Archive for Conifers

Miniature Gardening Crosses Borders

04/05/2011 at 3:13 am · Filed under Conifers, Customer Interaction, For the New Gardener, Miniature Plants, Resources ·Tagged Conifers, connecting, garden, gardening, green, Janit Calvo, miniature, miniature garden, plants, trend

Miniature and Dwarf Conifers are great for the miniature garden. In the right spot, they are easy to take care of and really look like a "big" miniature tree. You can now find them in Canada.

Miniature Gardening Crosses Borders

Holy cow.

I used to enjoy a predominately US customer base while going through my growing pains as a start-up business. Every so often I would dial into my Google stats to see where the visitors to my website are coming from, and I would see the States plus a couple of other countries like Vietnam and England.

Well, I had 1,378 cities from 68 countries visiting my website last month!

Yikes-o-rama!

The tiny purple cones on the Pusch Dwarf Norway Spruce are just the absolute cutest thing ever!

Perhaps I should brush up on my french and spanish. ;o)

So, in an effort to spread the love of miniature gardening, (because that appears to be vocation these days) and with some help, (Thank you for your help, Rob! ;o) I was able to find a list of Canadian nurseries and garden centers that have specifically ordered the very same miniature and dwarf conifers that I recommend using in the miniature garden with success.

Golden Torch Barberry offers striking foliage for the miniature garden. This plant is invasive in some areas, check with your local garden center before ordering!

Here are some thoughts to consider before you go on your search:

~> Call ahead of your making a long trek to make sure there are some in stock.

~> Because of the custom/border thing, these nurseries will probably place a one big spring order for spring that they can sell throughout season. Which means that they will not reorder until next spring. So shop early!

~> Note that the different types of conifers like different conditions and you have to plant them or put the pot that they are planted in, in the right place. “Right plant in the right place” and no, there is no compromising, tricking or fooling Mother Nature. Any plant that is not in the right spot will lose its defenses against pest and diseases and will die a slow death. This means outdoor plants should be outdoors, shade plants should be planted in the shade and sun plants in the sun, etc.

One of the secrets behind a successful miniature garden is using the right kind of plants. Miniature and dwarf conifers hit the mark because they really do look like miniature versions of the full-size trees and shrubs that we see in our landscape. Cypress, pines, spruces, hemlocks and junipers are all familiar to us but the miniature and dwarf forms are not as well known – yet!

If anyone outside North America has any information on where to get miniature plants please help us spread the love. We are looking for connections in England, Ireland, France, Netherlands, Holland, Australia and Mexico specifically.

New Trees Are In Stock: We just received some new miniature and dwarf trees and shrubs again last week. Find most of them up in the store here.

And the ones that can’t fit into the store are listed here:
Jessy Norway Spruce – they are really small and super cute!
Thumbelina Norway Spruce – a collector’s dream.
Hobbit Dwarf White Spruce – another collectible!
Butter Ball Hinoki Cypress – dainty AND pretty foliage.
Mhondoro Hinoki Cypress – lovely green foliage.
Jean Iseli Hinoki Cypress – an old favorite is back, we missed him. ;o)
Cooper’s Little Leaf Cotoneaster – LOVE the delicate foliage.
Golden Torch Barberry –flushed out and looking quite lovely!

(~> See pictures and get more details for the above list go here. – Contact Janit for shipping quotes and the ordering details. See our store for more.)

Spring buds on the Piccolo Balsam Fir look almost surreal.

Here are the Canadian nurseries that carry the miniature and dwarf conifers for miniature gardening:

British Columbia
Triple Tree Nurseryland, Maple Ridge – http://www.tripletreenurseryland.com/
Minters Gardens, Chilliwack – http://www.mintergardens.com/
Dinter Nursery, Duncan/Victoria/Van. Island – http://www.dinternursery.ca/
Georama, Nelson – http://georama.blogware.com/blog/AboutUs/LocationandHoursofOperation
Art Knapp Plantland, Vancouver/Port Coquitlam – http://www.artknapps.ca/
Nico`s Nurseryland, Salmon Arm – http://www.freewebs.com/nicosnurseryland/
Sunnyside Nurseryland, Delta – http://www.gardeninglife.ca/listing/sunnyside-nurseries/
Maple Leaf Nurseryland, N. Vancouver – http://www.mapleleafgardencentre.ca/

