Any interior space without something living and green in it always seems a little sterile. It even smells worse than the verdant outdoors. The problem is that most plants don’t really like living under a ceiling.

One solution to this is actually to rent foliage for your home or office. Every week or so, someone comes to exchange your tired plants for fresh ones so that those that have been out of the sun for a while can get some fresh air. Not only is this probably very confusing if you’re a ficus tree, it also costs quite a bit.

Another option is to somehow provide plants with just the right humidity and temperature, which is exactly what this miniature greenhouse does. In fact, it’s possible to make a completely sealed garden in which water, oxygen and nutrients are endlessly recycled between plants and soil microbes.

If this kind of thing floats your boat, you don’t even have to learn a ton about biology to enjoy it. You can buy a ready-made system that comes with everything you need.

This geometric terrarium is a little less ambitious. In fact, it’s not even water-tight – which is probably a good thing. Too-frequent soakings kill many more container plants than drought. If you find that you need to place a saucer underneath to catch drips, you should probably cut down on the watering anyway. If you want to, however, it takes only a few minutes to treat the terrarium’s seams with some aquarium sealant.

The perfect size to place on a desk or coffee table, the styling alone makes this a great ornament and conversation piece.

Since the moisture level is under your control, you can use it to house anything from desert cacti to tropical ferns – even if you don’t have that much experience with gardening.

The art deco design may put some people off, but there are actually a number of patterns you can choose from, like this one resembling a birdcage. If you’re willing to pay significantly more, you can even go for a custom design that’s sure to intrigue and delight your visitors.