Archive for Conifers

Miniature Gardening at Your Local Garden Show: Shopping Tips, #5

21/02/2013 at 9:29 am · Filed under Because it's fun, Conifers, Customer Interaction, For the New Gardener, Indoor Mini Gardens, Miniature Plants, Resources ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Miniature Gardening at the Garden Show

Looking for the right Miniature Garden plants at the garden shows this season? Here’s what to look for.

Miniature Gardening at Your Local Garden Show: Shopping Tips

Looking for the right Miniature Garden plants at the garden shows this season? We have some examples from our Northwest Flower and Garden Show that’s going on right now in Seattle. Here’s a quick overview what plants to look for.

(Here’s the rest of the series in case you missed it: #1 of the Series,  Part Deux, Part III, and #4 from yesterday.)

Miniature Gardening at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show

Miniature Hostas are usually less than 3″ tall and great for dry, shady spots. If you’re in the PNW and have snails or slugs, they are great in pots too. ~> At the Naylor Creek Booth, (from the Olympic Peninsula) in the NWFGS plant market. Owner Jack said, “Any one called “Mouse” is a miniature!”

Miniature Gardening at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show

Miniature Trees and Shrubs: Look for a growth rate of under 3″ per year. And note the overall shape – upright column, upright broad, globe or spreading. The young conifers will grow to their adult shape after a couple of years. It should say on the tag!

Miniature Gardening at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show

Ravenna Gardens from right here in Seattle, have some really cute Monteray Cypress in 4″ pots. The Monteray cypress is a bit faster growing than 3″ per year but with plants this small, we can still enjoy them in the miniature garden for several years. (Note that there are several common names for this one, Lemon, Wilma Goldcrest, etc.)

Miniature Gardening at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show

You can find an wide selection of ‘miniature bedding plants‘ or ground covers. Look for slow growing, short and small-leafed. Think about layers in the garden bed while you shop – different plant heights create a more interesting garden.

Miniature Gardening at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show

Air plants (tillsandias) are great miniature garden plants for your indoor pots. Easy to care for. Visit Rick and Barb at Owens Gardens in the plant market. They are just north of the city and they have been at every single Northwest Flower and Garden Show since it started 25 years ago.

Miniature Gardening at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show

Several vendors have miniature and dwarf conifers for sale. Think about where your miniature garden will live first, and get the appropriate tree to suit. Full sun plants for full sun, shade plants for shady spots, etc. Canadian shoppers at the NWFGS can get their plants certified by the USDA right here at the show so you can bring them across the border.

Miniature Plants

Miniature Roses!! They are just the cutest thing in the whole wide world AND they HAVE TONS OF THEM here: http://www.HeirloomRoses.com. Even the leaves are miniature! 

Like this? Then you will like our monthly Mini Garden Gazette. It’s free and delivered straight to you inbox each month. Join here.

Can’t get to any garden shows? Stay tuned, we’ll get you some more show-happenings right here!

Wanna start shopping? Visit our Miniature Garden Center now.

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How to Add Authenticity to Your Miniature or Fairy Garden

20/10/2012 at 1:29 pm · Filed under Conifers, Fairy Gardening, For the New Gardener, Life-sized Gardening, Miniature Plants, railroad gardening ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Elf Dwarf Spruce for the Miniature Garden

Stripped of accessories to see the tree, an Elf Dwarf Spruce stands majestic the miniature garden.  What once was a cute shrub is now a “big tree” for the mini garden at 8″ tall.

How to Add Authenticity to Your Miniature or Fairy Garden

Trees and shrubs are the backbone to any garden. I know, I know, I’m biased, I come from Ontario, the land of the deciduous Maple trees, and I live in Seattle, the land of the evergreen conifers. And, I love trees. I get it from my Grandmother who worked for the Forestry Service in Ontario for many years. She would always call out the names of the trees as we walked by them and if she didn’t recognize it, she would grab a fallen leaf or cone, or tell one of us to jump/climb up and get one, to bring home to look up in her library.

In full-sized garden design, trees and shrubs are the anchor points that we design our full-size garden around. If there aren’t any trees, the garden designer will usually start with placing the trees and shrubs – or the garden “bones” – in the garden first, then plan/plant around them.

In other styles of garden design that call for a lower profile, the garden designer will rely solely on shrubs as the main anchor points – then fill in with perennials, grasses and annuals. The presence of trees and shrubs is constant – perennials go dormant and annuals only last for couple/few of months – so they are often called anchor points or “the bones” of the garden.

In gardening in miniature, we learn from “full-size” gardening for developing a realistic miniature or fairy garden that can look as if it has been there for years and years. Since our reliance on trees and shrubs are the same, we need authentic looking “miniature trees” for the garden. Beware because there is a difference between a true miniature or dwarf tree and rooted branches grown for a quick sale.

Here are some visual examples of trees that we have growing in our in-ground miniature garden that. Note that I’ve left most of the accessories out of the photos because I want to show off how much these trees and shrubs can really add to your miniature or fairy garden setting. Creating a garden normally starts with plants and ends with accessorizing and with so many great trees and shrubs out on the market these days, there really is no excuse for not having great garden bones in your miniature or fairy garden.