Alberta
Golden Acres, Calgary – http://www.goldenacre.ca/
Ellerslie Gift and Garden, Edmonton – http://ellersliegift.com/plants/orchids/
Eagle Lake, Strathmore – http://www.eaglelakenurseries.com/
Millcreek, Edmonton – http://www.millcreeknursery.ca/
Parkland Nursery, Red Deer – http://www.parklandgarden.ca/
Greengate Garden Centre, Calgary – http://www.greengate.ca/
Salisbury Greenhouse, Sherwood Park – http://www.salisburygreenhouse.com/
Green Haven Garden Centre, Lethbridge – http://www.gardens.com/go/view/4147/*
Greenland Garden Centre, Sherwood Park – http://www.greenlandgarden.com/

Manitoba
Shelmerdine Garden Centre, Winnipeg – http://www.shelmerdine.com/
St Marys Nursery & Garden Centre, Winnipeg – ww.stmarysnurseryandgardencentre.ca/

Ontario
Woodhill Garden Centre, Thornhill (Hi Mom! ;o) – http://woodhillgarden.com/default.aspx
Canadale Nurseries, Ltd, St. Thomas – http://www.canadale.com/
Rideau Woodland Ramble Garden Centre, Merrickville – http://www.rideauwoodlandramble.com/
Whistling Garden Ltd., Wilsonville – Whistling Garden Ltd., Wilsonville
Summerhill Nursery, Toronto – http://summerhillnursery.ca/

Quebec
Pepiniere Villeneuve, L’Assomption – http://www.gardens.com/go/view/4603/*

*Directory listing only, not a website. Unfortunately the supply stops at Quebec and there are not any nurseries in eastern Canada that order from my grower.

Want to know more about miniature gardening? Join our mailing list here.

Please help spread the joy, tweet, like, facebook, stumble and shout this below.

Permalink Comments (7)

Your Miniature and Fairy Garden Questions are Answered!

22/04/2011 at 12:09 am · Filed under Because it's fun, Conifers, D.I.Y. Ideas, Fairy Gardening, For the New Gardener, Resources ·Tagged fairy garden, inspiration, Janit Calvo, miniature garden

Miniature Gardens can be any shape, size or theme. Having so many choices can be overwhelming but having the right information often helps sort out the ideas.

Your Mini & Fairy Garden Questions Answered!

There is nothing like a major open house, a raging flu-cold and taxes due all within two weeks to get me behind the eight ball and behind on just about everything. I never thought I’d miss blogging either, but I did!

Now that I’m shoveling my way to the surface, I’m finding that people want answers to their most pressing miniature garden questions so here is a list of ten blogs of mine that can answer a bunch of questions for you:

1. Top 10 New Gardener Questions Answered
Includes quick explanations about rainwater and drainage, light, the right soil to use and more.

A miniature Hemlock garden for shade.

2. About Miniature, Fairy and Gnome Gardening
A quick walk through on the different styles of miniature gardening.

3. About our Mini Patio Mix Kit
You can design your very own patio with this, and it won’t wash away when you water.

4. Finding Plants for the Southern States
For southern States, the heat zones are important for know what can grow in the heat.

5. Top 10 tips for realism in the miniature garden
From December’s Mini Garden Gazette. If you like it, sign up to receive them directly to your inbox!

New Miniature Garden Kits are up in the store. They can fast-forward your learning curve! The above Boxwood kit will be available next week (the end of April)

6. Complete Miniature Garden Kits
These kits will jump start your miniature garden learning curve.

7. Water features in the miniature garden
Often overlooked, they can be a really cute focal point.

8. Working with young children and the miniature garden.
Includes a link to someone who knows about working with kids. I’ve added some garden tips. ;o)

9. Accessory help, how to right choose the scale.
Pictures included to demonstrate how different scales can change the “size” of the miniature garden.

