Archive for Resources

More About Miniature Garden Plants

16/05/2013 at 6:28 pm · Filed under Customer Interaction, For the New Gardener, Miniature Plants, Resources ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Miniature Gardening at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show

Some of the plants used for our Northwest Flower and Garden Show display were chosen as experiments to see how fast they grow up. The Parahebe, the small plant in front of the big Hinoki tree in the front blue pot, ‘looked’ like a good possibility – until it grew up.

More About Miniature Garden Plants

I STILL do it!

I fall for the cutest little plants, especially when they are in flower. I buy it, plant it and watch it grow – and grow and grow and grow! So not cool if you are a miniature gardener.

So. Not. Cool.

;o)

After all, we ARE looking from them to stay small or grow really slowly.

I’m getting a lot of emails lately asking about what kind of plants to use for miniature gardening – or how to find out what works in your backyard and what doesn’t. So I put this mini-directory together of previous blogs that have touched upon the subject in various ways. If your question isn’t answered here, please do let me know.

How to Find the Plants

This is part four of our beginner series. You’ll find the links to the rest of the series in the post. These are the steps to take for indoor and outdoor plants:

http://minigardener.wordpress.com/2012/05/16/miniature-gardening-104-how-to-find-the-plants/

Examples of What to Look For

The main points of what to look for with a few examples of plants that we like:

http://minigardener.wordpress.com/2013/04/11/miniature-garden-plants-examples-of-what-to-look-for/

Secrets to Success

In this post, I talk about some of the plants that trick us into thinking they would work – until they grow up:

http://minigardener.wordpress.com/2012/03/14/miniature-garden-plants-secrets-to-success/

About the Plants Behind the Winning Gardens

From our annual Miniature Garden Contest – I break down the plants that each winner used in their miniature gardens:

http://minigardener.wordpress.com/2012/11/08/an-inside-peak-at-the-miniature-plants-in-the-award-winning-gardens/

The Meaning of “Dwarf” and “Miniature”

Dwarf and miniature are often used in the names of plants to help sell them – which can be misleading. Here are the definitions and what we mean by “dwarf” and “miniature:”

http://minigardener.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/miniature-dwarf-plants-the-true-meaning/

Signs of the Plants Demise So You Can Prevent It

A discussion on the signals that plants give you when they are not happy.

http://minigardener.wordpress.com/2010/02/16/how-plants-die/

NWFGS miniature garden container

Four months later: the Parahebe sure has pretty flowers – that have overgrown the scale of the miniature garden! I’ll transfer it to one of my in-ground miniature gardens in the fall.

What Can be Grown in your Area?

The very best way to get to know what plants work in your area is your local garden center or nursery – NOT a big box store. You know, one of those cozy, plant-laden stores where you hear a soothing fountain off in the corner, the air is thick with humidity and you have to duck under trees and walk over the hose to get to the cashier – and this is inside the building – THAT kind garden center.

Take some time and walk around and get a feel for where they have the plants at the nursery.  You should find the right plants in the right place too. Note the zone info and what kind of soil they recommend for the plant. Then you can retreat home and look again at the space that you are thinking for your miniature garden if you haven’t decided that yet.

Here’s a quick-list of what you are looking for:

  • Miniature or slow-growing dwarf trees or shrubs
  • Groundcovers
  • Rockery Plants
  • Alpine Plants
  • Sedums & Succulents (small leafed, of course)

For a complete discussion of the trees, shrubs and plants for miniature gardening, look forward to the first comprehensive book on miniature gardening from Timber Press:

Gardening in Miniature

Now available for pre-order through Amazon.com, or wherever books are sold. To pre-order your signed-by-the-author copy, from our online store, click here. Ask your local garden center or favorite book seller to get it for you – it’s published by Timber Press.

Join us for more fun in the miniature garden and sign up for our FREE monthly Mini Garden Gazette newsletter. You’ll get a free PDF, The Best of the Mini Garden Gazette delivered straight to your inbox after you confirm your subscription through your email. Join us here.

 

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Mother’s Day in the Miniature Garden

11/05/2013 at 4:09 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, D.I.Y. Ideas, Miniature Garden Accessories, Miniature Plants, Resources ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mother's Day in the Miniature Garden

In keeping with our holiday series this year, here is a special garden to help celebrate your Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day in the Miniature Garden

This is the fifth installment of our A Year in the Miniature Garden and today we celebrate Mother’s Day – which, should be everyday – if it wasn’t for her, you wouldn’t be here, reading this blog about her. Wait. Did that come out right? ;o)

If you are just catching up to this series, we are having a blast decorating throughout the holidays this year. Keeping the miniature garden the same, and swapping out the decorations and accessories each month for fun. Here are the previous ones:

Valentine’s Day in the Miniature Garden

St. Patrick’s Day in the Miniature Garden

Spring / Easter in the Miniature Garden

Earth Day in the Miniature Garden

Mother's Day in the Miniature Garden

A treat, refreshments and flowers, the perfect set-up for Mom!