Nana Dwarf Hinoki Cypress in the Miniature Garden

The Nana Dwarf Hinoki Cypress is a reliable grower that you can gradually train into a tree form by pruning away the lower branches. Estimated growth over 7 years is 9″. It was about 5″ tall when we got it (estimated 3 to 4 years old at that time) and it’s about 14″ tall now.

Verdoni Dwarf Hinoki Cypress for the Miniature Garden

The trunk of the Verdoni Dwarf Hinoki Cypress gets thicker every year, looking like authentic tree in the miniature garden, instead of a “rooted branch.” Planting the trees in the ground to let them “grow wood” to train as a bonsai is one of the many benefits of gardening in miniature

Under the canopy of the Verdoni Dwarf Hinoki Cypress in the Miniature Garden

Under the canopy of the Verdoni Dwarf Hinoki Cypress in the Miniature Garden.

Picea glauca 'Conica'

This Conica Spruce is, in my opinion, a bit too big for this scene. It’s one of Steve’s trees that we are growing in for a one-sixth scale garden. That’s a Golden Sprite Hinoki Cypress on the right – it’s a bit greener than usual because its under the shade of the spruce tree.

Zmatlik Dwarf Arborvitae in the miniature garden

The Zmatlik Dwarf Arborvitae is the perfect tree to for a forest look. Sturdy, reliable and slow growing. This little guy is about 3 feet tall now and a strong anchor point for this corner of the garden. That’s the start of a Helmond Pillar Barberry hedge on the right.

The Conica Spruce and Zmatlik Dwarf Arborvitae in the miniature garden

The Conica Spruce and Zmatlik Dwarf Arborvitae on either side of the riverbed. Without the fallen leaves on the ground, one may just be fooled, thinking it was a full-sized scene.

A younger Elf Dwarf Alberta Spruce.

A younger Elf Dwarf Alberta Spruce works as a perfect shrub. That fence is about 2″ tall. A comparable on that we have in stock is the Little Gem Norway Spruce, that has the same growth rate but more defined branches and the cutest little needles!

Golden Sprite Dwarf Hinoki Cypress for the Miniature Garden

Golden Sprite Dwarf Hinoki Cypress for the Miniature Garden. We’re going out in the garden today to get those weedy violets and wayward sedums under control – should take about 6 minutes!

Tansu Cryptomeria japonica in the miniature garden

Tansu Cryptomeria japonica in the next phase of our miniature garden. It was planted last fall and is now ready to be developed into the scene. We’ll start with some “bedding plants” and a patio area and go where it takes us.

Fall is the perfect time to plant your trees into the garden. They will get established over the winter and be “ready to grow” next spring. They will need less maintenance too – only help with the watering in the dry months is needed.

See our huge selection of trees now up in the store:
Trees for Sun/Part Sun
Trees for Shade
Trees for Indoors

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Trying Something New in the Miniature Garden

08/08/2012 at 5:48 pm · Filed under Conifers, For the New Gardener, Garden To-Do's, Life-sized Gardening, Miniature Plants, Resources ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Ladybug in the Mini Garden

Jump on these “Kodak Moments” in the miniature garden. When you come across a photo opportunity, drop everything and get the camera. You’ll pat yourself on the back for it later.

Trying Something New in the Miniature Garden

“My plant is turning brown and getting leggy, it was fine before
I got hold of it, what am I doing wrong?”

It doesn’t matter if you are just starting out learning to garden, or if you’ve been gardening for twenty years, some plants can be tricky to learn how to grow.

We have a customer that buys 5 or 6 of each plant, knowing that she will lose a couple of them while learning what the plant’s needs. “One will die right away because I’ll try to grow it in the wrong place… “ She was quite funny and surprisingly quite serious. So, I’ve adapted her point of view and when I’m shopping for new plants I’ve never grown before, I’ll pick up at least three of the same plants at once – or I try to if my budget allows.

In other words, don’t get discouraged if you kill a plant. They don’t grow on trees – a good lot of them are trees! There are multitudes of microclimates throughout any area so you may have to try a couple of different situations to find out what the plant needs to be at its best. And yes, it may discouraging but, out of your learning curve, you create opportunities.

I’ve written about how plants tell you when they are unhappy, so here’s a quick recap on some of the signs you’ll see from the plant, and what the issues could be. Keep in mind these are sweeping generalities because we are not talking of the plant, just the issues.

Light Issues

Snail in the miniature garden

A visitor in the miniature garden. He didn’t stay long, there wasn’t anything in the garden that suited his tastes.

Leggy branches – The plant wants more light. Move closer to the light source or out in the sun more. Wait to see new growth at the crown of the plant (the base) before shearing back the leggy branches and then the plant should flush in nicely.

Dried tops of leaves – Too much light at once. The light has scorched the leaves of the plant. Move it away from the light or give it more shade. Wait for new growth before clipping off damaged leaves. Note that if you cut all the damaged leaves off without waiting for the plant to show you it is recovering by putting out new growth, you are cutting off its food source.

Water Issues

Soggy soil, black soil or soil is growing mold or moss – you are watering too much or the pot doesn’t have a drainage hole. Back off the watering, let the soil dry out to barely damp, churn up top surface of the soil. Unless you’ve chosen water/moisture-loving plants, make sure the pot has a drainage hole.