10. A quick primer on how to start thinking about a miniature garden.
Tips on how to start the design process.

11. Bonus Link: How to Start a Miniature Garden
There are several ways to go about it, follow the one that appeals to you most!

12. Bonus answer: Do you have a catalog?
No. Our products and plants change too often to have a print catalog. As much as it makes a ton of work for us, it keeps us creative and engaged in finding what works and what does not. And we strongly suspect that it keeps you creative too!

Do you still have a question that remains unanswered? Email Janit@TwoGreenThumbs.com.

Like this? Please help spread the joy of miniature gardening and “like,” tweet or post this anywhere you can!

Happy Spring and Happy Miniature Gardening!

Permalink Leave a Comment

Simple Heat Zone Map is Handy for Internet Plant Shopping

30/03/2011 at 11:46 pm · Filed under Conifers, For the New Gardener, Miniature Plants, railroad gardening, Resources ·Tagged Conifers, green, Janit Calvo, miniature garden, railroad gardening, small space gardening

Jessy, the miniature Norway Spruce. Picea abies 'Jessy'

A true miniature Norway Spruce, Jessy grows less than 1″ per year and can tolerate the cold and the heat.

Simple Heat Zone Map is Handy for Internet Plant Shopping

Do you buy plants on the Internet?

Are you wondering how you can know for certain what plants you can grow in your area?

As gardeners, we have been trained to look at the cold hardiness of the plant to see if it can survive the winter but, for the warmer States, there are different concerns.

A recent email from Burbank, California, spawned a search on whether Dwarf Alberta Spruces (Picea glauca) can survive in a railroad garden that gets several 100 degree Fahrenheit days in the middle of the summer. Referencing the American Horticultural Society’s Heat Zone Chart, we find that the heat zones in Burbank (heat zone 8 ) are outside the recommended zones for the Dwarf Alberta Spruce (heat zones 6-1). From this research, it looks like he would have better success with a Dwarf Norway Spruce (Picea abies, heat zones 8-1) instead.

Note that because the Norway Spruces are on the edge of the recommended heat zone for Burbank, CA, and we know they like their roots to remain cool and damp, a simple mulch applied in springtime can help that garden railroader maintain the dampness in the soil, keep the roots happy which will keep the Dwarf Norway Spruces happy.

And everyone is happy! ;o)

Short Needle Mugo Pine. Pinus mugo 'Short Needle.'

A true miniature Mugo, the Short Needle is hardy – but not heat hardy enough for Batan Rouga, LA.

Another email from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, asked whether the Mugo pines (Pinus mugo, heat zones 7-1) would work in his garden. The pines are really tough plants but, referencing the heat zone chart, they are just outside of the Louisiana heat zone 9, and are not recommended. There are just too many hot days for the Mugos to survive.

Now, that said, gardening is a personal and sometimes, a very arbitrary hobby. What works for one gardener may not work for another. In each and every State, there are many microclimates and something as simple as a different garden bed on the shaded side of the house may be just fine for one conifer, but not for another wanting a different set of growing conditions.

You can find out more about heat zones in The American Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants where they have comprehensive listing of (almost) any plant grown in the States today and the heat zones for each plant are within the individual listing. The latest version is the 2004 edition with an orange coneflower on the front cover. It is a truly wonderful reference book for the dedicated gardener.

Online, you can find a downloadable heat zone chart from their website at: http://www.ahs.org/publications/heat_zone_map.htm. You can also plug in your zip code to get the right heat zone for your area.

As the golden rule suggests, choose right plant for the right place for the best success!

See what we have in our online nursery here.

Join our mailing list for more miniature garden goodness here and get your free Best of the Mini Garden Gazette download immediately after you confirm your subscription through your email.

Permalink Comments (3)

Miniature Garden Plant Focus: The Dwarf Miniature Juniper

20/01/2011 at 12:06 am · Filed under Conifers, Fairy Gardening, Miniature Plants, Product Reviews, railroad gardening ·Tagged Conifers, container gardening, Janit Calvo, miniature garden, plants, railroad gardening, small space gardening, weather

The Dwarf Miniature Juniper is a terrific plant for the miniature garden, in a container or right in the garden bed.

