HIVE BOTANICS

A terrarium is a small garden of living plants grown inside glass. The enclosed space holds humidity and light, so the plants need very little day-to-day care. Hive Botanics makes handmade terrariums and moss gardens to order in Surry Hills, Sydney.

A Mossarium is a terrarium made mostly of living moss under glass, usually low and round, set on a base such as cork, oak, concrete or marble. It keeps its own humid microclimate, so it looks after itself with little more than the occasional misting in bright, indirect light. Each Hive Botanics Mossarium is handcrafted to order, so no two are quite alike.

A terrarium is any living garden grown under glass, which can include ferns, small plants and moss. A Mossarium is a terrarium built specifically around living moss, kept low, round and calm. Every Mossarium is a terrarium, but not every terrarium is a Mossarium.

A closed terrarium has a lid and recycles its own moisture, so it rarely needs watering and suits humidity-loving plants and moss. An open terrarium has no seal, so moisture escapes and it needs more regular watering, but it allows more airflow. Hive Botanics also makes ventilated terrariums, which have small holes at the top and sit between the two.

Yes. Terrariums are designed to be low maintenance: the right spot in bright, indirect light and a little occasional misting is usually all they need. Closed terrariums and Mossariums are the easiest, because they recycle their own moisture. With good placement, a terrarium can thrive for years.

Every Hive Botanics piece is made by hand by Helen, the studio's founder and maker, on a workbench in Surry Hills, Sydney. Nothing is made in bulk. Each terrarium is built once and built to keep.

Yes, but not direct sun. Place a terrarium in bright, indirect light, and keep it out of direct sunlight through a window, which can overheat the glass and scorch the plants. A bright room with filtered light is ideal. Avoid dark corners, where there is not enough light for the plants to thrive.

It depends on the type. Closed terrariums and Mossariums recycle their own moisture and rarely need watering, so only mist lightly if the soil feels dry. Ventilated and open terrariums lose moisture faster, so check the soil regularly, especially in summer, and mist when it feels dry. Rainwater, distilled or filtered water is best, though tap water will do.

Mossariums rarely need watering because the enclosed glass keeps the air humid. Check the moss and soil, and only mist lightly if it feels dry. Moss can be sensitive to tap water and heat, so rainwater or distilled water is best, and too much water can turn it brown. With a Mossarium, less is more. It also helps to lift the lid for a few minutes about once a week to refresh the air, then replace it.

Keep it indoors in a stable spot with bright, indirect light. Avoid direct sun through windows, and keep it away from heaters, air conditioners, fireplaces and hot windows, which cause temperature swings. A desk, shelf or bedside in a bright room is ideal.

Browning moss is usually a sign of too much water, tap water, heat or direct sun. Move it out of direct sunlight into bright, indirect light, keep it away from heat sources, and ease off watering. When you do water, use rainwater or distilled water and mist only lightly.

A little mist on the glass is normal and shows the water cycle is working. If the glass is heavily fogged for long periods, remove the lid for a short while to let some moisture escape, then replace it. If there is no condensation at all in a closed terrarium, it may need a small amount of water.

Plants keep growing, so trim any leaves touching the glass to maintain airflow, reduce excess moisture and keep it looking its best. Remove yellowing leaves as they appear. Otherwise a terrarium needs very little: good placement and occasional misting.

With the right placement and a little occasional care, a terrarium can thrive for years, and often much longer. It is a living piece of nature, so it keeps changing: the moss grows, the glass fogs and clears, and new growth and seasonal variation are all part of it.

The Meadow Kit is a terrarium you build yourself, and everything you need arrives in one box: moss, glass, stone and an illustrated booklet to walk you through it. You layer the stone, settle the moss, plant it and mist it in. It costs $89 and is made and packed by hand in Surry Hills.

It is beginner-friendly and takes about an afternoon. The illustrated booklet walks you through each step, and the process is meant to be slow and calming rather than technical. By the end you have a living world of your own, small, green and made by you.

Yes. The Meadow Kit is made to be given or to be made together, so it works well as a shared afternoon or a hands-on gift. You can also send it as a gift with a card in your own words, and we post the box straight to their door.

Once built, it is cared for like any moss terrarium: keep it in bright, indirect light, away from direct sun and heat, and mist lightly only when it feels dry. The enclosed glass keeps the air humid, so it needs very little. Our care guide covers light, watering and condensation in full.

Yes. Our Mossariums and the Meadow Kit can be sent as gifts and posted Australia-wide: you choose a piece, add a free card with your own words, enter the recipient's delivery address, and we pack it with care in Surry Hills and post it straight to them. Larger made-to-order terrariums are too large and delicate to post safely, so if you would like one as a gift, get in touch and we will arrange it with you.

Yes. You can add a free card with your own message during checkout, and we write it in and include it in the box. You also enter the recipient's address, so the gift goes directly to their door.

Terrariums make a calm, living gift that lasts far longer than flowers and needs very little care. They suit desks, shelves and bedsides, and each one is handmade, so it feels considered. The Meadow Kit is a good choice for someone who would enjoy making it themselves.

Yes. Our Mossariums and the Meadow Kit are posted as gifts across Australia, with the exception of Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, which are excluded because of live-plant and soil quarantine rules. We ship within Australia only and cannot post overseas. Larger made-to-order terrariums are arranged individually when you get in touch, as they are too large and delicate to post safely.

Our Mossariums and the Meadow Kit are posted Australia-wide, with the exception of Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, which are excluded because of quarantine rules for live plants and soil. Larger made-to-order terrariums are too large and delicate to post safely, so we arrange those individually when you get in touch. We ship within Australia only and cannot post overseas.

Australian biosecurity rules restrict moving live plants and soil into Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, and our terrariums contain both. To keep within those quarantine rules, we do not ship to those regions. We can ship to all other Australian states and the ACT.

No. Because our pieces contain living plants and soil, we ship within Australia only and cannot post internationally.

Many of our terrariums are made to order, so each one is built for you rather than taken off a shelf, and a made-to-order piece is usually ready in about 3 to 5 days. Because larger terrariums are too big and delicate to post safely, we arrange these individually once they are ready, so get in touch to talk through what you would like. The Mossarium collection is made ready to ship and the Meadow Kit ships as a ready-to-build box, both posted Australia-wide.