Why Terrariums Are Great for Your Home or Office

In 1829, a London physician named Nathaniel Ward accidentally discovered that plants could survive and thrive inside a sealed glass container. He had been trying to hatch a moth chrysalis. Instead, he invented the concept that would eventually become the modern terrarium.

Nearly 200 years later, the principle remains unchanged. A glass vessel, some soil, a few carefully chosen plants and a mostly self-regulating environment that largely takes care of itself has come to be known as the terrarium. What has changed, though, is our understanding of why having one in your home or office could be worthwhile.

Closed vs Open: Knowing the Difference

Terrariums come in two main types, and choosing the right one determines how much attention it will need from you.

Closed terrariums are sealed vessels that generate their own water cycle. Moisture evaporates from the soil, condenses on the glass walls and drips back down to the roots. A well-built closed terrarium can go four to six weeks, sometimes longer, without any watering. The plants suited to this environment are moisture-loving tropical species: cushion moss, fittonia, selaginella and miniature ferns (see more types here). These are plants that evolved beneath dense forest canopies, adapted to humidity and indirect light.

Open terrariums allow free air circulation, which means the soil dries out between waterings. This makes them ideal for succulents, haworthias, air plants and cacti, species that store water in their leaves and actively need dry periods to prevent root rot. A light misting every 10 to 14 days is typically all that is required.

For anyone who travels frequently or simply does not want a plant care routine, both options are genuinely forgiving. That is one of the core reasons terrariums have become so popular in busy Singapore homes and workplaces.

At Home: Nature in a Limited Space

Most Singapore homes are apartments. Efficient and well-designed but often short on the organic texture that comes with larger living spaces or outdoor gardens. A terrarium addresses this directly.

The science behind why greenery improves indoor spaces is well-established. According to research in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology, engaging with indoor greenery significantly lowers psychological and physiological stress levels, especially when compared to performing tasks on a screen. Participants showed lower blood pressure and lower self-reported anxiety. This is the core principle behind biophilic design—the deliberate incorporation of natural elements into built environments based on our deep-rooted human response to living things.

A terrarium does not need to be large to contribute to this. A compact closed vessel on a bathroom shelf benefits from shower humidity and indirect light, nearly perfect conditions with zero effort. A small open arrangement on a kitchen windowsill stays dry and bright, exactly what succulents prefer. Neither demands much space. Neither demands much of your time.

Beyond the functional benefits, terrariums have become one of the most requested housewarming gifts in Singapore. The reason is straightforward: they are handmade, living and personal in a way that a purchased plant simply is not. 

A terrarium built at a J2 Terrarium workshop carries that quality even more distinctly. Every participant selects their own plants, arranges their own stones and assembles the whole thing from scratch. The result cannot be replicated from the shelf!

At Work: A Practical Tool, Not Just a Nice Touch

The connection between plants and workplace performance is better documented than most people realise. A 2014 study from the University of Exeter found that employees in offices with plants reported 15% higher productivity and greater job satisfaction than those working in spaces without them.

The mechanism likely involves attention restoration theory, a framework developed by environmental psychologists Rachel and Stephen Kaplan. Sustained cognitive work depletes directed attention over time. Natural stimuli, including plants, engage a different mode of perception, involuntary and effortless, that allows the focused mind to recover. A terrarium on a desk provides exactly this kind of restorative micro-stimulus. You are not consciously watching it. But when your eyes drift from a screen and land briefly on something living and green, the effect is real.

Practically speaking, terrariums suit office environments well for reasons beyond the research. A compact geometric vessel occupies roughly the same desk footprint as a coffee mug. It does not shed leaves, overflow drainage or require moving for cleaning. It simply sits there, growing quietly and doing its work—like you.

For companies thinking about staff wellbeing and the physical quality of their workspaces, this is a low-cost intervention with evidence behind it. Take a look at what we’ve done for other corporate teams here.

Workshops: Building One Together

Terrarium-making has become one of the more effective corporate team activities in Singapore, and the reason is not complicated. The task is hands-on and absorbing. There is no competitive element. No one is being assessed. People talk more naturally when their hands are occupied with something.

J2 Terrarium facilitates workshops for groups of all sizes across Singapore, from small team sessions to large-scale corporate events with over a hundred participants. Facilitators with more than five years of hands-on experience guide every group through plant selection, substrate layering, assembly and finishing. All materials are provided. The J2 Terrarium team handles setup and takedown. Every participant leaves with a working terrarium they built themselves, which is the detail people tend to remember long after the session.

The workshops travel to your venue, removing any logistical burden from the host. Whether the event is a birthday gathering, a bridal shower or a company team day, the format adapts.

Care in Brief

A properly built terrarium needs very little. For closed types, watch for condensation on the glass. If it is there, the system is working and needs nothing from you. For open types, let the soil dry completely before watering. Keep both away from direct harsh sunlight, which concentrates through glass and builds heat quickly. Trim any leaves touching the glass periodically to prevent rot.

That is genuinely the full requirement for most terrariums. 15 minutes a month, at most.

Looking to bring a terrarium into your home or introduce one to your team? J2 Terrarium also runs customised workshops for private events and corporate groups across Singapore. All materials are included. Reach out to find out more, or book an experience from our open dates now.