Miniature Garden Plant Focus: The Dwarf Miniature Juniper

Can’t see your miniature garden because it’s buried in snow?

Hopefully you have chosen the right kind of trees and plants in your miniature garden that can endure the cold and freezing, right?

I know you’ve heard me extol the virtues of Junipers as great miniature garden plants for the hot weather. They love the full sun and drier soil but they are the best troopers in the winter months too. We can use them with success in containers and right in the garden bed to give us year ‘round interest and color, even in the coldest climates.

So today, we focus on the Miniature Juniper or Juniperus communis ‘Miniature.’

I used the Dwarf Miniature Juniper for my friend's dog-walker's gift last month because it is heat and cold hardy. Makes it easy for the recipient to care for.

This Miniature Juniper is an improved version of the popular ‘Compressa’ Juniper. Its shape is the same upright column, but it is a bit wider and more cone-shaped than the slender Compressa. The Miniature Juniper can tolerate the wind, cold and reflected sun much better too.

It wears a beautiful green-gray color that gets a little bit of a blush in the colder weather. The fine texture of the foliage is wonderful to work with because it can be easily complimented to match or contrast a variety of miniature garden bedding plants (a.k.a. groundcovers. ;o)

Cold hardy from zones 2 through 6 means it can handle temperatures down in to -50F. This makes it great for pots in the freezing climates too.

Heat hardiness is zones 6 through 1, which means it can tolerate an average of 60 days over 86F. If you are planting them in a container, watch the watering in the hot months and let them dry out to barely damp to avoid over-watering.

Oh, and I must point out that the Miniature Juniper is really a dwarf with a growth rate of 3” to 6” (it’s slower in the NW!) and this is a perfect example of what I preach to be wary of when looking for plants to use in your mini garden. The grower uses the word ‘Miniature’ because it sound cute, not because it is a true miniature with a growth rate less than 1” per year.

Great pairing plants for the miniature gardener are:

The finely textured, rich blue-green foliage is an easy match for companion plants.

- Miniature and Dwarf Mugo Pines
- Groundcover Sedums of any type
- Hen and Chicks, (Sempervirens)
- Groundcover Thymes of any type

All these plants match the light, water and soil requirements of the Miniature Juniper for a successful miniature garden combination that will last over the years with minimal care.

So next time you are looking for a reliable plant for your miniature or fairy garden, consider the Miniature Juniper or any type of baby Juniper for that matter. They are one of the most underused types of dwarf trees and shrubs for miniature gardening and yet, the lowest maintenance. It’s simply reliable evergreen color that fits a multitude of climates and conditions.

See the Miniature Juniper in the store here.

Like so know more? Join us here.

Subscribe to this blog to get them sent straight to your inbox over there on the right. ~>

Share this below!

Permalink Comments (2)

My Favorite Miniature Garden Things

21/12/2010 at 9:06 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, Conifers, Customer Interaction, Fairy Gardening, Life-sized Gardening, Miniature Plants, The Business ·Tagged beach, condo gardening, Conifers, connecting, container gardening, craft, DIY, faeries, fairy, garden, green, holidays, Humour, inspiration, Janit Calvo, miniature garden, plants, railroad gardening, staycation

Raindrops on the Jean's Dilly Dwarf Spruce, a true miniature Christmas tree.

These are a Few of My Favorite Miniature Garden Things

(Sung to the tune ‘My Favorite Things’)

Raindrops on spruce needles and Fiskars in my mittens
Bright miniature daisies and a hobby from Britain
Tiny trees in containers and planted with zing
These are a few of my favorite things

Cream colored containers and matching mini conifers
Friendly, warm customers, fellow miniature gardeners
Silver white winter that melts well before spring ;o)
These are a few of my favorite things

Groups of mini plants all ready for planting
Miniature beach gardens with scenes that are enchanting
Garden gnomes, elves and tiny fairy rings
These are a few of my favorite things.

When the news stinks
When the day goes bad,
When I’m feeling sad,
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don’t feel so bad.

