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Gardening queen Mona Haji turns empty vases and glass vessels into works of art full of lush greenery with the aim of brightening up people’s homes and work spaces as well as reconnecting them with nature.
The mother-of-three has always been passionate about agriculture, spending hours on end in her own backyard planting and digging away to transform her space into her vision of the Garden of Eden.
Her garden was her solace and haven for meditation and inspiration. Until one day it was uprooted from her grasp and she had to move into an apartment where she sadly fell into a depressed state for quite some time.
Mona, who works in administration, said: “When I moved into that apartment, I missed my plants and the sight of greenery so much that I wanted to cover every room with some form of flower or plant.
“Emotionally, I was not in a good place and I felt as though I was missing something from my life. I loved gardening and used to spend so much time in my backyard. I used to go online and research different plants and gardening techniques as well as secrets to long-lasting soil that nourishes plants. I studied everything. It was a passion and my hobby.
“But then, I gave it up when I was told by different people in my past that it wasn’t meant for me. Apparently, gardening is for men … it’s not women’s work! And while yes it’s very much an old-way of thinking, I did stop … until I moved to the apartment and found refuge in plants.”
Realising that an apartment is no place to grow a fully-fledged garden she began to search for alternative methods which is when she came across terrariums.
A terrarium is a collection of small plants growing in a transparent, sealed or open container. The decorative mini-gardens are easy-to-make, low-maintenance and can last almost indefinitely with minimal water.
Mona said: “Terrariums were perfect to work on. They are great for small spaces because the different sized containers and vases can be moved around and placed anywhere. It can work as a decorative piece to personalise your home or office. Also, these tiny terrariums have wellness-boosting benefits. There have been many studies stating that plants have a positive effect on a person’s productivity, stress and air quality.
“Plus, it was a great way for me to keep busy. As soon as I grabbed a hand full of soil, I knew that this was my calling. It’s as though nature helped me blossom into a more confident and happy person again. I found my spirit in the soil. These terrariums weren’t just great to spruce up my new home, but it was also therapeutic and helped me heal.”
With a little research on how to build a terrarium and a lot of love, Mona put together several pieces in different shapes and sizes. She formed an aquarium-style terrarium by adding a special plant that lives in the sea into an open vase full of water and fish. She also grew plants from giant shells and mini fish bowls. Every look and feel was different but her vision was to bring the outdoors in- to a small vase.
“I love landscaping and scenery,” Mona explained. “I am inspired by nature from the vegetation found near the sea to the green jungles and forests. Every terrarium I grow is different. I spend an hour-and-a-half on each and only create three-a-day. My inspiration also hits at any time but mostly at dawn. I end up planting in the early morning, right before I go to work.”
After covering every inch of her home with a terrarium or two, she began to give them as gifts to family and friends.
Mona added: “Instead of taking flowers for friends on bed rest at the hospital or just had a baby, I would give them a terrarium. It’s someone’s birthday, no problem. I would customise a terrarium to what they love. Maybe they love the countryside so I will design a tiny field for them. I loved seeing the smiles on people’s faces when they would hold it. Also, it’s so easy to take care of. Simply spritz it once-a-week and leave everything to the soil as I mix all the essentials in it to help it grow and last longer.
“My family and friends loved it so much that they suggested I start a business and I thought why not? It’s something I love and enjoy.”
She created an account on Instagram called @Mona.terranium and began selling her products starting at BD12. Mona even participated in various exhibitions at Al Aali Shopping Complex during Ramadan, at Gulf Interiors and at the Bahrain Financial Harbour, to promote her mini-creations.
Word of her landscaped vases spread across the region like wildfire and people from different backgrounds and nationalities began snapping up the products.
Mona said: “Bahrainis are picking up on the trend but most of my customers are American, British, Lebanese, Indian or even Saudi Arabian. I have received a lot of positive feedback and am so glad that people love my plants. I purchase my plants from Holland and vases from Turkey.”
Aside from picking up her supplies from Turkey, she was trained in a workshop there to add more elements to her gardens such as her latest addition, a waterfall.
“The beauty of the terrarium is in the detail,” explained Mona. “I try to make each landscape look as real and as beautiful as possible. I wanted to do something new so I began purchasing candles from Turkey and shaping them into lakes, seas and waterfalls to add as background for the plants. For example, in one of my terriras, I have a little house surrounded by plants and a lake made out of the candle nearby. A lot of work goes into this and colouring and positioning. I can customise a terrarium to whatever my client wants and I can suit anyone’s budget. I have gotten a lot of requests for the aquarium-style for baby showers. The different coloured fish represent the gender of the baby.”
Mona has also been approached by different corporations and a hotel to design several styles to be used as gifts and to decorate lobbies, restaurants and rooms.
She is now also making it easier for her customers online by offering delivery around the Gulf.
Her daughters Jenan, 19, a law student at Bahrain University and Fatima, 22, who works in the Ministry of Education and her entrepreneurial son Ahmed, 21, are proud of how far she has come.
Mona said: “I am grateful to their support and am overwhelmed by how much people love my work. It warms my heart to see how proud they are and to know that I did all this with my own two hands. I went from having nothing at one point to feeling as though I have everything. However, my dream is to one day own a piece of land to grow my own plants and have my own workshop there to grow and create even more terrariums.
“I also hope to one day open up a proper shop but for now I will continue to grow online. I am truly happy and want to shout out to all the naysayers that said women can’t garden that they are wrong. Women can do anything men can do. My fruitful business is proof. I am humbled by all the happy customers. I still believe I have a lot to learn and will continue to add new elements and methods to terrariums.”
Although Mona is currently working on a few projects, she is still hopeful to participate in the popular Bahrain International Garden Show (BIGS) which will be staged at the Bahrain International Convention and Exhibition Centre on February 22-25.
The terrarium dates back to 1842 when Botanist Nathaniel Bagshaw was observing insect behavior. One day, he accidentally left one of the jars unopened and a fern spore grew and germinated into a plant. The result was breathtaking which led Ward to expand on the concept and soon the trend spread.
Orchids, fern, moss, and air plants are popular and more suited for closed terrariums, while water-conserving succulents are the standard for open terrariums.