I was looking for a way to simplify the decorations – and not to spend very much on them either. Then I remembered The Cutest How-To in the Whole Wide-World – miniature flower arranging!! Moms love flowers! So, I walked around the garden and picked any tiny flower I could, then walked around my neighbors garden (with permission, of course ;o) and picked up some small-leafed greenery too – conjuring my inner florist. Here’s what happened:

Mother's Day in the Miniature Garden

The tiny flowers with the white petals and pink centers are Variegated London Pride (Robertsoniana Saxifrage.) The ivory bell-flowers are Lily of the Valley (Convallaria magalis.) The variegated leafy branches are Little Heath Andromeda (Pieris japonica ‘Little Heath.’)

See the “vase?” It’s an old ceramic electrical insulator I had in my stash. I used a piece of duct tape to seal the bottom so it could hold water. The water stayed in for a couple of hours – long enough to enjoy!

Mother's Day in the Miniature Garden

The blue flowers are Grace Ward Lithodora (Lithodora diffusa ‘Grace Ward.’) White petal flowers are Dwarf London Pride (Saxifraga umbrosa ‘Primuloides.’)  The miniature yellow roses were donated by our friend Greg and we are trying to figure out the name.

As we covered in the previous blog on miniature flower arranging, the easiest way to arrange them is in your fingers. Once you have the wee flowers arranged in a bouquet, trim the stems and put them in in the vase. Your arrangement might fall out of place a bit, use a pair of round tweezers to face the flowers or to prop the stems up in the other foliage.

Mother's Day in the Miniature Garden

The “big” Johnny-Jump-Up Violet is the perfect focal point for this tiny arrangement. The Tricolor Violet is known by many different names and can get really invasive in some areas – but it is common wildflower and the butterflies love it apparently. The violet is accompanied by white Dwarf London Pride flowers (Saxifrage umbrosa ‘Primuloides,’) tips from the Tricolor Sedum (Sedum spurium ‘Tricolor’) and the green leafed filler is Boxleaf Euonymous (Euonymous japonicus ‘Microphyllus.’)

To all the Mom’s and Grandma’s out there:

Happy Mother’s Day!

Mother's Day in the Miniature Garden

.

The plants in the main garden, counterclockwise from the bottom, front:
- Hens and Chicks or Houseleeks (the red rosettes)
- Wooly Thyme
- Silver Mist Lily Turf (behind the flower vase)
- Blue Moon Sawara Cypress
- Miniature Juniper – the ‘Compressa’ Juniper’ (behind the sign)
- Cape Blanco Sedum (at the base of the sign)

Find the plants listed above here.  Note that all plants are not available at all times.

Find the miniature garden decks here.  Made of cedar, they come in “L” shaped too. Made in the USA.

Find the garden bench here. Available in tan and ivory colors too.

Find the cute birdhouse. The one shown as been painted. Made in the USA.

Our How-To PDF instant download is here. It’s helpful to get you going!

Need a kit to help get you started?  Find them here.

Gardening in Miniature

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

Join us for more fun in the miniature garden and sign up for our FREE monthly Mini Garden Gazette newsletter. You’ll get a free PDF, The Best of the Mini Garden Gazette delivered straight to your inbox after you confirm your subscription through your email. Join us here.

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Learning Miniature Garden Design from the “Big” Garden Experts

02/05/2013 at 4:43 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, D.I.Y. Ideas, Life-sized Gardening, Miniature Plants, Product Reviews, Resources ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Miniature Garden Design Tips

This was one of my very first miniature gardens that I created with ONLY the foliage in mind – I didn’t consider the plant’s needs. The above combo simply will not last. The Miniature Sweet Flag (the yellow grass) needs moist soil and part-shade, the Mops Threadbranch Cypress and the Doone Valley Thyme (in front) need well-draining soil and full-sun. The crane sculpture has been discontinued.


Learning Miniature Garden Design from the “Big” Garden Experts

Prior to writing my first book, Gardening in Miniature: Create Your Own Tiny Living World, I stayed away from any garden or miniature

Miniature Garden Design Tips

A favorite combo in our popular Indoor/Outdoor Miniature Garden Kit. Clockwise from the left, Variegated English Boxwood, Baby Tears and Dwarf Mondo Grass. The greens match, the textures are different.

book for the past 5 years so I could keep my voice and view completely original. And now that my book diet is over, I’ve been binging a bit. Um, ya, I bought 15 books within one week – and it’s been really, really fun having a stack of great garden books around, cherishing and wading through them one-by-one.

What has this got to do with miniature gardening? If you are just as obsessed about this miniature garden topic as I am, just about every garden book has some sort of miniature garden idea within its pages. So, here is the first of my book reviews – but first let us back up a bit.

Gardening in miniature, despite the misleading tie to fairy gardening, is all about gardening. It’s about creating a space with plants to enjoy ourselves, get some peace, exercise our creativity and/or illustrate who we are through our choices. It’s no different than planning your “full-sized” garden or decorating the inside of your house to reflect your personality – except we can do anything we want in miniature.

