Building a little garden under glass

Due to the tiny nature of terrariums, the perception tends to be that creating one of these itty-bitty worlds is simple.

Geiger - a former Bay Area resident who moved to Reno with her family - starts by introducing materials, so readers know their soils from their mosses and their cacti from tropical plants and tillandsias.

Beyond a wealth of easy-to-follow fundamentals, readers are treated to a creative assortment of vistas in vessels ranging from old whiskey bottles to club soda bottles, discarded light fixtures, light bulbs and Mason jars.

Whiskey Wonderland From "Terrariums Reimagined," by Kat Geiger ($14.95; Ulysses Press).These pub-derived vessels are ideal for tropical planting.

Opting for a bottle with an opening about 1 inch wide will help prevent too much moisture from escaping the bitty tropical shelter.

Funnel potting soil into the vessel in the same manner, using your hands as a funnel until the drainage material or charcoal is covered by approximately 1 inch.

Since you are planting a tropical terrarium, use an all-purpose potting soil.

Once the moss is inside, use a chopstick to coax it into the appropriate position, ensuring that it's right side up and the anchors are touching the soil.

Once your plant is sitting on top of the moss, use a chopstick to carefully plant the roots in between the moss pillows, making a small hole in the soil below.