Christmas in the Miniature Garden

Happy Holidays!
Joyeuses Fêtes!
Joyeux Noel!
Felices Navidad!
Trevlig Helg!
Boas Festas!
Mutlu Bayramlar!
Sarbatori Fericite!
Tanoshii kurisumasu wo!
Buone Feste!
Merry Christmas!
Ii holide eximnandi!
Forhe Feiertage!
Hau’oli Lanui!
Beannachtaí na Féile

And have a wonderful New Year!

From Janit and Steve Calvo,
Two Green Thumbs Miniature Garden Center

Permalink Comments (3)

For the Love of Miniature Garden Plants

29/09/2010 at 10:35 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, Conifers, Life-sized Gardening, Miniature Plants ·Tagged Conifers, connecting, container gardening, garden, gardening, Janit Calvo, miniature garden, plants

This dwarf and miniature conifer tapestry shows the many different kinds of conifers available nowadays. This photo is from a couple of winters ago, when it was cold enough for the wee ones to get their colorful winter blush = icing on the cake.

For the Love of Miniature Garden Plants

“Come on, Sweetie, let’s get going.”

My husband calls delicately, knowing that if the tone is wrong, he may lose me. It was as if he was talking me down from the ledge of the Space Needle.

“Come on, we don’t need anymore plants, you have enough.”

He was right. I do have plenty of plants but, I didn’t have that one.

Hi. My name is Janit, and I’m a plant-aholic.

I got my miniature tree order the other day from my grower down in Oregon. I occasionally and purposefully order plants that I don’t know – which is dangerous because I can’t advise my customers about how they grow up and what their individual needs are, until I grow them myself for awhile. (Insert subliminal plot here. ;o)

But, really, I’m like that creature on Lord of the Rings. You remember Gollum? The sleezy, slimy, little guy that covets the ring throughout the series.

“My precious, mmmyyyy preeeeecciiiioooouuuussssss. Eees MINE! MINE!! ALL MINE!!”

Butter Ball Hinoki Cypress - Chamaecyparis obstusa 'Butter Ball'

The soft, bright foliage of the Butter Ball Hinoki Cypress makes you want to grow about 50 of them together and lay down on a Butter Ball Bed!! ;o)

I’m not alone though. When a new customer orders trees from me I always get an email or a phone call. What really surprises me is that THEY are actually surprised that the miniature trees are so nice! (Which always leads me to wonder what the other online nurseries are shipping if they aren’t shipping their best.)

So I thought to share the enthusiasm – and to illustrate to the husband that I’m not the only one with a penchant for miniature plants. Here are the latest phone messages I received last month – transcribed how they sound, until I can figure out how to put them on my blog:

“Good mooorrrrnnning, this is message for Janit, this is Diane B______. I received the shipment of the miniature plants on Monday…. They are absolutely GORGEOUS! I love them. Thank you very, VERY much!!”

[Diane ordered: White Bud Mugo Pine, Gemstone Hinoki Cypress, Variegated English Boxwood, Verdoni Dwarf Hinoki and the White Pygmy Sawara Cypress]

“Janit! It’s Heather V____, I just got my plants, and – I have to tell you, I had to call ya – I couldn’t just send you an email. I am SO impressed and SO ecstatic with these little guys I mean they are AMAZING! I mean I am, I am just IN LOVE with them. Thank you SO much! I am going to take pictures once I get them in the ground. I probably won’t be able to get them in until tomorrow morning. So, I’ll take some pictures and I’ll email them to ya. I just had to call ya and tell you I love them, THEY ARE AWESOME!”

[Heather ordered: White Bud Mugo, Pusch Norway Spruce, Gemstone Hinoki Cypress and the Jamy Balsam Fir]

Did you catch that little stutter in there? That cracked me up completely! She really couldn’t get the words out fast enough!

So, I played these messages for my husband just so he knows… to keep it delicate when luring me away from the edge.

Join us to receive a free monthly newsletter here.

Shop the world’s only complete Miniature Garden Center here.

Subscribe to this blog on the right side of this page over there ~>

;o)

Tweet and Like this below!