So, after we know what miniature garden plants to use, how do we find out how to plant them so the garden looks beautiful? Well, we turn to the full-size-garden experts to see how they do it. (You laugh – but what else do I call them? ;o)

There’s a brand new garden book that will help us fine-tune our plant choices called Fine Foliage, by Christina Salwitz and Karen Chapman. It is an excellent example of how we can learn from full-size-garden experts.

Miniature Garden Design Tips

From another Miniature Garden Kit (now sold-out.) The whites of the White Pygmy Cypress (top) match the centers of the wee Hens and Chicks. The green colors of the Cypress and Elfin Thyme match but the textures are completely different.

Fine Foliage is a fantastic and fun little book at 8” x 8” square, and the focus is on – you guessed it – foliage. And damn-Fine Foliage at that. Christina and Karen have assembled approximately 122 combinations of different types of plants, for sun and shade, plants that can be used in-ground or in containers. The best part of the book is the “Why this works” section within every combination. Do you want to get inside a couple of designer’s heads to “see” how they think this stuff through? You got it right here in this great little resource.

Christina and Karen have created the perfect demonstration of what we advise  – to match or complement the colors of the plants, and mix-up the leaf textures – and this design rule works for the tiniest of gardens too. If you’re wondering why your miniature garden doesn’t look right, this could be the case.

Checkout the Fine Foliage website for the ordering information and for more, ongoing design tips from Christina and Karen here. Keep a copy of Fine Foliage handy, you can definitely apply it to any garden project.

Do you have a book that we can apply to miniature gardening that you would like me to review? Feel free to get in touch with me at info@TwoGreenThumbs.com. Note that I will only do positive reviews.

Like this? Want to learn more about miniature gardening? Join us here.

Expert Garden Tips

Fine Foliage is a great book to “see” inside two expert garden designer’s minds. Learn how they put plants together to create a knockout garden of your very own – full-size or in miniature.

Miniature Garden Patio Solutions

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Miniature Garden Plants: Examples of What to Look For

11/04/2013 at 1:51 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, Fairy Gardening, For the New Gardener, Miniature Plants, Resources ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Miniature Garden Plants

The subtle flowers on the barberries flush out with the spring growth.

Miniature Garden Plants:
Examples of What to Look For

It’s that time of year again. The garden is calling but the weather is not welcoming. Gills are starting to grow around my jawbone with all the rain we’ve been having here in Seattle – as I watched a major snow storm cut through the middle of the US, up to Canada and moving north and east this morning – oh wait, look, it’s changed to a severe storm with tornado warnings. Great! Ugh. Does anyone have a magic wand?

No?

Weather be damned!

At least you can start preparing and planning your plantings, eh?

Here are some new trees that we enjoy in our miniature gardens that we’ll use as examples of what to look for. Beware of the “fairy garden plants” that are being sold these days, most of the recommended plants that we are seeing out on the Internet this season will not work out well in the miniature garden. Not all plants are a miniature garden plant! When someone says that, you know they don’t “get” what we do. If you don’t buy from a trusted source that knows about miniature gardening, do your own research before purchasing. Plants are an investment and, with a little diligence, you can find one that will suit your idea AND your growing environment to create a low maintenance miniature garden that is a joy to own.

Points to remember when miniature plant shopping:

  • Look for slow growing plants – example: miniature conifers that grow 1” per year or slow-growing dwarfs at less than 3″ per year.
  • Look for small-leaves with small branches or stems – example: miniature daisies, the leaves AND the flowers are both tiny and stay tiny.
  • Look for plants that can stay small, example, the Jacqueline Hillier Elm is a naturally dwarf tree that can be pruned in the winter to slow down the growth rate even more.
  • Decide where your mini garden will live, then pick the plant to suit that spot. “Right plant, right place.”

Here are some more examples from the online store:

Miniature Garden Plants - Dwarf Wisteria

The Dwarf Wisteria is a perfect miniature-looking shrub with leggy trunks and a feathery green canopy.

Dwarf Wisteria or Millettia japonica ‘Hime Fuji’

This Dwarf Wisteria is not like the full-sized wisteria that we see as huge vines taking over arbors and buildings. We’ve been testing this one for the last 5 years here at our studios and this rare gem is well behaved and low-maintenance. The dwarf Wisteria will eventually grow into a bushy adult plant but, in the meantime, it looks like a shrub in miniature with its bare legs and leafy canopy. It grows much slower than listed here in our Seattle climate. It’s listed as hardy to zone 6 or -10F, but you can treat it as a tropical plant and move it inside for the winter. See more details on the Dwarf Wisteria here.

Miniature Garden Plants - Boyd's Willow

Boyd’s Willow grows slooowly to 12″ tall. The furry gray leaves add a different color and texture to the miniature garden bed.

