9 easy-to-maintain terrariums to spruce up your space

When your one-bedroom apartment checks all the boxes of a typical concrete jungle living space (cramped, dark, yet somehow charming), you can count on indoor plants to inexpensively spruce up the digs and, according to science, make you happier.

But if you’re striving to maintain a social life and your status as a Flywheel regular (on top of an already-long work week), caring for a high-maintenance fiddle-fig leaf tree is nearly impossible. There’s an easier option for people with basically no free time (*everyone raises hand*). Terrariums are essentially mini-gardens on easy mode.

“Even a tiny bit of moss in a terrarium evokes the feeling of nature,” says floral designer Baylor Chapman, founder of Lila B. Designs and author of The Plant Recipe Book. “Set one on a desk or a shelf to create a tiny serene scene to bring in a bit of calm into your life. These things summon up good feelings and make a house feel like home.”

If the word garden is intimidating, you don’t have to start out with something sprawling. “Go small, pick up a moss terrarium to start, and go from there,” says Chapman. “They can be set almost anywhere and are quite easy to care for.”

She advises placing the glass orb somewhere with plenty of indirect sunlight. The vessel provides ample humidity and air circulation for small-but-mighty plants to thrive. All you have to do is keep the soil moist, watering it roughly every two weeks or so (terrariums with bigger openings will need more watering than sealed ones)―and soak up the good vibes.

See some of the air-purifying, room-brightening terrariums below.

Shop the terrariums

Tom Dixon Plant Large Terrarium $264

Botánica Boutique Sanctuary-S Terrarium $35

Terrain Specimen Case Terrarium $128

NOVA68 Modern Design bubbleterrarium $135

West Elm Cross Base Terrarium in Copper $19

Luludi Living Frames Oyster Greenhouse Terrarium $225

ShopVerdure Succulent Terrarium $32

Crate and Barrel Taylor Large Glass Hurricane Candle Holder $20

World Market Brass Geo Terrarium $19

Rooting around for more reasons to fill your home with plants? Here are two: They’re getting easier to acquire (thanks to home deliveries) and can thrive in your shower.