( CNN ) -- It 's not gardening the way most know it -- the people sifting through air plants , succulents and clumps of moss , often between glasses of wine . But terrarium gardens and other tiny plant projects are popping up at home , in classes and parties . It 's a dÃ©cor trend that 's partly about plants , and partly about getting personal . The small , easy-to-care-for gardens have shown up in home design magazines , and on the shelves of craft , dÃ©cor and nursery stores . They create scenes on a shelf , or hang in clusters from the ceiling , softening corners . As the DIY crowd continues to experiment with the form , they 're being made into pendants and earrings or built into miniature containers , like light bulbs and snail shells . Some are even crafting terrariums to commemorate personal experiences . Share your style ! It could be CNN Living 's Design of the Day . `` I see them with their tweezers , pushing the plants into the moss and making everything just so . It 's like a little Japanese Zen garden , '' said Nicolette Valdespino , owner of Terraria , inside the Atlanta home goods dealer Paris on Ponce . She sells terrariums and teaches monthly terrarium-building classes . `` Terrariums are a way of bringing the outdoors in , and I think we all need that . We need some grounding influence in our lives . `` We 're never unplugged now . So maybe what we 're looking for is that little bit of sanctuary , that little bit of peace . '' Atlanta designer and architect Mark Williams said terrariums are popular right now as an antidote to rigid , architectural spaces . They provide an organic texture and color that designers love to work with , as well as create an interesting vignette in a room . `` Instead of putting a palm or a ficus in a corner , it 's something you can install on a wall , in a series of containers on a grid , essentially what is a living wall , '' he said . But the harmony of terrariums in the home all comes back to texture and scale , Williams said . The plants themselves are gorgeous when you get up close , he said , but take a step back to appreciate the size , shape and color of succulents coming together . `` We love tightly compact clusters of succulents , '' Williams said of his design company . `` They 're so different , not something we as Southeastern natives have grown up with . '' Aquarium-style terrariums had a moment in the 1970s , but these days , there 's an emphasis on fantasy , found objects and the creator 's personality . Terrariums can be sparse and minimalist or multi-media . Some adopt Japanese forms , such as kokedama and Bonsai , or serve as a reminder of the owner 's travels . Generally , all anyone really needs to make a terrarium is a vessel , a plant and a substrate for the plant to grow in . `` We 've seen an increase in terrarium building for about two years now , '' said Melodie McDanal , a Pike Nurseries associate and Georgia-certified nursery professional . In terrariums , people use any plant that survives well in enclosed areas , including succulents , air plants -- plants that receive their nutrients from the air -- palms and begonias . `` There 's a big variety now because the growers saw that it was doing really well , '' she said . Take CNN 's Earth Day quiz . Moss has been a popular part of the trend , too . Its dense texture creates visual interest on a small scale , and it keeps plants moist like mulch would for an outdoor garden . Some moss can be used like a painter might blend colors on a canvas , Valdespino said . `` Reindeer moss , especially , is dyed in reds and greens and turquoise , '' said Terraria 's Valdespino . `` When you tear it apart , it has this delicate , coral-like structure that is really beautiful in small spaces . '' Sheet moss is a great option for wrapping small plant projects , like begonia balls . They 're a Southern take on kokedama , an ancient Japanese hanging garden technique . Valdespino and her partner Vance McCoy took begonias out of their pots , wrapped the dirt in moss and then wrapped string around the ball of dirt . `` It 's quiet greenery , '' she said . `` It does n't get wild , it does n't overgrow . '' But as hobbyists are learning to make their own , they 're as much about personal tastes and experiences as how they look in a room . `` The terrarium you make today is most likely not be the same as the terrarium you make five years from now . And that 's a good thing because you 're changing as an individual , '' Valdespino said . `` Terrariums are representative of you . These are little metaphors for you , for a place you 've been or a place you want to go . `` It 's not just a fern in a pot . '' What 's your tiny plant project ? Share an image with us on Facebook or on Twitter @ CNNLiving .
This and other small garden projects are trendy in home dÃ in 2013 . People are building gardens in small glass pots , light bulbs and snail shells . Designers say the small plant arrangements can tell personal stories . Designer : ` ` Terrariums are a way of bringing the outdoors in ''