Boyd’s Miniature Willow (Salix boydii)

A miniature willow for the miniature garden!
 Yeah, I know, it’s just too stinkin’ cute! Boyd’s Willow was discovered in Scotland and grows really slowly to about 12 inches tall. It’s a hardy little gem for just about any miniature garden scene. Round, furry, blue-gray leaves are perched on little gnarled branches. Needs sharp, well draining soil (add sand or extra perlite) and is tolerant of many challenges, including deer, drought, pollution, and salt . The grower has this listed as a zone 4 plant, or hardy to -30F. See more details on Boyd’s Willow here.

Miniature Garden Plants - Silver Fox Hoary Willow

You can tell by the name, Silver Fox Hoary Willow is from Newfoundland. The word “hoary,” means grayish-white. They are just starting to flush in for the spring above.

Silver Fox Hoary Willow

Discovered in Newfoundland, the Silver Fox Hoary Willow will grow slowly and change with the seasons in your miniature garden. The tiny silver leaves are a new texture to add to your scene, they’ll drop the leaves in fall and show off their wonderful yellow stems throughout the winter. The Silver Fox Hoary Willow prefers wet soil or boggy areas and does best in a cool climate. A trusted Bonsai subject too – so we know it can tolerate pruning to slow down the growth rate even further (prune in winter.) Hardy to zone 3 or -40F. See more details on the Silver Fox Hoary Willow here.

Miniature Garden Plants - Golden Devine Barberry

Golden AND devine! The Golden Devine Barberry is proving to be a really sweet miniature garden tree. Turns yellow-er in the sun, more chartreuse in the shade.

Golden Devine Miniature Barberry – Berberis thunbergii ‘Golden Devine’

Yep! We are calling this one “miniature” because it only grows 1 to 2″ per year. The adult size is only 12″ tall and spreads to 18″ but we can keep it trimmed to slow the growth rate down even further. The Golden Devine Barberry has fantastic coloring with the pink buds and green leaf combination. Leaves stay small and it’s a lovely overall shape too – like a typical shrub! Small flowers bloom in the early spring. Foliage turns greener in the shade, or more yellow in the sun – and will get a bit pink in the hot, summer sun – but it is best for a part sun/cool sun spot.
 Barberry’s can be grown in containers or right in the ground. Deciduous, has thorns, drought tolerant once established – perfect for a low maintenance miniature garden. Zones 4 to 8. See more details on the Golden Devine Barberry here.

Miniature Garden Plants - Golden Tourch Barberry

The Golden Torch Barberry flushes out in pink buds in springtime, and will get a bit of pink around it’s leaf edges during the summer. Pretty!

Miniature Garden Plants - Helmond Pillar Barberry

Helmond Pillar Barberry’s berries. It holds on to the berries into the winter, after the leaves have dropped. Flowers in the springtime, red leaves in the summer. Very cool!

 

Golden Torch Barberry – Berberis thunbergii ‘Golden Torch’

and

Helmond Pillar Barberry – Berberis thunbergii ‘Helmond Pillar’

We group these two barberries together because the only difference we see so far it the color and the growth rate – the Golden Torch is a little slower growing than the Helmond Pillar. Both grow in tall columns, bloom in spring, can tolerate pruning (that will encourage branching,) drought tolerant and oh ya, THE COLORS!! You can’t beat a splash of color for your miniature garden scene. Plant several in a row for a wee hedge.
 Deciduous, has thorns,  hardy zones 4 to 8 or -30F. See more details on the Golden Torch Barberry here and the Helmond Pillar Barberry here.

Miniature Garden Plants - Tom Thumb Cotoneaster

The Tom Thumb Cotoneaster can be kept trimmed into the cutest little ball. The tiny leaves are perfect for your miniature garden. Planted here in the center of the pot.

Tom Thumb Cotoneaster – Cotoneaster apiculata ‘Tom Thumb’

The Tom Thumb Cotoneaster is fun little shrub for the miniature garden. The leaves are tinier than most of the other Cotoneasters and the lil’ Tom Thumb can lend itself to the smallest of settings –  AND he turns color and drops its in autumn too for extra added pleasure. A perfect companion to conifers, it grows slowly (2” to 4” per year) into a low spreading mat that can be kept trimmed anytime but preferable when it is dormant in the winter. Pretty white flowers turn to ornamental red berries by fall. Hardy, rugged, drought tolerant and a pleasure to grow. Hardy to zones 5 to 7 or -20F. See more details on Tom Thumb Cotoneaster here.

Miniature Garden Plants - Thyme-Leaf Cotoneaster

The Thyme-Leaf Cotoneaster shown trimmed into an apple tree form. It will get better and better with age. Flowers in early summer followed by bright red berries for the rest of the year.

Thyme-Leaf Cotoneaster – Cotoneaster microphylla ‘Thyminifolius’

A darling little shrub that we have been searching years for is now available in limited supply. It is highly coveted as a tree for the miniature garden because it can be trained into an apple tree – the cotoneaster berries look like wee apples (but not edible!) Can be trimmed or pruned anytime but preferably in the winter so you don’t cut off the white flower buds that flush out in early summer. The pretty red berries follow and some will hang on until the following spring. Great in pots and loved by bonsai artists. See more details on the Thyme-Leaf Cotoneaster here.

