Passionate enthusiasts helping Australians discover the joy of miniature ecosystems
Best Terrarium Australia was founded in 2019 by a small group of indoor gardening enthusiasts who shared a common frustration: finding reliable, Australia-specific information about terrariums was surprisingly difficult. Most resources online were written for Northern Hemisphere climates, and the product recommendations rarely accounted for Australian shipping, local conditions, or the unique challenges of our diverse climate zones.
What started as a personal project to document our terrarium experiments quickly grew into something larger. Friends began asking for advice, then friends of friends, and before we knew it, we had built a community of Australian terrarium enthusiasts eager to learn and share their experiences.
Marcus has been creating terrariums for over eight years, starting with a simple succulent arrangement on his Melbourne apartment windowsill. His background in environmental science gives him a unique perspective on creating sustainable miniature ecosystems. He's particularly passionate about closed terrariums and has successfully maintained self-sustaining ecosystems for over three years without opening them.
With a degree in botany from the University of Queensland and five years of experience working at botanical gardens, Sarah brings scientific rigour to our plant selection guides. She specialises in understanding which plant species thrive in terrarium conditions and has conducted extensive trials testing different moss varieties, ferns, and tropical plants in Australian conditions.
Tom's background in industrial design means he has a keen eye for quality craftsmanship. He personally examines every terrarium we recommend, assessing build quality, glass clarity, seal integrity, and overall aesthetic appeal. His workshop in Sydney is home to over thirty different terrarium designs, each carefully documented and tested over time.
We believe that everyone deserves access to honest, well-researched information about terrariums. Too many websites simply list products without genuine testing or consideration for Australian conditions. Our commitment is different:
When evaluating terrariums and related products, we follow a systematic process developed over years of experience:
First, we research the market thoroughly, identifying products that are readily available to Australian consumers with reasonable shipping options. We then purchase products ourselves—never accepting free samples that might bias our opinions. Each terrarium is assessed for glass quality, seal integrity (for closed designs), frame durability, and aesthetic appeal.
Next, we create actual terrariums using these containers, planting them with common species and monitoring their performance over several months. This real-world testing reveals issues that aren't apparent from product photos or specifications—like condensation problems, inadequate drainage, or materials that deteriorate over time.
Only products that pass our rigorous evaluation make it onto our recommendation lists. We regularly revisit our recommendations as new products become available and as we gather long-term performance data on existing ones.
Whether you're creating your first terrarium or you're an experienced enthusiast looking to refine your techniques, we're here to help. Our guides cover everything from basic setup to advanced topics like creating self-sustaining closed ecosystems and propagating rare moss species.
We love hearing from our readers. If you have questions, want to share your terrarium journey, or have suggestions for topics we should cover, please don't hesitate to get in touch. Every terrarium story inspires us to continue our work.