Posts Tagged Child’s garden

New Miniature Garden Plants & Accessories for the New Hobby

Miniature Garden Pond

The new medium-sized pear shaped pond snuggled into the pot quickly and easily. Surround it with a few “boulders” to make it blend in.

Mini Garden News: New Plants, New Accessories for the New Hobby

Whew! There is nothing like a book deal to throw a wrench in your work week. I really hate when that happens! Lol!

Yeah, ya caught me – I didn’t have time to blog for weeks now and I do feel bad about it. Blog ideas have been piling up in my brain though so know that I have thought about you! We got a ton of stuff done, Steve and I, but to have a quiet moment to write a short blog? Whassatabout?

So, in an effort to make up for it, I have added some more brand-new-never-existed-before-ever miniature garden accessories, re-stocked a bunch of old favorite miniature and dwarf trees and shrubs in our store.

Miniature Garden Lagoon

I think I need a monkey for this Miniature Garden Lagoon.

Miniature Garden Pond

The new small-sized Miniature Garden Pond.

Pond-Up

Brand spankin’ new Two Green Thumbs Miniature Garden Ponds are modeled after the real thing. The ponds were designed by me (Janit) are made for the living miniature garden, but they can work for the dollhouse garden too. They come in three different sizes and can work with all different miniature scales.

The shapes are very fun to work with: a small kidney shape, the medium size is a pear-shape and the large one, pictured above in the tropical garden, we call the lagoon. Made of resin, the ponds are weatherproof, can hold water and install quickly and easily. The realism and detail are nicely done – a simple solution that looks great in any miniature garden situation.

Tansu Japanese Cedar

The Tansu Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica ‘Tansu’) is a favorite for the miniature garden with its delicate looking foliage and irregular shape. Perfect for a sunny spot with evenly damp soil.

Plant Favorites

Butter Ball Hinoki Cypress

The lacy, colorful foliage of the Butter Ball Hinoki Cypress.

There’s a ton of information out there these days, so you might want to rely on the tried and true to start your journey into the garden. We are restocked with a few of our trusted favorites – you’ll find something in there for all types of miniature gardens. The Blue Pygmy Juniper is terrific for sun and loves sharp draining soil, the Horsford Canada Hemlock is real cutie for tiny, shaded gardens with the cutest little trunk in the nursery. The Variegated Boxwood is perfect for indoors. You’ll find slow-growing dwarf Hinokis, Japanese Holly and dwarf Arborvitaes too.

Miniature Garden Rose Trellis

Miniature Garden Rose Trellis, design by Janit for the living miniature garden.

Miniature Garden Bean Pole

The Miniature Garden Bean Pole looks great with or without plants on it.

More New Designs

I love it when a plan comes together. Check out the new Rose Trellis and Bean Pole, the latest addition to the Two Green Thumbs line from Georgetown Home and Garden. Designed by me and are specifically made for the living miniature garden. Sturdy metal painted copper will hold up well in the weather over time and the copper color looks just great against the greens of the plants. Well made yet detailed – just how we like it!

Ponds, horses, tiny trees and bean poles. Where else are you going to get this kind of news? ;o)

Checkout the rest of our New and Back-In-Stock Department in the online store here.

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Miniature Fairy Gardening in the Archives

Miniature Fairy House for the Miniature Garden

Miniature Fairy House for the Miniature Garden

Wordless Wednesday: Miniature Fairy Gardening in the Archives

Found these rooting around in the photo archives. A miniature fairy house made in 2008, from an old Juniper stump in a 22″ diameter water bowl. (Bowl was drilled for drainage.)

I’m culling the best of the best for my new miniature garden book coming out this fall of 2012, from Timber Press. Stay tuned by joining my mailing list here.

Miniature Fairy Gardening Archives

Miniature Fairy Gardening Archives

Miniature Fairy Gardening Archives

Miniature Fairy Gardening Archives

 

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How to Insert Charm into Your Miniature Garden, Part I

Bronze Miniature Garden Chair

Metallic colors work well in the garden. It's the metallic sheen that contrast with the garden textures that makes it work so well.

