A good friend of mine actually sent me these seeds, telling me to get a move on I suppose haha. I was lucky enough to find this miniature "greenhouse" on sale at Home Depot. It normally sells for about 8 dollars but if you're lucky you should be able to find it for about 3-4 dollars. I have to admit it's one of the cleanest and most effective ways to start seeds I've tried so far.


I filled the drawers with about 1/3 rocky topsoil, 1/3 potting soil, and 1/3 peat from the peat pods from the greenhouse.
Ideadly you would also have some sort of compost and perlite, but since I didn't have either, I just made sure I used more rocks from the top soil and I mixed in a few bits of decaying cut grass.
We actually left our topsoil outside for a period of time so that a few earthworms had found their way into the soil, fertilizing it. I found a couple of them wriggling around when I was digging through.

I know a lot of people trying to create their own creative/functional herb gardens. While this isn't really a perfect way to do it, it might help show that their isn't any one way to do it. And that sometimes the best things to use are the things you already have laying around, like those drawers. (Just make sure you have enough drainage!)

Marimo is a Japanese word that literally means seaweed ball, those little green things you see above are typically referred to as Marimo Moss Balls. But they are neither seaweed nor moss. They're actually a rare type of algae (Aegagropila linnaei, for those who care) that is known for growing in spherical clumps because of the way the water currents push them along the floor like tumble weeds. 

A Marimo Terrarium is probably the easiest thing to make and also maintain. The main reason why marimos are so popular is because of how easy they are to maintain. They don't require a lot of light and they live in water so you don't have to worry about watering them. All you need to do is change the water weekly. Another reason why people like marimos is because depending on the change of environment and amount of light they get, they can sort of "bounce" up and down when they are photosynthisizing. 


Natural Marimo balls are a national treasure in Japan because of their beauty and cultural significance. They are now being protected because the marimo population has been declining. In fact, natural marimo balls are rarely sold and can cost at least $100 - $200  for a 1-5 in balls.  Those grown artificially however, can cost from $5-$25 at the most expensive price. 

The balls are quite squishy and should be completely solid algae, anything with Styrofoam or something else in the middle is probably a knockoff... yes, there are actually knock offs. It kinda weird holding these in my hand because of the story behind them.

"Legend tells of two lovers who desired nothing more than to be together. When their love was forbidden, they fell into the water, and their hearts became Marimo balls. Marimo are said to bring your heart’s desire to both giver and receiver."
"The Marimo represents love, at least according to Japanese folklore. Because of this story, the Marimo is known as the “love plant,” as it is said that the algae can recognize true love. In fact, many people choose to give a Marimo to the person they hope to spend the rest of their lives with."

It's cute because the marimo, like love, grows slowly and lasts forever, but they say the spirit of their love still lives in the marimos today... So, I'm holding the hearts of long lost lovers.... romantic?



I just let my moss balls sit in water for a few minutes. You could just leave it like this and be done with it.



I added some plant pebbles I had lying around, I've also seen sand and even marbles used pretty much anything you want as long as it isn't putting harmful substances in the water.