Soil is crusty, peeling away from the side of the container – Not enough water. When soil dries out completely, the water rolls right off of it. Prevent this by churning up the top layer of the soil, place the pot in a bucket or similar container, water it thoroughly, letting the water drain out of the drainage hole.

Conifer Dieback in an Hinoki Cypress

Preventative Care: Check your miniature and dwarf conifers for “Conifer Dieback.” It’s how the little plants exfoliate. Stop and clean it out whenever you see it so the plant can breathe. If you put it off for another day, you will forget about it and it will be too late. (Speaking from experience!)

Soil Issues

Soil for Containers – Use potting soil only. Yes, I know your garden bed is full of soil but that’s different. Potting soil has certain things in the mix that are ideal for a contained environment. Garden soil will turn to mud in a pot. Stay away from Miracle-Gro soil or soil with fertilizers in them. They are supposedly best for vegetables or seasonal container – although I have’t heard many good things about that kind of soil, regardless what plants are used.

Soil for the garden beds - There are many different types of soil in the gardens across the world. Consult with a knowledgeable gardener or visit your local independent garden center in your area. Bring a sample with you for them to see.

White stuff on top of the soil or on the side of the pot – It’s a big word for the small stuff: efflorescence. It’s normally a build up of salts and other mild chemicals accumulated from the watering. It may be an issue for more sensitive plants but generally it’s harmless. You can scoop it up and throw it out or churn it back into the soil. If it appears on the sides for the pot or on the miniature patio, wipe it away as you see it because it will harden over time.

All Issues

Miniature Garden Vignette

When the groundcovers start to invade your patio, clip the individual branches back, (as opposed to shearing them all at once,) to make it look more natural.

The internet has become a great resource for gardeners. You can literally type what you see in the search bar and you’ll find it even quickly using the image search. I found a huge bug in the backyard last week, it was huge, (okay, it was huge by my wimpy standards) striped and, well, huge! So I typed, “big striped bug” in the search bar and there he was! A Lined June Beetle! Who woulda thought? Be sure to look at a couple of different “answers” or sites to verify the information is correct.

Another fantastic resource is your independent garden center. There is usually at least one walking plant encyclopedia working there – you know those brainiac people that know every plant, how it grows, what it needs and the history behind it? THOSE people are fantastic resources that can help and there’s a good bet they know exactly what you are talking about. Bring a photo with you or snip a sample branch or leaf off and seal it in a plastic bag to show them. Gardeners love to show off their plant knowledge so ask away!

So, the moral of this long blog post is that if you have a plant that is not working for your situation and your not able to adjust to save it within a reasonable time – do not fret it! Every plant that you lose opens the door to trying another.

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Miniature Gardening 104: How to Find the Plants

16/05/2012 at 4:32 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, Conifers, D.I.Y. Ideas, Fairy Gardening, For the New Gardener, Indoor Mini Gardens, Miniature Plants, Resources ·Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Miniature Garden from the Northwest Flower and Garden Show Container Display, in 2004.

Tripping through the photo archive: A Miniature Garden from the Northwest Flower and Garden Show Container Display, in 2004. Jean’s Dilly Dwarf Alberta Spruce in the middle, flanked by different Hinoki Cypress. That chartreuse grass is Miniature Sweet Flag. Alberta Spruces won’t grow well in hot/dry regions, they like their roots to stay cool.

Miniature Gardening 104: How to Find the Plants

We’re finally getting back into our groove after a busy spring here at our studios in Seattle. The book is almost to the publisher’s…. almost! Steve is holding down the stores so I can get this together for you, this has been a very popular question this season, I thought to tackle it right away. Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

Here are the previous posts in this series, just in case you missed them:

 Miniature Gardening 101: The Dirt (All about soil.)

Miniature Gardening 102: Indoor vs. Outdoor Plants

Miniature Gardening 103: The Water

A Tiny Miniature Garden: The Way to Oz

Tripping through the photo archives: A tiny Miniature Garden: The Way to Oz. With small, Roly-Poly Hen and Chicks. This size of mini garden make the PERFECT little hostess or thank you gift!

Miniature Gardening 104: How to Find the Plants

Miniature gardening is such a juicy idea, it can’t help but attract new gardeners to try it out and, in doing so, you can begin to learn about gardening in general. But where do you start?

Right here!

For Indoor Miniature Gardens

1. Choose the place where your miniature garden will “live.”

2. What kind of light does that spot get?

Bright, indirect light behind a sheer curtain? A full sun window sill?

3. Choose plants to suit those conditions. The soil and the water regime will depend upon what plants you would like to grow. See examples.

Baby Boxwood in the Miniature Garden

A Baby Boxwood in an Indoor Miniature Garden. Golden Baby tears on the left and Dwarf Mondo Grass on the right.

Example #1 – Small-leafed succulents love sharply drained soil because their roots don’t like to be wet all the time. Sharply draining soil, is the soil with white bits of vermiculite “well-peppered” throughout the mix. The Succulent’s soil will need to dry out between watering to prevent over-watering.

Example #2 – A baby English Boxwood Tree can be grown in regular potting soil, with a regular watering schedule. Let the soil dry out until wrung-sponge-damp in between waterings to prevent overwatering. (Stick your finger 1” down into the soil to test it.) The soil should not dry out completely.