How to Insert Charm into Your Miniature Garden, Part I

Whew!

There is nuthin’ like two bustling online stores, a miniature garden class, a big open house, getting a book ready for publishing, an email account meltdown, a huge-secret-squirrel project and preparation for a big display garden, to put one behind the eight ball.

As I sprint out of my own way and come up for air, I realized that my blogging has been lacking.

What was that? You thought I didn’t have anything new to say?

Ce n’est pas possible! ;o)

Gardening in miniature is enjoyable on so many different levels because it joins two very popular and rich hobbies, crafting and gardening, into one delightful pastime. Each and every element of the miniature garden is just as rich and deep in subject matter as the next. You could explore every nuance of this new hobby for years: the trees, the “bedding plants,” the accessories, the different ways to make miniature patios plus the countless styles, sizes and shapes that a mini garden can be, equal endless fun and creativity.

But, you already knew that, right?

So, now that the miniature garden trend has taken root, it’s time to bring on the charm.

We have all seen that white metal garden furniture in the miniature garden by now. It is getting quite popular actually. But how often do you see white metal garden furniture in a full-size garden these days?

Not too much, eh?

The purpled-blue periwinkle shines even on gray days here in Seattle.

The purpled-blue periwinkle shines even on gray days here in Seattle.

So, we’ve come up with different colored accessories that will lift your miniature garden up to the next level, and make you look like a pro. Let’s go through them and figure out why they work so you can bring some charm to your miniature garden.

This bright periwinkle blue patio set is refreshing to the eye and looks bright all the time, even in shade or on an overcast day. Unlike a plain baby blue color, the periwinkle has a tiny bit of red in it to turn the blue into the very slight purpled-blue that it is. It is this tiny addition of red that makes this color work well against the green foliage in the garden bed. In this example, the periwinkle suits the furniture set because the curly-cues and the intricate patterns of the style of furniture are just as playful as the periwinkle blue. Did I say fun yet?

Any shade of red is ideal for the garden because red and green are

Little red Miniature Garden chair adds charm.

Little red Miniature Garden chair adds charm and the color sings against the green foliage.

“opposite colors.”  Purple/yellow and blue/orange are natural opposites as well. This pairing of colors were not created by anyone, but come from how our eyes naturally see color and adjust to it. A wee spot of red on the miniature patio can really catch the eye of anyone who walks by it. (Red is also the most attractive color to us because it is the color of our blood and blood is life.)

Mellow yellow is also bright and cheerful!

Mellow yellow is also bright and cheerful!

I don’t think there is a more cheerful color than yellow! A bright, sunshine yellow perfectly matches any garden while standing out nicely against the green foliage. Yellow in any shade is always a refreshing treat. Bright colors attract the eye and “bring the color forward,” dark colors recede into the background. Next time you are at an art gallery, note how the painters use the color to create depth in the painting.

Green is a very fun color and of course, our favorite here a Two Green Thumbs. Just think of the different personalities that the various green shades can bring to a miniature

Olive green is fun for any size of garden.

Olive green is fun for any size of garden.

garden setting. Hunter green is formal and conservative. Olive green is modern and cheerful. This olive green furniture set would not be as darling painted dark brown or white.

This wee faux aluminum patio set adds modern elegance to the miniature garden.

This wee faux aluminum patio set adds modern elegance to the miniature garden.

Metallic colors, like copper, gold, bronze or silver, look clever than ever in the garden these days and the color can fit in just about any style of garden too. We can have our riches in different ways! The sheen of the metallic colors can really make the miniature garden accessories zing. Copper is a favorite because it is a shade of red and red stands out against the garden greens.

Now go on and add some charm to your miniature garden – or your full-sized garden for that matter. It’ll make you smile!

Stay tuned for more Charm Part II next subscribe to this blog over there ~>

Find completely different miniature garden accessories in the Two Green Thumbs online store or in the Etsy store. Find new things almost every day!

