Window farming brings living green to your windowsill. Here is how a closed terrarium fits biophilic design, where to place it and how to look after it.
Window farming means turning a windowsill or bright corner into a small, living garden, and biophilic design is the interior approach of bringing nature into the spaces where you live and work. A closed terrarium suits both ideas well: it is compact, it holds real plants, and it largely looks after its own water and humidity, so a window ledge can stay green without constant upkeep.
Biophilic design is built on a simple observation: people feel more at ease around natural materials, daylight, plants and organic shapes. In a home that translates into a handful of choices rather than a full renovation. Let in as much daylight as you can, use natural textures such as wood, linen and stone, and put living plants where your eyes naturally rest. A windowsill is the ideal place to start because it combines daylight with a spot you pass a dozen times a day.
Window ledges are often narrow, and that is where a terrarium earns its place. Instead of a wide pot that spills over the edge, a glass bottle uses height, so a small footprint still gives you a full mini landscape. The glass also lets light pass through, which makes the plants look lit from within in the morning and evening.
Bright, indirect light is the sweet spot for most terrarium plants. Right behind a south-facing pane in summer, glass can heat up quickly, so a few centimetres of distance or a sheer curtain is a sensible precaution. Our guide on which plants don't belong in a closed terrarium explains what to keep out of the glass if you want it to thrive.
You do not need a lot of space for a window farm to feel like a composition. Think in layers and in odd numbers.
Choose a single terrarium as the focal point. The Sammie Calathea is a pyramid-shaped bottle (Ø 22.5 cm, 27 cm high) closed with a cork, and it comes as a DIY kit with Calathea Lancifolia and Fittonia White Tiger, plus moss, terrarium soil, hydro pellets and activated charcoal. That is enough to plant a complete mini ecosystem by following the included 5-step guide.
Place one or two other objects of different height and texture beside the bottle: a small pot with a trailing plant, a ceramic dish, a stack of books. Natural materials work best, since biophilic design leans on wood, stone and linen rather than glossy plastics.
Resist filling every centimetre. Empty space lets the glass and the leaves stand out, and it makes the window feel calm rather than cluttered.
In a closed terrarium, water evaporates from the soil and plants, condenses on the glass and runs back down, which creates a small cycle of its own. Because of this, you often only need to water once or twice a year. For a windowsill that is a real advantage: no dripping, no trays, no checking the soil every few days.
Care comes down to a few habits. Open the terrarium for a few hours about once a month so fresh air can enter, keep it out of harsh direct sun, and give the glass a wipe when it gets dusty so the light keeps coming through.
Bright light is good, but strong direct sun can warm the glass. Placing it a little back from the pane, or behind a thin curtain, keeps conditions gentler for the plants.
Yes. It brings real plants, natural materials and a view of a small ecosystem into your room, which is exactly what biophilic design aims for, and it does so in a very small space.
Because the closed ecosystem largely regulates its own water and humidity, watering is often needed only once or twice a year. Opening the terrarium for a few hours once a month is recommended.
No. The kit comes with a 5-step guide and care instructions, so you can assemble it yourself even if you are new to plants.
Ready to start your own window farm? Browse the terrarium DIY kits and pick the bottle that suits your windowsill.
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