Miniature Garden In-ground

The dwarf Zmatlik Arborvitae is in the upper left corner, with small Hens and Chick at the base, clockwise to the right, Miniature Daisies, Elfin Thyme and Sedum lydium.

 For In-Ground Miniature Gardens

1. What kind of light does the spot get in spring and fall? Full sun? Part? Shade? In summer, the sun is highest and shines on all areas so it’s not an accurate time to call it.

2.  What kind of soil does that spot have? Is there soil? Soil is the rich, brown and full of composted bits of goodness that smells like the earth, dirt is grey and dead.

3. Is the soil moist or on the dry side?

4. What zone are you in? The USDA has figured this out for us, just plunk in your zip code to their interactive hardiness zone chart, and it will look it up for you. (All countries have their own hardiness zones, use Google Search to help you find yours.) Every plant has certain zones that they can be grown in. Banana Palm Trees can’t tolerate the winters in Wisconsin. Alberta Spruces won’t like the long, hot and dry summers in Texas.

5. Choose plants to suit those conditions.

Miniature Garden with a Mugo Pine for full sun.

Tripping through the photo archives: Miniature Garden with a Mugo Pine for full sun. The Mugos are great for containers or planted in the ground.

Example #1 – The dwarf Mugo Pines great for a full sun spot, like well-draining sole and prefer the soil just barely damp. Let the soil dry out to wrung-sponge-damp in between watering. (Stick your finger 1” down into the soil to test it.) The Mugos can tolerate dryness, but never for too long, nor too often.

Example #2 – Dwarf Canada Hemlocks of all varieties prefer a part shade spot with damp soil. Part shade includes the eastern side of the house and dappled shade too. Part shade helps the soil to remain damp as they do not like dry soil. (Some Hemlocks can take more sun in cooler climates but the soil really needs to stay consistently damp.)

An old Miniature Garden with the Moonfrost Canada Hemlock

Tripping through the photo archives: An old Miniature Garden with the Moonfrost Canada Hemlock. This garden is over five old, the moss took over for the ground covers a couple years ago, it still looked rustic, so I left it alone.

Now Go Get Plants!

Source #1 – Your local, independent garden center or nursery will carry plants that you can use. If they don’t know about miniature gardening, ask for slow-growing plants, small leafed perennials,  low growing, dwarf, miniature, baby or young plants. Note that the words, ‘dwarf’ and ‘miniature’ refer to the growth rate, not the plant.

Also not that the garden department at the “big-box stores” won’t have half as much of a plant selection that your local, independent garden center will have. Call the garden center first to check – either way, for the new gardener, it will be well worth the drive and the effort to get to know them and their store.

Source #2 – From your favorite online Miniature Garden Center. We have them divided up into three main categories, Indoor, Outdoor Sun/Part Sun and Outdoor Shade/Part Shade. All our plant listings have the growth rates, zone information and growing details. In each plant listings, there is a little summary on why we like to grow them in our miniature gardens. We’ve been seriously growing miniature garden plants for over 11 years now and we have found a nice selection of reliable plants that don’t take a lot of attention to grow – just water how they like to be watered and a little love every now and then!

Snail at the Miniature Garden watering hole.

Tripping through the photo archives: You can lead a snail to water… Random acts of cuteness may appear in your miniature garden at any time! Have your camera ready to catch it at any time.

Maintenance

How to maintain the plants in your miniature garden will depend upon the plants you have chosen. Read the plant’s care info and stick to what it says.

Indoor: Note that your situation changes throughout the year: the sun beams sideways into the windows will scorch the leaves and forced-air heaters will dry out the soil faster in winter.

Outdoor In-Ground: The trees, shrubs and perennials will get established after a year of regular watering and, after that, all you have to do is water occasionally in the dry months and pull a weed or two. Divide the perennials every couple of years. Any annuals will need regular water. Keep fertilizing to a minimum – you don’t want it to grow fast.

Links to the plant listings in our online store:

Variegated English Boxwood

Jean’s Dilly Dwarf Spruce

Zmatlik Arborvitae

Miniature and Dwarf Mugo Pines
(Link goes to ‘Short Needle,’ look in same department for other Mugos that we have in stock.)

Miniature and Dwarf Canada Hemlocks
(Link goes to ‘Abbott’s Pygmy,’ look in same department for other Hemlocks that we have in stock.)

Miniature Daisies

Elfin Thyme

Miniature Gardening 105: Sizing Up Your Miniature Garden Accessories

See what other plants are up in our store here.

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Miniature Garden Trees: A Visual Feast

27/01/2012 at 12:19 pm · Filed under Conifers, Fairy Gardening, For the New Gardener, Indoor Mini Gardens, Miniature Plants, Resources ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

White Pygmy Cypress

White Pygmy Cypress have charming cream colored tips. Shear it every winter to keep this happening. Without shearing, it'll turn to a drab celery green color.

Miniature Garden Trees: A Visual Feast

The spring order arrived early for the Northwest Flower and Garden Show! We have some exciting new additions to our Miniature and dwarf conifer line. Here’s a sneak peek ~ most of them are now up in the store now. The rest will be up mid-February. Email for more info if needed.

Fernspray Gold Hinoki Cypress

Fernspray Gold Hinoki Cypress in its winter blush. Underneath the amber foliage is a wonderful live green. It's really quite charming.

