium and marimo will enjoy a long life basking in indirect sunlight. For now, it's out with the moth balls and in with the moss balls!