It all started with a planted wine globe in a concept store in The Hague. Anja Dölker, a trained social pedagogue, was captivated by the idea of cultivating plants in sealed bottle gardens. Driven by that passion, she acquired the expertise and launched her own venture. By 2020, after successfully nurturing over 20 glass and bottle gardens, Dölker founded DschungelGlas. Since then, she's been creating hermetospheres—the technical term for closed-system bottle gardens—well beyond her circle of friends and family. Today, her striking botanical creations are available at trade shows, online, and at her locations in Metzingen, Esslingen, and Reutlingen.

Each jungle glass contains its own miniature ecosystem—nutrients, oxygen, and water create an ideal balance. The glass sustains itself almost entirely on its own and requires watering just four times a year. Ideal, then, for those without a green thumb. In her plant studio in Metzingen, Dölker cultivates and propagates many different plant species, primarily tropical varieties. These include coffee plants, fittonias, peperomias, and various moss species. Each glass is carefully curated with plants individually selected and harmonized with one another. The goal is to create an arrangement that feels both cohesive and expressive. When assembling the plants in the glass, gentle handling is essential to ensure they take root and thrive for years to come. Those who wish to own a custom jungle glass tailored to their preferences can commission one directly. The creation process typically takes four to six weeks until the miniature ecosystem is complete. Alternatively, Dölker also offers workshops where participants can create their own glass composition.

www.dschungelglas.de

Photos:
Anja Dölker

(Published in CUBE Stuttgart 02|22)