Branch vivariums

I love the contrast that some vivarium and aquarium designs show between the chaos and complexity of a natural plant display and a more formal or abstract setting. The vivariums below illustrate one way of achieving this – through highlighting a single branch or a few branches isolated from their wider setting. The examples without backgrounds or substrate in particular are a high impact way of showcasing epiphytic plants such as bromeliads or miniature orchids or even arboreal animals such as tree snakes and tree frogs.

Sarracenia terrariums

Some great displays growing North American Sarracenia pitcher plants in tall narrow enclosures.  The first two, taller examples are almost perfect and much more effective for me than the wider one. Letting them grow to be a bit crowded also seems to complete the look nicely. Love the combination in the first with the grass-like plant, which might be Juncus effusus ‘Spiralis’, and the pink-flowered Pinguicula.

Tepui plants

The tops of the table mountains or tepui in the south east of Venezuela and northern Brazil have a unique flora and fauna that has developed as a result of their physical and climatic isolation. The hummocks that develop in wet areas would make a great model for a naturalistic terrarium project. I love the combination of water, wind-carved dark rocks and the red, silvery green and bright green of the plants. These include a variety of carnivorous plants, including Heliamphora pitcher plants, Drosera sundews, lithophytic and commensal Utricularia bladderworts (growing in pitchers and bromeliad tanks), and bromeliads (including Brochinnia, Catopsis and Tillandsia) that have some commercial availability. Beyond this, the plants are a bit obscure, but include grasses, orchids and some odd Ericaceae. I will need to do a bit more research.

The botanical art of Makoto Azuma

I see some great inspiration for terrarium and vivarium keepers from the work of ‘botanical artist’ Makoto Azuma (www.azumamakoto.com). I’m not sure many of us will want to freeze our prized plants or shoot them into space, but her caged and suspended epiphyte exhibits perhaps suggest a direction for modernist tree frog vivs and her stark minimalistic terrariums a way to focus attention on underappreciated individual plants in our collections.

All images are ©AMKK