Uninvited guests, to weed or to wed?

Tamara and I have so so much fun making our terrariums. We occasionally get to volley over the fate of a particular unidentified seedling that came with the moss we harvest, and the very best surprise is what happens after we plant a terrarium. In the weeks after every tiny little specimen was meticulously considered, these little volunteers often become the stars of the show, sometimes they crowd unattractively or just don't seem to contribute. Almost always an unexpected element grows and completes the array in a way we could not anticipate.

That is why we loved finding this post Artist Keiko Narahashi posted explaining her similar experiences. Here is a pictures of one particular volunteer and a little quote about it:

The thing about a terrarium is that it is an enclosed ecosystem that goes through its own life cycles. I collect plants, moss, rocks, etc, from the woods for my terrariums, so along with those specimen come all manner of invisible (to my eye) life forms. At first, I was repulsed by the creatures that would hatch or crawl out of the dirt, the little pellets they produced, the mold, and the general decay. I was frustrated by the transformations in these enclosed environments that I had carefully designed and spent an inordinate amount of time trying to “manage” the undesirable elements. Luckily, for these elements, my innate laziness won out and I started letting them alone.

Since then, I have discovered that everything has a life cycle, including mold. I have learned that a pill bug can live for a year (I still can’t figure out what it eats). I have learned to stop imposing my sense of order and prettiness where it doesn’t belong.

And, every once in a while, something entirely unexpected happens. Like this.

If you do own one of our terrariums, or you have made one of your own, in time you might get to experience these volunteers yourself. The fun part is getting to choose which guests you keep and which you show the door!