Just the mention of carnivorous plants can give some people the creeps, so they’re the perfect choice for a spooky Halloween arrangement.
Although you can grow them in any pot, carnivorous plants love the humid conditions a terrarium provides. That got me thinking about creating a “terror-arium” for this Halloween.
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Photo by Joan Kosmachuk
Of course, I went to HomeGoods to shop for the terrarium, and can you believe the first thing I spotted was a pumpkin-shaped glass terrarium? We’ve all had that magic moment at we’re looking for something and find it to be even more perfect than we’d hoped.
In case you want to make a terror-arium of your own, here’s how the process works.
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Photo by Joan Kosmachuk
You’ll need a glass terrarium, half a brick of spagnum moss and a soil mix for orchids and carnivorous plants. You’ll also need some carnivorous plants! I chose the venus flytrap, a couple of Sarracenia (pitcher plants) and some sundews.
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Photo by Joan Kosmachuk
Soak your brick of spaghum moss in warm distilled or filtered water. Once it has softened, squeeze out the excess water and then place the moss in the bottom of your terrarium.
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Photo by Joan Kosmachuk
You’ll add the soil on top of this, and it’s a good idea to have a ratio of about 1/3 sphagnum moss to 2/3 of soil.
Make a pocket in the soil for each plant, and place them (with the moss around the roots) into the soil. Cover the roots with soil and soak them thoroughly with filtered or distilled water at room temperature.
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Photo by Joan Kosmachuk
If you’re a fly, this scene is terrifying enough, but for our terror-arium, let’s create a little more drama. To spook it up, I added some miniature fairy garden accessories suitable for the season.
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Photo by Joan Kosmachuk
First, a charming crooked house that takes on the feel of a spooky old house when surrounded by these meat-eating plants.
A few ghostly looking white pumpkins and the raven-topped “Happy Halloween” sign complete the transformation. I also added a pea-gravel path to lure you into my little garden, so beware!
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Photo by Joan Kosmachuk
This terror-arium would look great on your front entry table to greet trick-or-treaters, or as the centerpiece for your Halloween party buffet, or even on your kitchen island as an October vignette. Plus it’s great for keeping the fruit flies away.
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Photo by Joan Kosmachuk
Here are a few more fun terror-arium ideas I found at our carnivorous plant store that would work great in a terrarium or flowerpot.
You could create a scary pumpkin patch.
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Photo by Joan Kosmachuk
Or how about a rusty gate with an ominous warning?
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Photo by Joan Kosmachuk
Let your imagination run wild and create your own terror-arium this Halloween!
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Photo by Joan Kosmachuk
Remember to make sure your carnivorous plant-filled terror-arium gets full sunlight to protect the plants from fungus and to brighten their color. Keep your plant medium to very damp. And only use distilled or filtered water at room temperature, as chlorine or cold water will kill these plants.
Do you have any fun and spooky ideas for Halloween decorations this year? Share them in the comments. And if you decide to make a terror-arium of your own, share a picture!