Permalink Comments (6)

Miniature Garden Plant Focus: The Pixie Dust Dwarf Spruce

16/09/2010 at 9:16 pm · Filed under Conifers, Fairy Gardening, For the New Gardener, Miniature Plants, Product Reviews, railroad gardening ·Tagged Conifers, container gardening, garden, Janit Calvo, miniature garden, railroad gardening, small space gardening

The Pixie Dwarf Spruce in a Miniature Garden forest setting.

Miniature Garden Plant Focus: The Pixie Dust Dwarf Spruce

It can’t be only me. Surely other people do it all the time, but I can’t help myself sometimes. It’s just that this wee tree inspires me to adapt songs and sing to it.

Weird, huh? Try this for fun:

[Sing this the tune of Hey Mickey by Toni Basil]

Oh Pixie, you’re so fine,
You’re so fine, you blow my mind, hey Pixie, hey Pixie…

(Chorus)
Oh Pixie, you’re so pretty, you don’t understand
You take me by the heart when I see you in my hand
Oh Pixie, you’re so pretty, can’t you understand
It’s plants like you, Pixie
Ooh what you do Pixie Dust, Pixie Dust…

It kind of works, you think? ;o)

The Pixie Dust is perfect for miniature gardening

The Pixie Dust's second growth spurt in the late summer flushes out flushes out in a creamy lemon yellow

The Pixie and the Pixie Dust Dwarf Spruce (Picea glauca) are quite possibly my favorite upright conifers for miniature gardening and they remain one of my best sellers to this day. The main difference between the two is the second flush of growth on the Pixie Dust in mid-summer. The buds burst in a lovely creamy yellow that is quite a treat in August, especially when you least expect it.

Oh Pixie, you’re so fine,
You’re so fine, you blow my mind, hey Pixie, hey Pixie…

The Pixie Dust is cold hardy to zone 4 or -30F, and that opens up a number of different placement options for mini gardening in colder regions as it loves living in containers or being planted right in the ground. If you can keep the roots damp (like wrung-sponge damp) it’ll be happy to grow for you in a sunny or part sun location.

Left to right: Pixie, Pixie Dust and Jean's Dilly Dwarf Alberta Spruce - all in stock now for the first time ever!

Despite being naturally at home in the colder States, with the right combination of watering and shade, the Pixie Dust can be grown in the warmer climates too. Al, a railroad gardener in Florida, has a number of the Picea glaucas in his layout on the north side of his house, under some shade trees that he has been growing with success for a couple of years now. The summer shade is mandatory, as it keeps the soil from drying out too fast for too long. If the mini garden is placed on a timed irrigation system to avoid mishaps, you’ve got another plant option for that area right here.

The Pixie Dust's in stock are about 8" tall and very darling.

Pruning is not really an issue as the Pixie Dust is a slow grower – although it can be “limbed up” to show a little trunk if you need to have more a forest tree look for your miniature garden.

The only caution is conifer dieback. When the little trees shed their needles it tends to hold the dead foliage in the middle of the shrub. This prevents light and air from getting in and will eventually kill the tree. Slough off this dead growth when you see it by getting some garden gloves on and gently wiggling your fingers into the center of the tree. Do this when the tree is dry and the dead needles will easily fall to the ground and you can clean them up with one scoop.

Check for conifer dieback throughout the fall through the winter. Note that when the tree gets a little bigger, it’ll start doing this naturally. It is just when it’s young that it will need a little help from you.

Pixie Dwarf Spruce in a Mini Garden decorated for the holidays.

Decorating the mini garden for the holidays will charm anyone who sees it.

And on a final note: the Pixie Dust makes an incredibly cute tree for the winter holidays when it’s decorated in wee lights and ornaments. Start your mini garden today to have it in place before the busy holidays start and you’ll charm your guests to no end by your ingenuity and creativity.

Oh Pixie, you’re so fine,
You’re so fine, you blow my mind, hey Pixie, hey Pixie…

More details are in the store here.

Toni Basil’s Hey Mickey Video is here.

Click the “sign me up” button on the right to get more miniature garden blogs delivered to your inbox as soon as they are published! ~>

It's a Miniature Forest Garden - perfect for fairies too!