A brand new, true miniature Hinoki cypress – yet to be named, it’s called ‘E1 Evaluator’ for now. I wonder if I can call it ‘Janit’… ;o)
Miniature Garden Trees

Some of the Miniature and Dwarf Mugo Pines are hardy to -50F and can withstand the harshest of winters - and tolerate dry, full sun conditions in the summertime when they are established in the garden bed.

Miniature Garden Trees

The pink Moonfrost Canada Hemlock is flanked by the Snow Sprite Cedar. Perfect eye candy for the conifer lover.

Miniature Garden Trees

The new Chirimen Hinoki Cypress continues to be a favorite for the miniature garden with its whimsical shape. Note its winter blush. Amber tips that merge into the grey-green foliage further down on the trunk creating a stunning color combination - only from Ma Nature.

Miniature Garden Trees

Photo-Op - the colorful spires of the Chirimen Hinoki Cypress against the neutral colored soil and box makes an unusual sight.

Miniature Garden Trees

The new Jersey Jewel Japanese Holly has oval shaped leaves and appears more columnar in shape than it's sister, the Dwarf Pagoda. I'm looking forward to growing this one.

Miniature Garden Trees

Dwarf Spruces, Junipers, Cotoneasters and the Gold n' Rubies Spirea.

Your Miniature Garden Center

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Miniature Garden Plant Focus: Hardier Than Thou

19/01/2012 at 1:26 pm · Filed under Conifers, Miniature Plants, Resources ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Miniature Gardens frozen in time

Miniature Gardens frozen in time, but they'll come out of this freeze just fine!

Miniature Garden Plant Focus: Hardier Than Thou

It’s here again.

That freezing, fluffy white stuff is all over the place. That four-letter word that seems to occur annually and stay for least a couple of days each winter. Now it’s ice. Why am I not in Hawaii?

It’s not really what I signed up for by moving here to this wonderful garden Mecca otherwise known as Seattle…

Miniature Garden Plants, Mitsch Mini Mugo Pine

One of our hardiest Miniature Garden trees: the Mitsch Mini Mugo Pine will be back in stock next week!

Fortunately, “my babies” just love it.

I’m talking about the wee miniature and dwarf conifers that I’ve been miniature gardening with for the last ten years – thankfully, they are hardier than me.

Much hardier.

Here is a quick snapshot of the different dwarf and miniature conifers that are ideal for the freezing/sub-freezing temperatures. This is only an overview of the hardiness of each species, as the hardiness of some of the varieties may vary. (A good example is the darling Mhondoro Hinoki that is hardy to -20F while the Jean Iseli Hinoki is hardy to -30F.)

Canada Hemlocks: -30F or Zone 4
Hinoki Cypress: -20F or Zone 5
Dwarf Alberta Spruce: -30F or Zone 4
Dwarf Cryptomerias: -10F or Zone 6
Mugo Pine: -40F or Zone 3
Dwarf Fir: -30F or Zone 5
Dwarf Norway Spruce: -40F or Zone 3
Japanese Holly: -20F or Zone 5

Some of them are pretty hardy / hardier than me / as you can see. ;o)

We’ve included the cold hardiness zones within each listing in our online store so you know exactly what you can plant with success for your area. For warmer regions, please consult this blog post to get to know what plants can tolerate the heat in your area.

Miniature Garden Tree, the Canada Hemlock "Hornbeck"

The Miniature Canada Hemlock "Hornbeck" - The dwarf and miniature Hemlocks we carry are perfect for temperatures down to

Getting it Straight

To keep myself straight, I rely on the actual temperatures when discussing hardiness zones. I think it’s because I was raised in Toronto, Ontario, and often get the Canadian/American/Sunset Zones completely mixed up plus, I interact with a variety of gardeners throughout the world. So it gets a little embarrassing with a name like Two Green Thumbs when I get the zones wrong.

So, I stay with one way to gauge and discuss hardiness and, for me, that is Fahrenheit. I don’t have to remember to convert anything in my head, I don’t have look anything up and I can eliminate a lot of errors that way. More often than not, the plant’s tag will have the minimum winter temperature on it. It’s better to be accurate than conventional sometimes.

Miniature Garden Tree, the Shimpaku Juniper is great for bonsai too.

The Shimpaku Juniper is a really great starter tree for bonsai too. It always has a nice trunk and branching system underneath the foliage.

Choose Hardier Plants for Your Containers

Now keep in mind the rule if you are planting in containers. There is a 15 degree difference in the hardiness of the plant when it is planted in a container. When planted the ground, the earth insulates the roots of the plant. When you plant in a container, you adjust for the hardiness by adding 15 degrees to the lowest minimum temperature. Here’s an example: let’s say the Mugo Pines are hardy to -50F. If we plant one in a pot, that Mugo is now hardy to -35F because it doesn’t have Mother Earth around it, keeping it warm.

Now stay tuned and join our email list in the meantime! The new miniature garden trees are due in any day now and we’ve got a lot to choose from! New, different, true miniature trees that are perfect for the miniature container garden or right in the ground… – we’re just waiting for the snow and ice to thaw so the truck can get through… ;o)

Your Miniature Garden Center

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Miniature Gardening 102: Indoor vs. Outdoor Plants

19/10/2011 at 6:47 pm · Filed under Conifers, For the New Gardener, Indoor Mini Gardens, Miniature Plants ·Tagged , , , , ,

An indoor miniature garden that looks like the outdoors.

