KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 13 — A welcome departure from the ordinary house plant, terrariums are all the craze now. These mini indoor gardens encased in glass containers are good for those with limited space and time, since they are quite easy to maintain. 

Housemates Muhamad Faisal bin Hashim and Muhamad Faizal bin Mahmud discovered terrariums when they wanted to incorporate plants into their apartment. Due to minimal space, they decided to explore the world of terrariums which led to them starting their own business, Ficus & Jars. “We discovered terrariums so we did more research... we were inspired by Pinterest,” said Faisal. 

After they made their first terrarium, they shared it on Instagram. “We had no background in planting but we wanted to do gardening. This is what we call a mini-scape. It is suitable for apartments,” said Faisal. 

Muhamad Faizal bin Mahmud and Muhamad Faisal bin Hashim delved into terrariums when they wanted a garden but couldn’t do it because they lived in an apartment.
Muhamad Faizal bin Mahmud and Muhamad Faisal bin Hashim delved into terrariums when they wanted a garden but couldn’t do it because they lived in an apartment.

From there onwards, they received a lot of feedback from their families and friends. Initially given as gifts, they decided to make it a business. In September 2013, Ficus & Jars was launched. 

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Sales were initially via their Instagram account @ficusandjars. Nowadays, their terrariums can be found at DESIGNation in Publika and Cake Jalan Tiung in Shah Alam. 

Faisal is a photography lecturer at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology while Faizal is a graphic designer for Media Prima. They met while studying at UiTM MARA — Faizal is Faisal’s junior. Both of them spend their free time after work and on weekends designing and making terrariums that boast sleek and minimal designs. According to Ficus & Jars, they are creating happiness in jars for everyone to enjoy and de-stress in our hectic world. 

Ficus & Jars are all about geometric jars which are aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
Ficus & Jars are all about geometric jars which are aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

What also makes Ficus & Jars unique is they offer a wide range of bases. Their signature faceted geometric glass cases, when paired with their carefully selected plants elevates their terrariums into objects of art. The open-mouth structures are inspired by crystal formations. 

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The duo uses layers of different textured sand and soil to create an effect akin to the earth’s crust. Above, they plant cacti, succulents and air plants. These were chosen as they are low maintenance and survive longer. 

Moreover, you only need to water them once a week, making them easier to care for if you lead a busy life.

The duo designs the bases and send them over to their supplier who would painstakingly make these geometric shaped structures by hand. Another version is the geometric wooden base planters that retail from RM200 to RM300. 

Planting a terrarium is easy as shown by Muhamad Faizal bin Mahmud (left). Succulents are beautiful plants which only require watering once a week (right).
Planting a terrarium is easy as shown by Muhamad Faizal bin Mahmud (left). Succulents are beautiful plants which only require watering once a week (right).

It comes in three designs. Faisal said that a lot of R&D goes into the design and recently they found out that if you overwater the plants, the wood beneath will crack so they are currently working on improving the design. 

Ficus & Jars also offer hanging glass terrariums. For a Zen look, you can select their white Sansui pots decorated with a mini landscape and driftwood. 

All terrariums from Ficus & Jars come ready-made so you can start your urban garden immediately. There are various sizes and designs priced between RM65 to RM580. You can also order customised terrariums. If you take good care of the terrarium, they can live from three to six months. “You need to give them lots of love,” said Faisal. After every six months, you are encouraged to add fertiliser and rearrange it. 

All Ficus & Jars terrariums are ready made so you can start gardening straightaway!
All Ficus & Jars terrariums are ready made so you can start gardening straightaway!

In addition to terrariums, Ficus & Jars also carry a range of intricate geometric mobiles known as himmeli. These mobiles are based on an old Finnish tradition where they created mobiles from straw to mark the beginning of winter solstice and signify good fortune for the future. 

Have a mini garden with Ficus & Jars geometric sets.
Have a mini garden with Ficus & Jars geometric sets.

Usually, the himmeli can be used as decoration or to place your air plants. Ficus & Jars also carries home decorative items, like apothecary bottles and Edison bulbs.

Faisal and Faizal also attend bazaars such as the recent one at Awegallery in Taman Paramount. “It depends how free we are at the time. We need to choose what type of bazaars to participate in because we want to be able to cater to our target market,” said Faizal. 

To help kickstart an urban gardening habit, they have also come up with D-I-Y packs for students. “We want to educate youngsters about the green vibe,” said Faizal. The duo also conducts terrarium workshops. Last April, they teamed up with Hello Deer at Damansara Uptown to run a sand dust terrarium workshop.

Future plans for Ficus & Jars include opening their own shop to be filled with plants, a dream for the two green fingered gentlemen. They are also studying up on moss gardens which are different as those are placed in closed terrariums.

To find out more about Ficus & Jars:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ficusandjars
Instagram: www.instagram.com/ficusandjars

You can also purchase their products at DESIGNation, Publika (https://www.facebook.com/designation.co/) and Cake Jalan Tiung at Shah Alam (https://www.facebook.com/cakejalantiung/)