Decorative glass cloche: shapes, sizes and display ideas

A decorative glass cloche puts an object or a plant on display, safe from dust. Choose its shape to suit the spot: a low dome for a table, a tall egg for a shelf, a large dome for a centerpiece. If it holds a plant, treat it like a terrarium: indirect light, never direct sun.

Cloche, dome or egg: what we mean

A cloche is a glass cover placed over what it protects. Gardeners use one to cover a plant. According to the RHS, the simple bell-shaped cloche is the most basic model: it covers a single plant.

Indoors, a cloche becomes a small closed environment. According to Iowa State University, a cloche creates the same environment as a terrarium.

Our models come in two shapes:

• The two-part domes. The lower part holds the scene. The upper part fits over it. There is no lid and no narrow neck.
• The egg-shaped bell jar. A single piece of blown glass, tall and slim, supplied without a lid.

None of our models is sold with a base. If you are looking for a cloche on a tray, our guide carboy or jar describes that format.

The sizes, side by side

All our models are made of recycled glass and sold empty.

Recycled glass can keep fine air bubbles in its wall. According to the manufacturer, they do not affect its strength.

Choose by the spot

On a table. Guests must be able to see each other over the cloche. A low model, such as the 20 cm round dome, stays discreet. Our guide to the terrarium centerpiece gives the heights to keep to.

On a shelf or a console. Tall shapes find their place here. The large egg dome, 30 cm tall, catches the eye without taking up width.

As a centerpiece. The large round dome measures 28 cm both ways, for about 13.5 liters. The upper half lifts off completely: you plant and arrange the decoration by hand, without terrarium tools.

Also measure the free height. A shelf that is too low stops you from lifting the upper part of a dome.

Display ideas

A single plant

This is the simplest use, and often the most beautiful. The egg-shaped bell jar, 12 cm in diameter, shows off a single plant, a cutting or a cushion of moss. Its product page recommends light substrate layers: a handful of clay balls, a little activated charcoal and terrarium potting soil.

The egg bell jar comes without a lid. It works as an open terrarium, or closed with a cork lid bought separately.

A moss landscape

A cushion of living moss, a pebble, a little empty space. The 20 cm round dome suits this well. Its two parts fit into each other: you lay the moss in the lower part, then close it.

A small scene

A few houses or figurines on the moss give a sense of scale. For the holidays, our guide to the miniature Christmas village shows how to draw a street in a dome. University guides recommend objects that do not mind humidity, such as glass, ceramic or plastic.

An object without a plant

A cloche can also cover a dry object: a stone, a pine cone, a small sculpture. With no plant and no soil, there is no humidity to manage. The cloche then only protects from dust.

A cloche with a plant: the rules

As soon as a plant lives under the glass, the cloche becomes a terrarium.

• Bright, indirect light. The RHS says to keep terrariums out of direct sun and away from heat sources.
• A fixed spot. Mississippi State University advises against moving a terrarium often.
• Few plants. Our small models, 12 cm in diameter, take only one.
• No leaves against the glass. A leaf touching the glass holds humidity and encourages disease, according to Mississippi State.

Watch the condensation. Under a garden cloche, the RHS warns that air that is too humid encourages disease, for lack of ventilation. In a dome, if water streams down the glass all the time, lift the upper part for a few hours a day, until the condensation is light again.

Care for the glass

A decorative cloche is seen up close. The glass must stay clear.

• On the outside, a soft dry cloth is usually enough.
• On the inside, Mississippi State recommends misting the glass to rinse off charcoal and soil dust.
• For marks and deposits, our guide to dirty terrarium glass explains how to remove them.

Lift the upper part of a dome with both hands, keeping it straight. Set it back down gently, without sliding it over the rim.

In short

1. Choose the shape to suit the spot: a low dome on a table, a tall egg on a shelf.
2. Our domes fit together in two parts; the egg bell jar comes without a lid. None has a base.
3. Only one plant in the 12 cm diameter models.
4. With a plant: bright, indirect light, never direct sun, away from heating.
5. If water streams down the glass, open it for a few hours a day until the condensation is light.

Sources

• How to Create and Care for a Terrarium, Iowa State University Extension
• Bottle gardens and terrariums, RHS
• Cloches: how to use them, RHS
• How to Design a Closed-System Terrarium, Mississippi State University Extension
• Manufacturer data sheets (dimensions, volume, closure and number of plants for each model)