With a little compromise, you can have a happy indoor miniature garden that looks like it is a slice of the outdoors. That’s a Variegated Boxwood tree, a favorite for indoor Miniature Gardening.

Miniature Gardening 102: Indoor vs. Outdoor Plants

Welcome to our Miniature Garden 101 Series! Learn the basics of gardening with miniature gardening, what you learn here, can be applied to full-sized containers and plants too. If you missed the first of the series, it’s here: Miniature Gardening 101: The Dirt.

~> Are you an experienced gardener? Scan towards the end of the blog, you may find something in here that you can add to your arsenal.

“Why did my plant die?”

More often than not, plants die because the gardener put the it in the wrong place with the wrong temperature, light or watering schedule. This is not unusual. Every gardener, when they are learning how to grow plants, challenge Mother Nature either knowingly or unknowingly. Here is a blog I wrote last year, on the signals that plants will give you if they are not happy.

And yes, I kill plants too – and I’m supposed to have “Two Green Thumbs.” Last weekend, I got fed up with my not-so-beautiful-anymore Victoria Nest Fern (a full-sized houseplant) and threw it in the compost bin. The plant needed more light than I could give it, and it did not like the drafts in the front room which was my brightest room. Or maybe I didn’t keep it evenly moist enough. Or both… Either way, I was sad to lose it but, life is too short to worry about what doesn’t work for me. I’ll find other plants that will do well in those conditions.

“Why can’t I grow this plant inside for the winter?”

Monteray Cypress as an Dr. Suess style Christmas Tree

Monteray Cypress as a Dr. Suess style Christmas Tree

Plants are like people. Every person has certain needs in order to thrive, and plants work the same way.

Let us use me as an example. ;o) I moved from Toronto because it was too cold for too long in the winter. So, I left to travel. Finally, after an extended stay in Costa Rica and Mexico, this redhead realized, it was too hot. Feeling like Goldilocks, I landed in the great Northwest which was perfect. I definitely needed a cooler climate like Seattle in order to thrive.

Plants are the same way.

Indoor plants are tropical plants and like to be warm (above 60°F) all year ‘round. If you live in a warm, southern climate, the indoor and outdoor plants choices will overlap. If you live in an area that gets cold or freezing in the winter, you can bring indoor plants outside in the summertime, and return the plant indoors for the winter, only because you are maintaining the climate that the indoor plant requires.

Jean's Dilly, a miniature Christmas tree.

Jean’s Dilly, a miniature Christmas tree, is tempting to bring indoors for longer than it likes. If you stage it, you can enjoy it for up to 5 days at a time indoors.

Outdoor plants, like the Jean’s Dilly Dwarf Alberta Spruce for example, need the roots to stay cool and damp all year ‘round, and they go dormant in the winter months. If you bring this kind of outdoor plant inside your home for the winter, you will not be able to keep the roots cool, the heat inside your home will dry out the foliage, and with the ambient inside temperature, the poor wee Spruce will not get a chance to go dormant and rest. You will end up with an unhappy plant that will attract pests and disease.

Now, for your miniature indoor garden, there are indoor plants that look like outdoor plants so we can have that “outdoorsy” look inside for the winter. Certain conifers, like the Elwood’s or Monteray Cypress, look like trees that we grow in our full-sized landscape. Baby Boxwood trees, the Variegated English Boxwood, or the slower-growing Kingsville Dwarf Boxwood, can stand in for the large broadleaf tree and shrub found in our full-sized gardens.

With a little compromise, you can have a happy miniature garden that looks like it is a slice of the outdoors. See more of our indoor plants choices here.

Follow along to Miniature Gardening 103: The Water.

You can bring your outdoor miniature garden in for a centerpiece over the holidays for 3 to 5 days at a time, here’s how.

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Miniature Gardening 101: The Dirt

15/10/2011 at 3:13 pm · Filed under Conifers, For the New Gardener, Miniature Plants, Resources ·Tagged , , , , , , , ,

MyOwn State Park Miniature Garden

MyOwn State Park Miniature Garden stayed together for years despite it being overplanted for the Northwest Flower and Garden display back in 2004. It was like an old friend. The plants are now anchoring down our in-ground miniature garden. The pot is 22″ in diameter.

Miniature Gardening 101: The Dirt

One of the challenges over the last 10 years with bringing the miniature garden hobby out in the open, and finding ways to share it with the rest of the world, is that it attracts a wide variety of people.

And why wouldn’t it? It’s so gosh-darn cute!

Gardening in miniature comes in many forms and is quite possibly the most accessible way to garden within the garden industry. Old or young, rural or urban, spatially challenged or not, experienced growers or those brand new to gardening, are finding out that miniature gardening is not tied to any financial, geographic or physical condition. Everyone that is willing can find something to enjoy about miniature gardening in some form or another.

So, this is the beginning of a series of blogs that will answer the questions that are asked quite frequently and will answer questions that you don’t even know to ask yet! ;o)

Let’s get started:

What is the difference between soil and dirt?