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Miniature Gardening at the Big Garden Centers

Fairy gardening at My Garden Nursery, Mill Creek, Wa

Fairy gardening at My Garden Nursery, Mill Creek, Wa had the best selection of items. There is a big Fairy Festival going on this Saturday, April 30th. (http://www.mygardennursery.com/)

Miniature Gardening at the Big Garden Centers

Every so often, I wrestle myself away from the office for a “recon mission” to tour the local nurseries in the greater Seattle area. After studying and promoting this wonderful hobby for many years, I am always looking for signs that the “big” nurseries are paying attention to this miniature garden niche that has been spreading like wildfire on the Internet.

My Garden Nursery does fairy gardening in a big way.

My Garden Nursery does fairy gardening in a big way with plants and accessories.

And this year, it looks like the fairy and gnome gardening has become popular enough for the big nurseries to cater to the trend in at least some way – thankfully.

And we must be thankful for what we can get.

Running a full nursery and garden center is no easy feat. Not only is it extremely seasonal, they must deal with a living inventory that is susceptible to the unpredictable weather that can change in a moment’s notice. (Think the of the 60+ tornadoes that went through North Carolina over one weekend last week.)

Gnomebody was doing the gnome gardening as well as My Garden Nursery, Mill Creek, Wa.

Gnomebody was doing the gnome gardening as well as My Garden Nursery, Mill Creek, Wa.

Owning a garden center can easily be more than the average entrepreneur can handle. Most people who have “been there and done that” or at least worked in the industry would never attempt such an unpredictable business and I have a high level of appreciation and respect for any nursery retailer.

Linking this point with miniature gardening in any form, we realize that the nursery that has brought miniature or fairy garden items into their store is out of a love of plants and gardening, not to make a buck or two – because that’s all they would make, after all! The big “full-sized” plants, trees and shrubs are what really what puts food in their fridge and pay the staff for their tireless efforts.

Fairy gardening at Sky Nursery, Shoreline, Wa.

Fairy gardening at Sky Nursery in Shoreline, Wa.

So, go and check out your local nursery for miniature and fairy garden supplies. There is always something there that you can use for your mini garden scenes, projects or gift-giving ideas this season and if you can’t find any miniature accessories, at least look for some small-leafed ground covers to act miniature “bedding plants.”

A nice selection at Wight's Nursery in Lynwood, Wa.

A nice selection of fairy garden accessories at Wight's Nursery in Lynwood, Wa.

Groundcover sedums are great for the full-sun gardens but look for the small-leafed ones.

Or perhaps you could get a small tree or a miniature/dwarf conifer to anchor the miniature garden bed. There has been a little surge in recent years in alpine perennials and rockery plants that you Shop Miniature Garden Accessoriesmay find will work as well.

Then to help you even further, I have just posted the instructions on How to Make a Miniature Garden in the online store. It is the instructions that were only accessible by purchasing one of our complete Miniature Garden Kits – but now you can download them right away and learn how to do-it-yourself with your own plants and materials.

Happy spring and happy nursery shopping!

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New Miniature Garden Kit doesn't include plants.

This new miniature garden kit is now available in some nurseries - shown here at Molbak's in Woodinville, Wa. This kit contains the wire accessories, pebbles and the planter/box for $69.99. You'll find a complete kit for about the same price in our online store - and it includes the plants and complete instructions, plant, scale and design ideas too! (http://www.shop.twogreenthumbs.com)

Gnome gardening at Molbak's Nursery, Woodinville Wa.

Gnome gardening makes for cute fun at Molbak's Nursery, Woodinville Wa.

Fairy gardening at Molbak's Garden Center

Large sculptures add to the fairy garden display at Molbak's Garden Center

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A Miniature Gardener’s Northwest Flower and Garden Show Review

Tiny twig furniture floats on a miniature dock in this Wind and the Willows theme display garden at this year's Northwest Flower and Garden Show, the second largest garden show in the country.

A Miniature Gardener’s Northwest Flower and Garden Show Review

This year’s theme was Once Upon a Time, Gardens with Spectacular Stories to Tell and it produced a wonderful array of display gardens full of magical moments. Several different forms of miniature and fairy gardening where spotted throughout the show. It was good to see the professional designers finally recognizing the latest and hottest trend in gardening – and trying their hand a miniature gardening.

