Bridge on Cliff: Moss and Creeping Figs Terrarium

2 days ago

2 min read

This was an experiment. I made a start and time will do the rest. This post will record changes from time to time and let 's see where it will go.

I think quite a few people have made this kind of cliff-style terrarium before. I have made one too.

But my previous version was quite thick. I used a thick layer of red clay together with Leucobryum moss. The finished shape looked rather rounded.

And once something becomes rounded, it tends to look cute. It is much harder to make it feel steep, rugged, or dramatic.

So this time, I wanted to try a different version: using thinner moss and keeping the whole structure much closer to the glass.

I still used bark for the main structure, but this time I chose very thin pieces of bark. I used red clay behind them to hold them against the glass.

There are only two lumps of red clay behind these two pieces of bark, and that is already enough to support them.

I also added a small bridge. The bridge can naturally wedge itself between the two pieces of bark, and I also secured it with glue, so the whole structure is even more stable.

That completed the basic framework.

For the bottom of the terrarium, I simply add a few decorative stones. I was not planning to plant anything there.

The rest of the work was adding the moss.

I applied red clay around the edges of the bark so that the moss could attach more easily.

For the moss in the other areas, I spread a very thin layer of red clay on the back of each piece, then pressed it directly onto the bark and the bridge.

At the very bottom, I planted two small creeping figs. I hope they will climb upward over time. I do not really care exactly where they climb or how far they go. Wherever they grow, I think they will look good.

I also hope the moss will gradually spread across the bark, and eventually even grow beyond the bark onto the glass.

For this project, we will just have to wait and see how it develops.