Soil is alive. Dirt is dead. You can see the difference. Soil is dark, rich and full of organic matter. Dirt is the lifeless, gray sandy stuff between the cracks in the sidewalk.

Can I use the soil from my garden in my container?

The Tompa Dwarf Spruce is just a pleasure to grow in the miniature garden.

The Tompa Dwarf Spruce is just a pleasure to grow in the miniature garden. This pot is still together today, 7 1/2 years later. Use the right kind of soil for the best success.

No. Use potting soil for your containers. Soil from your garden bed will not work.

Potting soil is engineered to have everything that a plant needs to keep the plant healthy. Different kinds of plants like particular types of potting soil mixes. A cactus, for example, likes its roots dry and will need a different kind of potting soil than say, an African Violet, that will need constant moisture around its roots. This information is usually noted within the plant’s care instructions on the tag. Your local independent garden center will have a variety of potting soils and the knowledgeable staff to find what you need for your project.

There are different types of garden soil in your garden bed: sandy, loamy or clay, for example. This depends on where you live and whether your garden bed has been cultivated or not. Topsoil is meant for the garden bed and is not a substitute for potting soil.

Miniature Garden Plants

Find your Miniature Garden plants for indoor or outdoors in our online store.

The true miniature and dwarf conifers like regular potting soil. Stay away from the potting soils that include Miracle Gro or any type of fertilizer. The conifers don’t need to feed quite yet.

However, your potted conifer will want a mild fertilizer after about two years of living in a container. Until then, the regular mix is full of enough nutrients to sustain them as they don’t need much at all.

Conifers like a bit of air around their roots. If the regular potting mix does not contain enough drainage material like vermiculite or perlite, you may need to add some. Providing a good mix of well-draining soil now, will help keep your miniature garden together for years.

Note that conifers planted in the ground will not need any fertilizer, they have the ability, once established, to find their own nutrients.

Stay Tuned for what’s up next: Miniature Gardening 102: Indoor vs. Outdoor

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Why Conifers Make Great Miniature Garden Trees
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Miniature Gardening: Turning Learning Curves into Opportunity

29/07/2011 at 6:31 pm · Filed under Conifers, Customer Interaction, Fairy Gardening, Miniature Plants ·Tagged , , , , , ,

Jen's Mini Garden & Dwarf Junipers

The Miniature Junipers standing small in Jennifer’s miniature garden look like they didn’t miss a beat being buried several feet under the snow last winter in Connecticut.

Miniature Gardening: Turning Learning Curves into Opportunity

When I wrote the blog back in late June about New Gardeners Coming to Miniature Gardening with Mixed Results, I left out one very valuable takeaway:

Even the most experienced gardeners lose plants.

Over the few years in this business I’ve been very fortunate to gain a wide demographic that has caught the Miniature Gardening Bug. Today, I would like you to meet three fellow Miniature Gardeners who have been customers of mine for so long I don’t call them customers anymore, but friends.

All three of these experienced miniature gardeners lost plants this past year, either from too much snowfall, unexpected freezes or prolonged heat wave this summer. Let’s review their situations from our armchairs as I’ve never visited their gardens in person, but have communicated with them through Facebook, email, or they visited my studio here in Seattle.

Meet Jennifer from Connecticut. Jen started visiting my website back in 2008 and we now follow each others lives through Facebook. This past winter, her area had an unusual amount of snow, so-much-so that one of her comments on her page said, “We have no place to put it.” We wondered what would happen to the miniature and dwarf conifers buried under the snow in her in-ground miniature gardens. As the spring warmed things up, Jen took inventory and found that she did lose some plants but here’s what thrived:

Blue Planet Spruce in situ.

Jen’s Blue Planet Spruce is just too cute. Looks like the several feet of snowfall in Connecticut didn’t bother it at all.

Mugo Pines in the Miniature Garden

Dwarf mugo pines came through the record snowfall unscathed. Mugos are a real treat to grow and suit containers very well too. They are sturdy, hardy and pretty.

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Meet Holly from Colorado. Holly has been in the horticultural industry in various ways throughout the years, and she has just started a blog about her gardening exploits. Last year, Holly made a wonderful rock garden and needed some miniature and dwarf trees to fill it out so she found me online. This summer the Denver area, as well as most of the country, is in an extended heat “dome” that doesn’t seem to want to break. Despite all her experience and diligence she lost one of her beloved conifers. She shared this with me the other day.

This was a Jamy Balsam Fir that likes cool, damp soil and part sun. It looks like the heat wave got to it plus, Holly is up in the mountains where the sun is stronger. (Note that when the plant tag says, “Full sun to part sun” it really means part sun.) When any dwarf or mini conifer this far gone, chalk it up to the learning curve. But, thankfully, miniature garden plants don’t cost that much and it is a great opportunity to try something new and perhaps more suited to the space with the intense sun in mind. Dwarf mugo pines and ground cover Junipers would be my first thing to try. And to wait until fall to plant them when the weather cools off.

A scorched Jamy Balsam Fir

Poor thing. A scorched Jamy Balsam Fir. They prefer part sun and damp soil, but this summer’s heat wave was a bit too much for the little guy!