Here’s a review of the mini garden moments captured by Yours Truly.

The Three Little Pigs garden with the straw, stick and brick houses were great. I would have loved to get my hands on these miniature gardens as most of the plants used were a bit too big in scale for the buildings. Playful and fun nevertheless! This brick house was about four feet tall.

It was great to see these two fairy gardens tucked in the corner of another display garden. The brown wire mini garden accessories couldn’t be seen very well with the theatrical lighting at the show but the colorful fairies saved the day and probably attracted a number of children to the containers.

A couple of other vendors and a few school displays embraced the latest fairy garden trend. It was nice to see them peppered throughout the show too.

I finally met Gery Rudolf of A Small World Within Reach who did a garden bed display and a DIY seminar on the Thursday. Her specialty is larger miniature gardens of 1/6th scale and I found out that her gardens are really arrangements that are meant to last for a season or for a special occasion.

Last July, I volunteered to help with the children’s play garden for this show but alas, it went unnoticed. US Bank’s miniature play gardens didn’t quite make the cut with the children and were hardly played with. A girl parked herself in front of the gardens and began posing for me. Otherwise, that’s the only time I saw kids interacting with them.

And finally, Yours Truly did her own demonstration on the Saturday. There was a big typo on the signs and in the show guide that misled people into thinking that I was doing a completely different demo on “Guide for a Festive Brunch with Friends.” Huh? Some people got up and walked out once I began.

Nonetheless, the people that did take it in were so inspired by it, they bounced up to the stage afterwards to get a closer look to see what I was doing. It was fun to meet my fellow MGs and put faces to the names!

Not only were miniature and fairy gardens finally represented throughout the show but what I loved to see was the garden designers playing with larger-than-life sized objects to force the perspective the other way.

In this Paul Bunyan’s garden they included a large shovel to force the perspective the other way to make the garden appear smaller in relation to the over-sized shovel, about 6 feet long.

The Alice and Wonderland display garden had several larger-than-life moments that nicely done. The oversized teacup was about 18 inches in diameter. The “Drink Me” vial was about 2 1/2 feet tall.

All in all it was a great show for miniature gardening thanks to the main theme of the show. It was more than interesting to see professional garden designers trying to garden in miniature. I guess it isn’t as easy as it looks!

If you get a chance to go to the Philadelphia Flower and Garden Show (March 6 through 13th) or the Boston Flower Show (March 16 to 20th) these two shows have embraced miniature gardening – and have been doing so for years.

Join our email list to get notified of upcoming classes and workshops at our new studio, 15 minutes from downtown Seattle here.

Checkout the new true miniature trees and shrubs in stock here.

We have more plants that we couldn’t fit into the store – we’ve included them in our latest newsletter. Join us to get access here.

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Discover the Truth about Miniature, Fairy and Gnome Gardening

Miniature Garden with Pond and Koi

What makes a miniature garden a fairy garden?

Discover the Truth about Miniature, Gnome and Fairy Gardening

With the surge in interest in miniature gardening over the past couple of years it has been interesting to witness how the many different forms of gardening in miniature have been embraced and have become a part of our everyday lives.

Terrariums, dish gardening or simply a set of small potted herbs on the windowsill are all ways of growing small.

Miniature, fairy and gnome gardens have also become increasingly popular for a growing number of gardeners too. For many, these types of gardens now have a permanent place in the garden, but has anyone ever stopped define them?

What about fairy gardening? What is that? Isn’t that miniature too? And what is a gnome garden anyway?

Here is a brief overview to give you either an understanding, or a jump-off point for more ideas you can add to on your own. (And yes, I actually have thought about it extensively over the last few years, what else is a professional miniature gardener to ponder? ;o)

A true Miniature Garden

A miniature garden is defined by the use of naturally dwarf and miniature plants and in-scale miniature garden accessories that replicate a scaled living model of our full-sized gardens.

