"Worlds Oldest Terrarium" by David Latimer
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wrote last edited by [email protected]
In 1960, David Latimer decided to grow a sealed glass bottle terrarium. He never imagined that it would grow into an incredible research study and be dubbed “the world’s oldest terrarium.”
Over the years, David’s bottle garden was sealed shut but remains healthy and robust as it can be. It has a flourishing plant life even though it has not been watered since 1972.
David established the terrarium by placing a quarter pint of compost and water inside the ten-gallon bottle (custom hand-blown glass makers usually make these). He then added spiderworts seeds with the help of a wire.
After that, he sealed the bottle and put it in a corner filled with sunlight. Then, let nature do its job through photosynthesis ¹.
Photosynthesis releases oxygen and moisture into the air via plants. The water will then build up and drip onto the plants. The leaves will also fall and rot, releasing carbon dioxide, which the plants require for their food.
It is creating a self-sustaining ecosystem. It’s a stunning illustration of how nature can preserve itself.
Latimer opened the terrarium in 1972 to supply the plants with water. However, it has been sealed with no air or freshwater ever since.
The garden has been set in the same room for the past 27 years at the home of the Latimer family (at the time of the interview, it was moved around before that).
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In 1960, David Latimer decided to grow a sealed glass bottle terrarium. He never imagined that it would grow into an incredible research study and be dubbed “the world’s oldest terrarium.”
Over the years, David’s bottle garden was sealed shut but remains healthy and robust as it can be. It has a flourishing plant life even though it has not been watered since 1972.
David established the terrarium by placing a quarter pint of compost and water inside the ten-gallon bottle (custom hand-blown glass makers usually make these). He then added spiderworts seeds with the help of a wire.
After that, he sealed the bottle and put it in a corner filled with sunlight. Then, let nature do its job through photosynthesis ¹.
Photosynthesis releases oxygen and moisture into the air via plants. The water will then build up and drip onto the plants. The leaves will also fall and rot, releasing carbon dioxide, which the plants require for their food.
It is creating a self-sustaining ecosystem. It’s a stunning illustration of how nature can preserve itself.
Latimer opened the terrarium in 1972 to supply the plants with water. However, it has been sealed with no air or freshwater ever since.
The garden has been set in the same room for the past 27 years at the home of the Latimer family (at the time of the interview, it was moved around before that).
That photo is old as fuck. Wonder what it looks like now.
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In 1960, David Latimer decided to grow a sealed glass bottle terrarium. He never imagined that it would grow into an incredible research study and be dubbed “the world’s oldest terrarium.”
Over the years, David’s bottle garden was sealed shut but remains healthy and robust as it can be. It has a flourishing plant life even though it has not been watered since 1972.
David established the terrarium by placing a quarter pint of compost and water inside the ten-gallon bottle (custom hand-blown glass makers usually make these). He then added spiderworts seeds with the help of a wire.
After that, he sealed the bottle and put it in a corner filled with sunlight. Then, let nature do its job through photosynthesis ¹.
Photosynthesis releases oxygen and moisture into the air via plants. The water will then build up and drip onto the plants. The leaves will also fall and rot, releasing carbon dioxide, which the plants require for their food.
It is creating a self-sustaining ecosystem. It’s a stunning illustration of how nature can preserve itself.
Latimer opened the terrarium in 1972 to supply the plants with water. However, it has been sealed with no air or freshwater ever since.
The garden has been set in the same room for the past 27 years at the home of the Latimer family (at the time of the interview, it was moved around before that).
That's amazing. I love the idea of creating a self sustaining ecosystem like that.
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In 1960, David Latimer decided to grow a sealed glass bottle terrarium. He never imagined that it would grow into an incredible research study and be dubbed “the world’s oldest terrarium.”
Over the years, David’s bottle garden was sealed shut but remains healthy and robust as it can be. It has a flourishing plant life even though it has not been watered since 1972.
David established the terrarium by placing a quarter pint of compost and water inside the ten-gallon bottle (custom hand-blown glass makers usually make these). He then added spiderworts seeds with the help of a wire.
After that, he sealed the bottle and put it in a corner filled with sunlight. Then, let nature do its job through photosynthesis ¹.
Photosynthesis releases oxygen and moisture into the air via plants. The water will then build up and drip onto the plants. The leaves will also fall and rot, releasing carbon dioxide, which the plants require for their food.
It is creating a self-sustaining ecosystem. It’s a stunning illustration of how nature can preserve itself.
Latimer opened the terrarium in 1972 to supply the plants with water. However, it has been sealed with no air or freshwater ever since.
The garden has been set in the same room for the past 27 years at the home of the Latimer family (at the time of the interview, it was moved around before that).
I'm amazed that either the range of inputs is so permissive as to allow this balance by accident, or he managed to get it right on the first try.
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That photo is old as fuck. Wonder what it looks like now.
I tried to look it up, but too much AI slop to dig through, all based on the articles from 2010s.
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I'm amazed that either the range of inputs is so permissive as to allow this balance by accident, or he managed to get it right on the first try.
It’s actually not that rare. If you have detrivores recycling the plant materials and sunlight as an input for photosynthesis, then the ecosystem can go on basically forever as a closed loop if water doesn’t escape. (Of course it tends to get very very thick vegetation since something this small doesn’t support any big herbivorous insect population).
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In 1960, David Latimer decided to grow a sealed glass bottle terrarium. He never imagined that it would grow into an incredible research study and be dubbed “the world’s oldest terrarium.”
Over the years, David’s bottle garden was sealed shut but remains healthy and robust as it can be. It has a flourishing plant life even though it has not been watered since 1972.
David established the terrarium by placing a quarter pint of compost and water inside the ten-gallon bottle (custom hand-blown glass makers usually make these). He then added spiderworts seeds with the help of a wire.
After that, he sealed the bottle and put it in a corner filled with sunlight. Then, let nature do its job through photosynthesis ¹.
Photosynthesis releases oxygen and moisture into the air via plants. The water will then build up and drip onto the plants. The leaves will also fall and rot, releasing carbon dioxide, which the plants require for their food.
It is creating a self-sustaining ecosystem. It’s a stunning illustration of how nature can preserve itself.
Latimer opened the terrarium in 1972 to supply the plants with water. However, it has been sealed with no air or freshwater ever since.
The garden has been set in the same room for the past 27 years at the home of the Latimer family (at the time of the interview, it was moved around before that).
quarter pint of compost
Uh, not even close?
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That's amazing. I love the idea of creating a self sustaining ecosystem like that.
Earth likes this
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I tried to look it up, but too much AI slop to dig through, all based on the articles from 2010s.
Fucking AI