Need plants for your Miniature Garden? We’ve been serving the miniature garden hobby since 2001. Visit our store here. 

Did you know? We can hold your order until you are ready for them! Go ahead and place your order with us and let us know when to ship it. If spring happens sooner than expected, let us know and we’ll ship it – if winter is still hanging on, let us know and we’ll hold them for another couple of weeks.

Like this? Join us here and get for your FREE Best of the Mini Garden Gazette #1 after confirming your email!

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Miniature Gardening: It’s an International Affair

28/03/2013 at 2:11 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, Customer Interaction, Resources, The Business ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Miniature Gardening in Romania

Loosely quoted, “With a touch of magic, your beautiful garden will spring from your dreams. A bench leaning against a tree or a small fountain hidden among giant flowers will create a peaceful space you can escape to anytime.”

Miniature Gardening: It’s an International Affair

Sharing the new miniature garden hobby is too much fun. With customers throughout the world, it was inevitable that the international garden magazines would pick up on this latest huge garden niche / hobby. We were tickled when a couple of them came to us for pictures and input, here’s what came out of the connections. They told us what pictures they liked from our website/ this blog and our flickr-photo page and we sent back the high resolution photos for them to use.

Romania!

Here is a Home and Garden Magazine from Romania. They found some plant sources for those of you across the pond who need to find the right plants we use. Here is their website: www.casa-gradina.ro

Miniature Gardening in Romania

Gradini in Miniatura – now you know how to say Miniature Garden in Romanian!

For some of the trees we use: http://www.multeplante.ro

For the Fairy Vine or Mulenbeckia:
www.eutopiamall.com

The article tells how to use slow-growing plants, where to place them and general potting tips on soil and fertilizer. Here’s a loosely edited quote from the article:

“Finally, add accessories – they make the difference between a simple flower pot and a miniature garden. For the planting seem more real, always use same scale (find it stated on the label products). Even if you put a doll, it’s nice to create the impression of human presence, this will create a story: a rake “forgotten” on the grass or miniature cup of tea on the table. Animals add charm to the arrangement.

For the translation, we used the handy Google Translate and had some help from my Romanian friend, and fine artist, Florin Brojba. (Wave! Wave! ;o)

Want to know more? Check out our About Miniature Gardening page on our new website that we are adding to each week here.

Miniature Gardening in Romania

They even have the cover of our new book in the article too! Timber Press is everywhere!

Miniature Gardening in Romania

The photo, middle-right, is Laney’s miniature garden from MS, she was one of our contest winners from last year. Way to go Laney! ;o)

Miniature Gardening in Romania

Very sweet! A huge, warm thank you to Sabina Usurelu, the Garden Editor at Casa si Grandina!

Japan!!

This next article was such a pleasure to help with. From Japan! We’ve always known the Japanese are as equally enthralled with all things miniature, but to be ask to contribute  was such a treat knowing that the art of bonsai, the grandfather of miniature gardening, has long roots in the history of Japan. And here they asked little ol’ me for photos of my work. I’m still giggling… check out the fun they had with this 6-page article.

Miniature Gardening in Japan

Bises is a beautiful, full color, huge, glossy magazine dedicated to gardening in Japan. All kinds of flower and vegetable gardening, lots of roses, recipes, garden design and much more. I wish I could read Japanese!

I didn’t have any luck translating the Japanese in this article but I’m still going to try.

Miniature Gardening in Japan

The editors at Bises loved our miniature garden shed made in 2005.

Miniature Gardening in Japan

I love how they dissected the big garden into the smaller photos.

Miniature Gardening in Japan

And here are some of their miniature gardens and plant suggestions.

Miniature Gardening in Japan

Look for the woman in the photo in purple on the right side, just in front of the garden bed. She was ‘photoshopped’ in to look as if it was her garden. Too fun!

Miniature Gardening in Japan

I love their miniature stonework – check out the stairs that the little guy is standing on.

Miniature Gardening in Japan

“Watch out, tiny gardener! Here come the scissors!” Lol! Hey, they are probably giggling in Japan too! ;o) Check out those wonderful doors on the building. Small-leafed ivies and Baby Tears fill up the beds. I think that’s a small-leafed Sedum that the “giant” hand is cutting. Photo is from www.bises.co.jp

Miniature Gardening in Japan

See the gardener on the bottom trimming the Rosemary? Lol! A big thank you to Ms. Hanako Yagi, the Editor in Chief at BISES.

Miniature Gardening in Japan

This photo is just too sweet. Two tiny gardeners tending their miniature garden. The plants look like Scottish and Irish Moss for the lawn, Fairy Vine for the twiggy shrub in the back and small-leafed Sedums are in the pots in front of the building. Photo is from www.bises.co.jp

Hey, the Beatles had to make it big overseas before they were a hit in their own country – who knows what will happen in the brand new world of miniature gardening?