Miniature Gardening

What is it - A miniature garden is defined by the use of naturally dwarf and miniature plants and in-scale miniature garden accessories that replicate a scaled living model of our full-sized gardens.

Where planted – In containers or in-ground.

Main plants used – Miniature and slow-growing dwarf forms of trees and shrubs. Low-growing plants no more than 3” tall, some flower spikes excluded.

Size or scale used – Dollhouse miniature scales, railroad garden scales and sometimes Barbie or GI Joe scale.

Main themes or accessories – None, any theme can be used.

Identifying characteristics – All trees, plants, patios and accessories are realistic and perfectly in scale with each other.

A Fairy Garden by definitiion

A fairy garden is a garden created and nurtured for fairies to live in.

Fairy Gardening

What is it - A fairy garden is a garden created and nurtured for fairies to live in.

Where planted – Most often in-ground where fairies would have access. Container fairy gardens are what we know as hotels or condos

Main plants used – Any flowering or herb plant. Most trees, flowering shrubs and hedgerows.

Size or scales used – Fairies are approximately 3 ½” to 4” tall, not including the wings.

Main themes or accessories – Tea parties, birthday parties or any seasonal celebration. Furniture and garden structures are normally made from twigs or other naturals but there are many exceptions.

Identifying characteristics – Look for the furniture set up on the patio, fairy houses or fairy doors in tree trunks or along the side of fences or buildings. Most herb and flower gardens have fairies too.

A gnome garden that is any garden taken care of by gnomes.

A gnome garden that is any garden taken care of by gnomes.

A Gnome Garden

What is it – A gnome garden that is any garden taken care of by gnomes.

Where planted – In-ground.

Main plants used – None.

Size and scales used – Gnomes range in size depending upon where they live.

Main themes and accessories – Anything garden. Accessories include wheelbarrows and garden tools.

Identifying characteristics – Look for the gnomes in the corners of the garden bed, beside tree trunks or peeking out from behind shrubs. Note the odd little pot and shovel that they often leave behind.

With using two very general words “miniature” and “gardening” to identify an emerging hobby, it is no wonder that the definition is vague and often leaves the listener begging for more details.

I hope this helps you identify your type of miniature gardening. For more information on anything true miniature garden, look forward to the release of “How to Create Living Miniature Gardens.” Please sign up for our mailing list for our Mini Garden Gazette, the release date and fireworks here.

Sources for this article: Ten years of professional experience in the miniature garden industry and the fairies and gnomes in my garden. ;o)

Checkout the your favorite Miniature Garden Center here.

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Faith, Hope and Pixie Dust: Miniature Gardening with Disney

Disney latest line of fairy toys can easily be used in the miniature garden.

Disney latest line of fairy toys can easily be used in the miniature garden.

Faith, Hope and Pixie Dust: Miniature Gardening with Disney

A trip to the toy store the other day, instigated a trip to the video store to rent the latest fairy movie from Disney, Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue.

You bet I watched it and no, I don’t have children, nor do I have a child in my life that I could borrow for the excuse to watch it. I just did.

Oh, you’re doing it again, aren’t you? You’re laughing at me!

Note that it is this kind of invaluable market research that is part of my job as leader of the hobby, researcher of everything mini garden and owner of the world’s only Miniature Garden Center. This is the level of sacrifice

;o)

No, really. I just wanted to see if there were any cute ideas I can share and, never-to-be-disappointed-by-Disney, there were more than a few new ideas that you can put in your bag of tricks the next time the kids or grand kids want to get miniature gardening.

 

Miniature Fairy Garden

Get the kid's imaginations working with some hands-on fairy fun and magic in the miniature garden.

 

Fairy Origins and Lore via Disney

- Each time a baby laughs for the very first time, a fairy is born. This is called their Arrival Day, similar to our Birthdays.

- Fairies are from Pixie Hollow and each fairy has a different purpose. They come to the “mainland” to help with the change of the seasons by coloring the flowers in the spring, help pollinate and grow gardens and crops in the summertime, paint the leaves in the fall and make icicles and snowflakes in the winter. Just place what they do before the word fairy and you can create any character for your own purpose. Examples include, “Wind Fairy, Pumpkin Fairy, Animal Fairy, etc.

