Shailaja Munshi, a Malabar Hill resident, cannot remember the last time she gave someone a gift that wasn't a plant. Her love for gardening blossomed after her marriage; over the years she has tended to a beautiful balcony garden in her home.
Then one night, a chance meeting with her friend Preeti Reshamia got her introduced to the art and beauty of terrariums. Reshamia, who conducts classes and takes orders for flower arrangements, did not like muddying her hands with soil so she sought Munshi's help in adding a touch of green to her home.
"There is a complete dearth of greenery in people's homes in Mumbai," says Munshi, which is why she and Reshamia decided to add to the green movement in the city, leading to the birth of Earth Bowl.
Earth Bowl is nearly one year old now but has only just made its online debut on facebook and Instagram where delicate, transparent terrariums are catching everyone's eye. The terrariums come in different shapes and sizes: pear-shaped, apple-shaped, wine glasses, bowls and our favourite, the hanging bulbs. Terrariums are layered with a mixture of soil, pretty indoor plants like peperomia, spider plant and button syngonium, along with accessories like shells and tiny clay animals. While some landscapes have just one plant, others include two-three plants. "It's an ecosystem in itself and therein lies its beauty. Terrariums are easy to maintain and can brighten up any corner," says Munshi.
The terrariums are packaged in special corrugated boxes and come with a spray bottle for watering and a leaflet, which includes information about caring for the plant. The plants can be kept in air-conditioned rooms but not in direct sunlight. The Earth Bowl team also creates micro landscapes in ceramic trays, pots and shells.
Many of Earth Bowl's customers are novices, who don't have much idea about how to look after the plants. Munshi and Reshamia mention receiving WhatsApp messages and pictures from terrarium owners to check on every little thing that happens to their plants.
"Many people have bought terrariums from Earth Bowl to give away as gifts for birthday parties, Diwali, baby showers and even as return gifts for a kid's birthday," says Reshamia. Children, surprisingly, are big fans of their work.
At a recent flea market in Bandra, many children showed interest in the terrariums, urging their parents to buy some for them.
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