Home & Garden Garden How to DIY Adorable Snail Shell Miniature Gardens By Kimberley Mok Writer McGill University Cornell University Kimberley Mok is a former architect who covered architecture and the arts for Treehugger starting in 2007. our editorial process Twitter Twitter Kimberley Mok Updated February 18, 2021 ©. Megan Andersen Snail Shell Gardens Share Twitter Pinterest Email Home & Garden Planting Guides Indoor Gardening Urban Farms Insects © Megan Andersen Snail Shell Gardens We've seen plenty of mini-gardens before, whether suspended as part of a lamp, hung in knitted "plantbomb" pockets all over the city, or even strapped to a bike, but these glorious little gardens growing out of snail shells take the cake. Not only are they something that anyone can create, but their tiny stature reminds us how fragile life can be. © Megan Andersen We spotted these diminutive delights over at Recyclart, grown by Los Angeles-based crafter and photographer Megan Andersen (a.k.a. "Radmegan"), who told us the inspiration behind these beautiful creations: I love gardening. My husband and I live in a house now, but I've spent many years in apartments where the (lack of) space was just not conducive to gardening. I started looking at small and slow-growing succulents as well as various natural vessels that would make interesting mini gardens so that anyone could enjoy a little nature in their home. All right, so how to make one of your own? © Megan Andersen Make your own snail shell garden Here's what you'll need: It's pretty simple from here: put a thumbful of potting soil into the shell, transplant your chosen succulent(s), and voila! an almost-instant itsy-bitsy wonder. © Megan Andersen © Megan Andersen Maintenance tips Perfect for small spaces, these succulents are also pretty light on daily care, says Megan, who also has a tutorial on her blog for making these snail shell gardens: I knew that whatever I planted inside of a snail shell (where there's not a lot of room for potting soil) would have to be somewhat drought tolerant. All of my snail shell gardens are still alive and well since I first posted that tutorial. My growing secret? I keep them on the window sill in my kitchen so that I see them every day. I only water them every week or so, but I SEE them every day so that I can keep an eye on their general health, and catch those special moments when the succulents bloom! © Megan Andersen A truly magical little combination; more over at Megan's blog and Etsy page.