- Fairies are about 5” tall and are dressed in anything natural that usually illustrate their purpose.

- They help to put the hibernating animals to sleep in the fall or to wake them up in the spring. They take care of wounded animals everywhere.

- They paint the stripes on bumblebees and design the patterns on butterflies.

- They use fireflies as flashlights. When you see a firefly, it is fairy flying around.

- Male fairies are called Sparrowmen. They look like elves with wings and acorn hats.

A pretty fairy in the mini garden.

A pretty fairy in the mini garden.

Points of Attraction

- Fairies love shiny objects. Place a small mirror or something shiny in the garden to attract them.

- Use buttons as stepping-stones to lead the fairies to your fairy house.

- Create a wee leaf-plate for the “fairy offering” to help lure them into your garden. Fairies eat fruit, vegetables, seeds, nuts and bread. Place a wee snack as an offering and see if they take you up on it.

- Fairies smell slightly like cinnamon. If you catch a whiff, there is a fairy nearby.

- They use mint leaves as a toothbrush and pine needle combs. They use cotton balls as pillows and leaves as blankets.

- Fairies adore human-made fairy houses and dollhouses too.

If you are NOT going to see the movie, here’s a synopsis:

The movie was very fun in typical Disney fashion. The only characters are the Dad, the daughter and the fairies. The Dad is very pre-occupied with his work collecting, studying and mounting bugs and butterflies, which is completely horrific for a fairy to see! The daughter catches a fairy by accident (Tinkerbell) and they bond. Dad eventually finds out, catches a fairy and rushes to expose his find to the world. Just before it is too late, he is swayed when he sees his daughter flying with the fairies, pleading for the release of her friend. The fairies befriend the Dad and, with a heavy dose of pixie dust, make him fly too. I love the end where the Dad, daughter and all the fairies are all hanging out spending quality time together.

Checkout your local toy store for a number of different fairy figures to use in the miniature garden that are child-safe, washable and durable. Introduce fun and magic to the children while you still can.

Sign up to be on my mailing list to keep ahead of the miniature garden curve here.

Visit the Two Green Thumbs Miniature Garden Center here.

Checkout Disney’s wonderfully Interactive Pixie Hollow Website here.

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Fairy Garden Camp for Preschoolers

Fairy Garden Camp for Preschoolers

I’ve been working on this trend for well over 10 years now and it was the missing link in my research – just how young can children be to get them out in the garden playing with miniatures safely? My fear was the small accessories the little ones could easily plop in their mouths.

Then lo and behold, this blog popped up on my radar the other day that shows how a Mom put together a fairy garden camp (think dinosaurs, farm or safari animals for the boys) for her preschool group. It is finally safe to say that anyone from 4 to 104 years old can garden in miniature.

The camp was four days long and three hours per day, so she also filled it up the schedule with stories, songs, nature walks and games to keep those little attention spans occupied when they weren’t working on the gardens. (Excuse the “she,” I can’t find her name on the blog.)

Using the simple ideas and some pre-made items that her sons helped her craft beforehand, the group built and decorated a mini garden themselves – and all are truly cute and unique. It was a great idea to stretch it out for all four days and it paid off in the planning and design. All of them look well thought out with the wonderful details that make a mini garden enchanting.

Take a look at the blog and make sure you click through to part two and three because those are the chapters that show and tell you how to do it. She’s done a great job of documenting and sharing too. Come back here for some more pointers after.

http://kleas.typepad.com/kleas/2010/08/fairy-camp.html

A Miniature Garden by Colby and Madison.

A Miniature Garden by Colby and Madison.

For the containers, she uses saucers and lines the bottom with gravel for drainage – which really turns them into dish gardens if they don’t have holes for the water to escape. If they are meant for indoors, be sure to put a ¼” layer of charcoal on top of the gravel before the soil goes in, to keep the smell of stagnant water away. Be careful of dish gardens outside as the rain may drown the plants.

