ABOUT THIS TEACHER

When did you start making terrariums?
Five years ago, I was working as a barista at a coffee shop and the owner allowed me to showcase my work to sell. I’d get off work, go home and make more terrariums!

Why do you love them so much?
I love them because they’re self-sufficient, water-conserving and anyone can make one, out of any recycled or loved container. I love the enclosed designs more, because the plants create their own atmosphere and watching them grow is rewarding. I love watching a fern unfurl in glass displaying an imagery of slow progress.

When/why did you start Slavonk + Hortus?
I started in 2010, building from home after reading a circa 1973 terrarium DIY. I liked the idea of watching ferns and ivies unfurl under glass. I’m busy, but I like to have green around me, especially in times when I don’t live in an area so green…terrariums provide a green glow in the space, which evokes creativity, while not having to water as often. I wanted to provide designs that work with plants, not just cutting them and admiring them in a vase for a week. Mainly, I enjoy building them and I’d like to inspire those who appreciate it as much as I do.

What does the name mean // how did you come up with it?
Slavonk is a design name. I appreciate Eastern European design and pieces of their culture inspire me. Hortus Conclusus is a Latin term, meaning literally “enclosed garden.”