It's a Miniature Forest Garden - can you see the wee mole?

Permalink Comments (4)

Dwarf Junipers and Pines Shine in the Summertime

14/07/2010 at 12:34 am · Filed under Conifers, Miniature Plants ·Tagged condo gardening, Conifers, container gardening, garden, inspiration, Janit Calvo, miniature, miniature garden, plants, small space gardening

A full sun miniature garden with the Compressa Juniper and the Mother Lode Juniper

Dwarf Junipers and Pines Shine in the Summertime

Junipers and Mugo Pines are a perfect choice for summertime conditions – and great for the winter extremes as well. Used as container plants or right in the garden bed, these hardy choices make for less work and more fun in the miniature garden.

Junipers are now available in many shapes and sizes as horticulturalists are realizing the great value they can bring to any type of outdoor garden. Planted right in the garden bed, they can either anchor the bed or be a very colorful ground cover throughout the year. Used in containers, the new bright colors can easily be matched with your favorite annual or perennial and be reliable throughout the year. But in the miniature garden, we can have the best of both worlds.

The Two Green Thumbs' Poster Child with a Compressa Juniper and a Miniature Juniper.

The upright column of the Compress Juniper (Juniperus communis ‘Compressa’) can be a very formal anchor tree in the miniature garden bed. The gray-green foliage opens up a palette of colors to choose from. A row of these column shape trees would easily mimic a row of Italian cypresses that you might see lining long driveways out in the countryside.

The ground cover Junipers are particularly useful, as they don’t get taller, they just spread out gradually. By simply pruning the new growth in springtime and any wayward branches throughout the summer, one of these types of Junipers can last in a pot for well over 5 years with a minimum pot depth of 10 inches.

The Majestic White Bud Mugo Pine in a miniature garden.

The Majestic White Bud Mugo Pine - a "big" little tree for the miniature garden.

Mugo pines are a trusted miniature tree as well. When really young, they can be used alone or with a taller tree, for a very established-looking miniature garden. And as they grow – which would take some of them years to do like the Paul’s Dwarf Mugo Pine (Pinus mugo ‘Paul’s Dwarf’) that grows about 2” per year – they can easily be a majestic specimen tree in miniature. The White Bud Mugo Pine (Pinus mugo ‘White Bud’) is a rare exception as it already looks like a big little tree. Place a wee pond underneath it with a small bench and you have your own secret garden to escape to anytime you like.

This is not to say either are “no maintenance” because no living plant is. These two types of trees will endure the extremes providing they have been given the proper care. In-ground, they will need at least two full seasons to get established – meaning water them! Place them in a full sun bed with a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight and let the soil dry out until wrung-sponge damp between watering sessions. After which, only in the dry summer months would they need a bit of water.

In containers, they will need the same light and water – but for the life of the container because the roots obviously can’t find water themselves. After about two years they’ll need a little fertilizer. Use the time-release, Osmocote fertilizer for a safe and simple solution.

See what Junipers and Mugos are in our store here.

For backorders on any of the above mentioned trees that are no longer in the store, just send me an email at Janit@TwoGreenThumbs.com.

Permalink Comments (1)

Wordless Wednesday: Why Conifers Make Great Mini Garden Trees

13/05/2010 at 12:43 am · Filed under Conifers, Fairy Gardening, For the New Gardener, Miniature Plants ·Tagged condo gardening, Conifers, container gardening, fairy, Janit Calvo, miniature, miniature garden, plants, small space gardening

Created in April of 2007, the Jervis Canada Hemlock looked like a huge tree in the garden, in miniature.

Over 4 years later, with his fresh spring growth, the same Jervis Canada Hemlock is more majestic – in miniature – than ever.

This was entirely by accident: Red Thyme, White Bud Mugo in a blue pot – so I added the windsock and gazing balls for even more whimsy. The Mugo Pine can stay in this 12″ diameter pot for years.

Like a piece taken out of a larger garden, the Dwarf Pagoda Japanese Holly lends a completely different texture to this design. The spring growth of the Cole’s Prostrate Canada Hemlock is refreshing.

