My wife just bought a house with neighboring house stacked together like sardines, no yard and an incredibly nasty HOA. So I intend to lock myself up on the second floor but need to have SOME greenery that I don't have to drive to. I'm thinking of a terrarium but know nothing about them. Other than getting divorced (damned religious reasons), what ideas are out there that would work for me?

Thank you so much!

Darn, I feel your pain! I'd turn that second floor into a jungle. Add a lot of heavy duty plant lights, a fountain or two, and go to town. You could make yourself a wonderful space up there!

I've only had terrariums at times. Most of mine had plants that grew way too quickly, so I was always having to prune them down.

You could use a fish tank. Best of luck - we all need some green. I have a very small house and yard and cram it with whatever I can fit it.

A terrarium sounds neat! (Sorry about the HOA though, and sardines stink). There are lots of cool plants you could put in the terrarium. Have you ever seen mudskippers? I think they're very fun. You could build a mudskipper oasis, and add different levels with may different types of rocks and plants. That would require a fish tank. If you want to build only a terrarium, there are many ways to do so. Some can be found ready to be filled on Amazon. Or watch YouTube to get different ideas.

Hit the Thrift stores and look for old aquariums. If you don't care if they hold water, why spend the money on something that does? Grow small plants that won't outgrow your terrarium but will still be fun. I grow miniature orchids, club mosses and Sundews in terrariums.

If you can fit in some Baker's racks, add some LED lights (at least 6000k but low tempurature), you can build an incredible indoor garden. (The neighbors will assume you have started an indoor pot farm).

Have fun!

Here's a thought for you
http://garden.org/forums/view/...