Most of the items in the photos are from our online store here.

Like this? You’ll love our free Mini Garden Gazette. Published monthly and sent straight to your inbox. Click this link, sign up and get your free “Best of the Mini Garden Gazette #1″ instant PDF download after confirming through your email. 

Miniature Beach Garden

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St. Patrick’s Day in the Miniature Garden

14/03/2013 at 2:57 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, D.I.Y. Ideas, For the New Gardener, Miniature Garden Accessories, Resources ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

St. Patrick's Day in the Miniature Garden

St. Patrick’s Day in the Miniature Garden: We’re having fun using the same garden this year for every occasion that we can.

St. Patrick’s Day in the Miniature Garden

This year’s mission: to use the same garden for every occasion throughout the year – aaand we missed one already!

Dang.

We tried to rally a Mardi Gras miniature garden at the last minute, (I never see it coming!) but, it takes a while to figure out the accessories if you don’t have them on hand. Although, I could have painted a bench purple and throw some beads around the pot – but I looked – we didn’t even have any beads. (I know, right? I was ill-prepared! ;o)

So, let’s do St. Patrick’s Day, it’s my Grandmother’s favorite “holiday.”

St. Patrick’s Day in the Miniature Garden

With the help of some floral picks (the sign and the stars) we made this wee holiday work in the wee garden – only after collecting everything “green” we could find.

St. Patrick’s Day in the Miniature Garden

We found that tiny antique garland at our local miniature show. The hat came from an old stash found at a rummage sale. We painted the bench green, it’s made of balsa wood and shouldn’t be left out in the weather because it will fall apart quickly.

St. Patrick’s Day in the Miniature Garden

The world’s cutest St. Patrick’s Day cupcakes are by Ruth Stewart from Stewart Dollhouse Creations – link is below. She’s amazing! They make all-occasion treats the doilies too. (Note that these tiny miniatures are not waterproof or weatherproof.)

St. Patrick’s Day in the Miniature Garden

Our new, trusty miniature cedar decks can be stained or painted. That’s an upside-down pot that we used for a table. Small hen and chicks are the red-tipped rosettes, the fuzzy, grey-green plant to the left and right of it is Wooly Thyme.

St. Patrick’s Day in the Miniature Garden

The grass on the left is Silver Mist Lily Turf (new in our store!) the bushy shrub is Blue Moon Sawara Cypress, the taller column is a Miniature Juniper. This combination is slow-growing, for a full-sun spot, moderate watering, we let the soil dry out to barely damp in between watering sessions to avoid over-watering.

Missed our Valentine Miniature Garden? It’s here.

RESOURCES:

Find the plants here.

Find the miniature garden decks here.

Find Ruth’s cupcakes here.

Our How-To PDF instant download is here.

Join us for your FREE Mini Garden Gazette here.

May the luck of the Irish be with you, always.

Have a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Miniature Garden Center Ad

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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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Valentine’s Day in the Miniature Garden

06/02/2013 at 2:24 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, D.I.Y. Ideas, Garden Art, Miniature Garden Accessories, Resources ·Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Valentine's Day in the Miniature Garden

Valentine’s Day in the Miniature Garden can be loaded with decor – or kept really simple with one or two accent pieces.

Valentine’s Day in the Miniature Garden

Creating miniature gardens is so much fun because you can adapt them to any situation, any theme or any occasion. But another fun thing to do with this new-again hobby – and Valentine’s Day gives you a perfect opportunity to – is to share them. A miniature garden can easily deliver a personalized message sent straight from the heart.

If you are short on decorations, a simple accent piece can still send a huge message. A red chair, an engraved heart or ‘hugs’ rock, or this simple how-to can send sweet love to your Valentine.

Don’t have a Valentine? Then it’s a perfect excuse to treat yourself and do something YOU love!

Want to see more of the 2013 Valentine Garden? They will be posted in our February newsletter, The Mini Garden Gazette. Join our email list here and get instant access to the archives after confirming through your email.

How to Make Valentine’s Day Decorations for Your Miniature Garden:

We found the package of foam hearts at JoAnns Fabrics (40% off!) to make these really quick decorative garden stakes that you can add to any miniature garden and get your message love across.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • One package of foam cutouts
  • Wood popsicle sticks &/or coffee sticks
  • Paint colors of your choice
  • Scissors
  • Paintbrush
  • Sandpaper

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AAAAND the craft stores now carry all kinds of cutouts for every occasion! Paint the stakes to match the holiday color to make it look more polished. We tried writing on them with a small Sharpie marker, but it turned out a bit faded – the foam doesn’t accept the ink very well.

Be sure to take out the heart stakes after the 14th and wait for the wood to dry before storing them for next year. Like the miniature holiday decor, they should last for a long time if you don’t leave them out in the weather all year.

See our previous post of gift-giving ideas: The Most Incredible Gift of All Time. Make Quick and Affordable Gifts. A Miniature Garden for Every Budget.

