Episode 112- Terrariums: Life under Glass

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Host J Schwanke shows you how to bring more fun, whimsy, and wonder into your life with terrariums, and terrarium-inspired recipes, crafts and entertaining arrangments.* Bonus Content- In Blue Links!Terrariums are on the menu for "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom". These miniature eco-systems are perfect for those that want a low maintenance flower or plant experience. I love a terrarium and I have several throughout the house- and it seems like I'm always adding more. I love the fact that when done right- you really don't have do much more than look at them and enjoy!I have several that I've had for years- and did you know that there is a terrarium- that has been alive and sealed since 1960- and only watered once in 1972... Check it out here... it's become a historical treasure! World's Oldest Terrarium!I'm excited about this show- because it gave me an opportunity to travel back to my home town- Fremont Nebraska- and film with my Sister Cindy Gilfry McKown- (she's my big sister... I was the little brother)....and film her "MAD Terrarium Skills" - for this show. My sister has been building Magical Terrariums for decades- and she's a master artist at Terrariums. We would offer Terrariums in our store- and my sister would create them- and then I would get to place the bone china animals in them... that was one of my favorite things... and I would pretend I was a little human- crawling around inside them! If only that were true- I would have escaped long ago- and took up residence in one of my sister's masterpieces.I feature my sister and her terrariums in my Book- Fun with Flowers- that's available on my Website- www.uBloom.com/Books We also filmed a Fun with Flowers and J episode with my Sister- and her terrariums- you can check it out here!  It's the WHOLE video- that we created- the highlights are in this episode of J Schwanke's Life in Bloom!Cindy shares her secret tips and tricks for landscaping- creating retaining walls, stair cases, beaches and more in this episode. I love watching her hands in action- when it comes to making terrariums- there's something peaceful and kind in the way her hands move- and transfer dirt and place the plants gently into the glass bowls... Check it out for yourself-The Terrariums my sister plants are G3 Terrariums- with Lids- they are created by the Pete Garcia Company in Atlanta GA. They are unique because they are created from 100% Post Consumer recycled glass- they have incredible shapes- and clarity- I love them... and I have several in the house- not only filled with Terrariums but also with Champagne Corks or coins. I have an episode on uBloom.com about G3 Glass and terrariums that I create in the studio- you can check out that show here...Remember that I create a NEW uBloom Episode each week- and you can subscribe to uBloom for only $3.99 a month- and catch all the NEW Shows as well at 1800 additional DIY How To Arrange Flower Videos- these tutorials will teach you all about flowers!  PSST- use the Discount Code FIFTYOFF (all Caps No Spaces) and get 50% off an Annual Membership of $38.40 - at www.uBloom.com/Join/AnnualPlants are HUGE Trend- and I love how there's a 70's Vibe going on with Macrame' - There's something VERY FLOWER POWER- like with a Terrarium in a Macrame' Hanger- and I invited my friend April Frost- a local Macrame' Artist to visit the studio and help me make a macrame hanger for one of my terrariums. I did a bit of Macrame' in High School Art Class- but we had two girls at the Flower Shop that made all the macrame's when I was a kid- Jane Dirkschneider and Cindy Gates- I remember them measuring out twine- and adding beads- it was all the rage. April creates a Macrame' hanger fast and easy- for my terrarium -and it's a good refresher for how relaxing this craft can be.I introduce the Terra Nostra- a Flower Cocktail Hour Favorite at my house- it was originally passed on to my by my friend Sue Harvey Brown and we call it the "Sue Harvey Brown" around the house- but I thought "Terra Nostra" was a great name for this Delicious Drink- that is just as pretty as it is tasty with a layer of Bitters on top of the mixture. You can check out the recipe here - www.uBloom.com/TerraNostraI like using a small brandy snifter- (think mini terrarium) for this Flower Cocktail Hour Specialty! Different types of cocktail glassware can double as terrarium inspired accents- and I included a flower arranging segment- that shows how easily you can use just one Flower Blossom to create a place setting accent for a terrarium inspired luncheon or dinner party! Inverting different types of glasses and encasing a flower inside is very terrarium like- or using a small piece of foam- and putting the tiny arrangement under a cloche' is terrifically terrarium-esque.I also share some tips for creating your own terrariums- or finding different items around the house that can be used as terrariums or provide humidity for ferns, palms or other types of flowers. My Favorite is the geometrically inspired "house" for a couple of Tillandsias- I've featured these Simple Care plants on uBloom before- you can check out my full show about Tillandsia on uBloom here !When it comes to dessert- I learned long ago from my Mom- to fix it first- in our house- we always had dessert- we may not of had a salad or side dishes- but dessert was a priority! I love that this Trifle dessert has a Terrarium-like effect- of being able to see the treats through the sides of the glass... and Let's just say- that ANYTHING With Homemade Whipped Cream -can't be bad... I like the opportunity to use the Lavender Flower Elixir as the Sugar/Flavoring for the whipped cream- check out all the different flavors of Flower Elixirs from my Friend Nora- here!Here's the Recipe for the Lavender Blueberry Trifle- and don't forget to garnish with MINT or Rosemary- as a decoration... I Love that!Terrariums are a wonderful way to experience "Life under Glass" and I hope you enjoy the fun things we have to offer on this episode of "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom"... I'm thinking of all sorts of ways to keep the flowers coming!