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Meet Jay from New Mexico. Jay’s work brings him into Seattle almost monthly. He used to order online, but now he comes to visit the studio where we can chat endlessly about everything miniature garden. Jay lives in the mountains where the sun is relentless, “It eats up everything because we are that much closer to the sun.” Taking that into account, Jay chose full sun plants and has planted them in part sun to compensate for it and everything was growing splendidly.

This past winter, his area in New Mexico dipped into an unusual freeze that took a few of his plants with it. It was so unexpected, there was nothing he could do. What we did learn was that his collection of dwarf Spruces and the dwarf Arborvitae were the most resilient and survived both the heat of the sun and the freezing temperatures, they emerged this spring in grand style. I’m always bugging him to see photos and when he does, I’ll definitely share. Jay has been adding to his miniature garden for years now and his partner, Kevin, has now been bitten by the Miniature Garden Bug so we can only imagine the progress they’ve been making.

Three completely different circumstances where these experienced miniature gardeners lost plants in uncontrollable situations. And what did they do?

They tried another tree.

Miniature and dwarf conifers don’t grow on trees, they ARE trees. Now, don’t just sit there, get back up and try another plant – just like the experts and the experienced!

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Growing Wood: Miniature Gardening and Bonsai

20/05/2011 at 1:24 am · Filed under Conifers, D.I.Y. Ideas, For the New Gardener, Miniature Plants, Resources ·Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Miniature Gardening and Bonsai

Miniature and dwarf conifers can make wonderful bonsai subjects after several years of living in a miniature garden. You can enjoy the best of both hobbies! (Elf Alberta Spruce, Picea glauca 'Elf')

Growing Wood: Miniature Gardening and Bonsai

[Scene: Northwest Flower and Garden Show, February, 2011]

It was as if I was responsible for the misunderstanding in the bonsai hobby.

I met bonsai-expert-extraordinaire, Dan Robinson, at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show here in Seattle this past February. He was sitting in the corner of his display garden working on one of his beautiful bonsai projects, ready to educate and challenge whomever he came in contact with.

“It’s ‘bone-sigh,’” Dan said, quickly correcting my husband, Steve, who pronounced the word like most people do.

Elf Alberta Spruce - Picea glauce 'Elf'

Here at Two Green Thumbs, we get the trees from the nursery when they are about 3 to 4 years old. This Elf Alberta Spruce has been kept in a pot for an estimated 8 years. Guesstimating the age at 12 years old. Nice trunk, huh?

I asked him about the project he was working on which of course opened up an introduction of what I was about. Using our miniature garden display on the Skybridge as an example of my work, Dan now had a reason to chew me out for all the mistakes people make about bonsai.

Dan’s main issue was that the conifers sold in 4″ pots were being sold as bonsai starts.

“You gotta let them grow some wood,” he insisted.

Paraphrasing my man Dan: “Those small trees, when you root prune them when they are so young, they have no chance of getting a decent trunk on them in your lifetime. The trunk will always be skinny, because it needs the roots to get the food to grow the wood.”

Point taken, swallowed and digested.

[Scene change: Two months later.]

Every spring I stand in front of the seed racks at my local nursery and look for something fun and different to grow in my full-sized garden. I chuckled as I picked up a seed pack from Thompson and Morgan: “Bonsai, Conifer Trees Mixed. Grow your own bonsai. Guaranteed to Grow.”

I resisted the urge to get two, one for Dan, one for me.

Bonsai from seed? You'll need patience.

They don't tell you the kind of conifer you can grow but they make sure to tell you to wait a year after germination to start the pruning process - and include directions for pruning a full-sized tree. A definite set-up for failure.

The growing instructions consisted of chilling the planted seeds in the fridge for 4 to 6 weeks, then moving the pot out into the warmer weather. Checking it regularly and removing the individual seedlings as they germinate into their own pot…. and do not begin pruning and training until the following year…. huh? What?!

“Alright,” I thought to myself, “If I’m going to get one for my man Dan, I want to be there when he opens it just to witness his response.” Needless to say, I only bought one. Dan and I are not that close. ;o)

[Enter: Miniature Gardening]

I have grown some wonderful bonsai specimens over the 10 years of experimenting with miniature and dwarf conifers. Or, rather, they could be wonderful bonsai specimens if I were to prune them as bonsai. I love the art of bonsai but I love low-maintenance gardening a lot more. I recognize that bonsai is an art form that requires due diligence and a lot of patience. Miniature gardening gives me the best of both worlds: I can grow trees small and I do not have to dote on them.

My two main purposes for using these wee 4” conifers in my miniature gardens are because (a) the trees and shrubs look like “big” trees in miniature and (b) they are low maintenance and easy to grow. But, in doing so, I’ve been “growing wood” and almost every tree that I have had for at least 5 years, have a spectacular trunk on them and tremendous bonsai potential.

So, my case remains in place Dan my man, with one qualifier: You can use the 4” miniature and dwarf conifers for bonsai starts if you plant them in a miniature garden or a regular pot for a few years before you start the bonsai process and grow some wood first.

Find your miniature or dwarf conifer and get started growing your own bonsai today right here.

The Smallest Miniature Garden, grown from seed.

The Mighty Blue Spruce in our tiniest miniature garden is now over 4 years old. Trees were grown from seeds from GrowATree.com.

Find miniature garden trees and plants.

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