More ideas from your  Miniature Garden Center:

- Love You Forever Love

- Ever-Lasting Hugs

- A Flower Forever

- A Sweet Cherry-Red Garden Chair

- A Cherry-Red Bench

 

Miniature Garden Center

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Miniature Gardens: The Fun is Contagious

23/01/2013 at 3:47 pm · Filed under Gardening in Miniature Book, Resources, The Business ·Tagged , , , , , ,

Miniature Gardening with Timber Press

The front page of this year’s Timber Press catalog – a la miniature gardening!

Miniature Gardens: The Fun is Contagious

If you aren’t part of the retail industry, chances are you won’t see this at all. The miniature garden pictures in this blog are from the spring edition of the Timber Press book catalog.

Who would have thunk?

Miniature Gardens: The Fun is Contagious

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As far as I can glean from the hallowed halls of Timber Press, this garden was created by Laken, one of the resident designers at Timber, and my editor, Andrew Beckman, a.k.a. Editor-in-Chief / Associate Publisher of Timber Press.

How’s that for contagious fun?

Miniature Gardening with Timber Press

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We also learned that when Andrew introduced this new book at “the big meeting in New York” he flew the plants, parts and pieces in his luggage to plant up an example in his hotel to show everyone what a miniature garden is.

I guess they enjoyed it.

Miniature Gardening with Timber Press

My guesstimate that this pot is about 20 to 22″ wide – a nice size for a miniature garden because it gives you lots of room to layer in the plants and trees – and enough room for a big patio for your patio furniture, barbeque or a potting bench.

Our Gardening in Miniature book is due out in the stores this July. Join us here for the release party coming up this spring and you’ll also get our free monthly newsletter, the Mini Garden Gazette.

Find your plants, parts and pieces up in our popular online Miniature Garden Center here.

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An Inside Peek at the Miniature Plants in the Award-Winning Gardens

08/11/2012 at 5:42 pm · Filed under Customer Interaction, D.I.Y. Ideas, Miniature Plants, Resources ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Laney's Miniature Garden

Laney’s Miniature Garden. Laney got a new camera so I thought to show off a clearer picture of her garden that won Honorable Mention. Laney lives and gardens in Mississippi.

An Inside Peek at the Plants in the Award-Winning Gardens

Everyone had a ton of fun with the Annual Miniature Garden Contest and it was great to see such a variety of plants and personalities. After years of holding miniature garden workshops, I can safely say, no two miniature gardens are alike – just like the people who made them!

There were some questions on the plants used in the winning gardens so here is a list of the plants with a little bit of insight from a fellow MG (Miniature Gardener.)

Glenna's Miniature Garden

Glenna from NY won Best Miniature Garden in a Container.

Best Container: Glenna’s planter should stay together for a few years, with some maintenance every two to three years with diving the ground covers to keep them from spreading too much. The trees and shrubs can be pruned back gently every now and to control their direction and their growth rate. All the plants in this pot are ideal for full sun, regular water but let the soil dry out to barely damp in between watering sessions to avoid overwatering. The plastic pot will help keep the soil damp too. A great combo visually and horticulturally.

Clockwise from the back back left corner:

- Thyme-Leaf Cotoneaster, Cotoneaster thyminifolia (July’s blooms turn to September’s berries, prune in late winter to keep its shape and to slow down the growth rate. Pronounce it Kaw-tone-ee-ass-ter.)
- Irish Moss, Sagina subulata (under the Cotoneaster, divide every 2 or 3 years.)
- Elfin Thyme, Thymus serpyllum ‘Elfin‘ (an ideal miniature plant)
- Irish Moss, Sagina subulata (again, bottom right corner)
- Fairy Moss in the Pond, Azolla (also called mosquito fern, duckweed fern, water fern)
***Aggressive grower! Illegal in TX and LA. Keep contained at all times. Do not dump in waterways. Please be responsible about this one! ***
- Platt’s Black Brass Buttons, Leptinella squalida ‘Platt’s Black’ (looks like mini ferns! Here is the New Zealand variety with prettier tones throughout.)
*Aggressive in-ground. Prune judiciously in spring, divide every year to keep it from running.*
- Mother Lode Juniper, Juniper horizontalis ‘Mother Lode’ (it’s a ground cover shrub so it stays low, loves drier soil and full sun.)

Karen's Miniature Garden Pumpkin Village

Karen’s Miniature Garden Pumpkin Village is in CA.

Best Halloween: Karen’s Pumpkin Village leaves us thinking, “Where could I do that?” Lol! The moss in the top trough looks like a type of sheet moss found in MA, where Karen is from. The planted trough in the front should last for years, again with some maintenance with the ground covers. The big-leafed plant that you see throughout the garden, I think are Forget-Me-Not self-seeded-starts – a weedy, self-sowing perennial that I bet Karen will pull out when it starts to grow up. This is a nice grouping for part to full sun with regular watering. Again, let the soil dry out to barely damp in between watering sessions to avoid overwatering.