Jamy Balsam Fir buds. A true miniature garden conifer that grows less than 1″ per year.

Jean’s Dilly Dwarf Spruce buds, a favorite mini garden tree.

Tiny buds on the tiny Blue Planet Miniature Spruce.

Betty Rose Canada Hemlock buds in a creamy white.

Jean’s Dilly Dwarf Spruce anchors the back, right corner, and Mother Lode Juniper creates the second layer in this mini garden. Elfin Thyme and small Hens and Chicks create the under-story while the bench and trellis cinch the scale. This garden is over 4 years old.

Like this? You’ll love our FREE monthly Mini Garden Gazette! Join us and you will receive your a complimentary PDF, The Best of the Mini Garden Gazette #1, just by confirming your subscription through your email. Join us here..

Now available for pre-order through Amazon.com or wherever books are sold. Ask your local garden center or favorite book seller to get it for you – it’s published by Timber Press.

Our website is here.
Our store is here.

Permalink Comments (4)

Miniature Garden Guru’s Ode to a Forest – Earth Day 2010

22/04/2010 at 8:09 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, Conifers ·Tagged condo gardening, Conifers, connecting, green, hobby, holidays, inspiration, Janit Calvo

Mini Garden with a 10" tall Dwarf Canada Hemlock.

Ode to a Forest – Earth Day 2010

Janit Calvo,
April 22, 2010

“I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.”
- Joyce Kilmer

It was a tiny cartoon in the daily paper that I remember cutting it out and adding it to my scrapbook of cartoons when I was about eight years old. It was a line drawing of a tree, with the caption, “Gee, I’m a tree!” A fun take on the word, geometry. Yuck, yuck, yuck… (This was also the seed for my chronic need for pointing out bad puns. ;o)

Lately, I’ve been thinking back to find out how long I have had a love of trees. I remember my Grandmother would always comment on them when we were out on walks or at the beach. Nammie could identify them by the leaf, cone, bark or branch it seemed. She worked for the Forestry Department for the University of Toronto as a secretary and boy, did she love her trees! Years later, I tried to find out where her forestry library had gone, but to no avail, I’d love to look at them now.

My other, earliest memory was the pine forest next to our farmhouse on Lake Ontario. The farm was where my Mom, and the five of us kids, used to spend the summers. It was a break from life in Toronto while we were there, but we were assigned to painting fences, feeding the cows, clearing fields and peeling logs for fence posts every day – and there wasn’t much time to spend playing, Dad made sure of that.

But when I did get the chance to play, I wanted to escape, so I went to the pine forest. It started on the other side of the barn and went for yards and yards. The distance seemed long, but I was just a kid too. The brothers and sisters didn’t think this a source of fun and it sounded boring to them, so I was often on my own.

Once inside the forest, it was quite magical – all the outside sounds were instantly muffled – I remember always being surprised by that. The thick carpet of pine needles felt soft and deep under my feet, and I could see far down the rows of trees as visions of fantastical creatures danced in my head, thinking that maybe I would meet one if I hung out here long enough. (It was only after I began tree planting in interior BC years later, that I realized why they were planted in rows.)

Further into the grove and almost to the property line, there was a small clearing of trees where the sun could shine down on a patch of green grass. It was there in that patch of grass that I used to lay and be with the forest, immersed in my own peaceful fantasies and conjuring up stories full of more trees and more magic.

Years later, I’m now a confirmed plant-aholic, with a solid addiction to miniature and dwarf conifers and just about anything that flowers – so much so, I created a business around it and have taken Mother Nature as a business partner. Who knew what simple moments in childhood could do?

Happy Earth Day!

Now anyone can grow a tree anywhere: Checkout our wee trees here.

Permalink Comments (6)

	anthonyvenable110 on More About Miniature Garden…
	anthonyvenable110 on More About Miniature Garden…
	More About Miniature… on For New Miniature Gardeners: H…
	More About Miniature… on Miniature & Dwarf Plants:…
	More About Miniature… on An Inside Peek at the Miniatur…

The Mini Garden Guru – Your Miniature Garden Source

Archive for Conifers