Bottom trough, from the very left side:

- Juniper Blue Star, Juniperus ‘Blue Star’ (I think, it is cut off in the photo, loves the sun.)
- E1 Evaluator Hinoki Cypress, Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘E1 Evaluator’ (green ball to the left of the ladder, part sun to full sun, will maintain that ball shape.)
- Sedum button, Sedum dasyphyllum (the blue-green plant at the base of the ladder, flowers in summer, wait for new growth at the crown, then shear back.)
- E1 Evaluator Hinoki Cypress, Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘E1’ (another green ball to the right of the ladder, a rare, sloooow grower.)
- Scottish moss, Sagina subulata ‘Aurea’  (front, cascading down, needs dividing every 2 or 3 years, can be grown in part sun or full sun.)
- Golden Dwarf Hinoki Cypress, Chameacyparis obtusa ‘Nana Lutea’ (grows slowly to a nice upright, broad shape, can stay in that container without blocking the village for about 3 to 4 years.)

Mary Jane's Miniature Garden

Mary Jane’s Miniature Garden is so on-trend with the pretty blues! From NE.

People’s Choice: Mary Jane’s miniature garden is very on-trend with the pretty blue patio and pot. She could move this garden indoors for the winter if there is plenty of light for the boxwood tree. Outside, if the container is in full sun, the boxwood may get an orange cast to the leaves that is called “winter bronzing.” The green color returns quickly after the weather warms up in the spring. To avoid it changing colors, give the tree more shade. This pot will do well in part shade or even indoors in bright indirect light, with regular watering – let the soil dry out to barely damp in between watering sessions to avoid overwatering. This pot should be able to stay together for a couple of years before the ground cover, Blue Star Creeper, needs refreshing.

- Graham Blandy Boxwood, Buxus sempervirens ‘Graham Blandy’ (tree in center, see above paragraph for growing tips. We normally don’t recommend a lot of fertilizer for our miniature garden plants, but the boxwoods will need some during the growing season.)
- Blue Star Creeper, Pratia angulata (underneath the tree, and I think she has the runners growing up the trellises. I’ve read somewhere that this can be grown indoor too.)

Debbie's Miniature Garden

Debbie’s Miniature Garden is in CA.

Honorable Mention: Debbie from CA gets a little clever with her plantings if I have identified them correctly! I’m was never good at “guess that plant” when I was working at the nursery but I’m going to make a stab at it now. This combo is great for warmer regions in full or part sun, the Cryptomeria needs regular water (but not wet) but the soil around the Jade will need to be left to dry in between watering sessions. To get around this, water only the Cryptomeria regularly and check the soil close to the Jade by poking your finger an inch down to make sure it is dry before watering.

From left to right:

- Jade Tree, Crassula ovata, (trimmed into a tree form)
- Japanese Cedar, Cryptomeria japonica (tree behind the bench, a baby conifer. Prune away bottom-most branches for more a tree look. Part sun, regular water.)
- Scottish moss, Sagina subulata ‘Aurea’ (right-most plant, will need dividing every 2 to 3 years to keep it fresh looking. Part sun to full sun.)
- Fairy Moss in the Pond Azolla (also called mosquito fern, duckweed fern, water fern)
***Aggressive grower! illegal in TX and LA. Keep contained at all times. Do not dump in waterways. Please treat responsibly.***

Laney's Miniature Garden

Laney’s Miniature Garden.

Honorable Mention: Laney from MS has got it going on in this sweet scene for part sun/part shade location. The row of Monteray Cypresses along the backside can be sheared (in late winter) to slow down the grown and to shape it into a full hedge. Otherwise, most of the other plants are slow growing. This combination should be able to stay together for years with minimal maintenance by dividing the ground covers every 3 or 4 years.

Clockwise from top left:

- Monteray Cypress, Cupressus macrocarpa ‘Wilma Goldcrest’ (also called Lemon Cypress makes up the row of lime colored plants along the backside. Indoors or outdoors in more temperate climates, regular water dry out to damp in between.)
- Hokkaido Japanese Elm, Ulmus parvifolia ‘Hokkaido’ (behind the red arbor, part sun to full, cool sun, will drop it’s leaves in the fall, loves pruning, fragile.)
- Dwarf Mondo Grass, Ophiopogon japonicus ‘Nana’ (the perfect grass for the miniature garden. Loves shade, can tolerate sun and indoors too. Tiny lavendar flowers in the summer.)
- Baby Tears or Fairy Tears, Soleirolia soleirolii (the ground cover throughout the garden, an aggressive spreader in some areas but perfect for pots. Great for shade, part shade, indoors in bright indirect light.)

About Laney’s Pond plants: Laney layered in clear resin in the pond to get the koi at different levels. The lily pads with flowers are resin and were stuck into end layer. This took several days to do as each layer of resin had to dry before layering in another.

To see all the pictures of all the entries, visit last week’s blog here. It really is the variety that keeps us interested and growing in this wonderful new-again hobby!

Want more? Join our email list for your FREE monthly Mini Garden Gazette here.

Visit our store for more ideas and eye candy here.

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