If you want to get some more life out of the child’s fairy garden, select plants that require the same light and watering to get the best results. The environment the garden will live in – inside or out, shade/indirect light or full sun, water-loving or dry – and the watering requirements are the important things to pair up for a healthy and longer living mini garden scene.

Miniature Garden by Colby and Madison.

Miniature Garden by Colby and Madison, two great kids that I met at a garden show several years ago - who are no longer "kids!"

When working with a group of kids, get all the same plants with the same needs or you’ll drive yourself nutty. For example, get a series of indoor plants that all like regular water and bright, indirect light. I know this adds work and time to your already busy agenda but the garden will have a better chance of survival this way. Your local garden center will be glad to help and, with several weeks notice, they can get any number of plants for you.

Besides saucers, think of pots, baskets, wagons or trays for the kids to build a mini garden in out of doors, I’m sure they’ll get a huge kick out of anything they can carry or wheel around.

Now you can introduce the young ones to gardening, teach them, get their imagination working and keep their hands busy all at the same time. I don’t think it can get better than that.

See the Fairy Camp blog here.

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Get Crafty for the Holidays

Finding evidence of the growing trend of miniature gardening - we'll take it in any form it comes in!

Getting Crafty this Holiday Season

By Janit Calvo
December 8, 2009

I think we’re being watched.

I was on my annual search for things to use in our miniature gardens the other day and found out that our little hobby is quickly becoming a definite trend. I was scouting Michaels Crafts, and JoAnn’s Crafts to see if there was anything we could use, or adapt, for our mini garden holiday decorations.

Miniature ornaments of all styles, shapes and colors are now available.

I think they are on to us…

And it looks like our work is paying off, my friend! Miniature gardening is quickly becoming a favorite form of “going green” and the big box stores have finally caught up to us. After all, it’s the perfect blend of two favorite hobbies: miniatures and gardening.

Miniature ornaments made to look like the old fashioned, hand-blown glass ornaments from ye olden days of yore...

Maybe somebody has been monitoring us along the way?

Browsing the aisles at Michael’s Crafts, there were multitudes of different miniature ornaments to use! Small nutcrackers, tiny wooden trains, satin balls, there was even a mini version of those collectible blown-glass ornaments for a little old world charm. (Pun intentional.)

Mini lights and spotlights by Lemax are perfect for indoor scenes. (JoAnn's Crafts has some too!)

Do you think there are spies watching our Facebook page?

I found miniature spotlights and tiny tree lights that are perfect to use for our wee Christmas trees. Made by Lemax, they are meant for those wee holiday scenes that fill up the mantle every December at Grandma’s house. And there are a bunch of different lighted accessories that you can buy separately too – although I’d keep these lights inside if it is wet out. Oh, and pick up an adapter, to save on batteries!

There is a wonderful assortment of ribbon that you can use for your mini garland. Think bright colors to stand out against the greens of the garden.

Maybe it’s Martha Stewart, she’s big enough to pay someone to monitor us.

Look for your miniature garland in the ribbon section. If you haven’t been to a craft store lately (or a website) they are leaps and bounds into wrapping of all sorts – and the ribbons to go with. Think a bit outside the box for a little fun, a string of pom-poms for example, would add a fun pattern and solid color to your wee holiday tree. Tinsel ribbon, or anything metallic, to add some sparkle – and think bright colors too.

Theme buttons + Lollipop sticks = Mini Garden Stakes!

And Martha is putting wee scenes under her holiday trees this year. Did you checkout her December issue yet?

Checkout the button section too. There are a multitude of seasonal themes, as well as garden themes – and they come in variety packs so you get 6 or 8 different ones that all match. Then go get some lollipop sticks and glue the buttons on the sticks to create your own miniature garden holiday stakes! Fun, easy, the kids could even do it for you.

And the last clue that cinched it all: a miniature beaded ‘heirloom’ tree that you can decorate. Complete with all the miniature ornaments, mini candy canes, a tree skirt and a star to go on top!

Gee, what a great idea. Happy Mini Gardening!

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Miniature Garden Theme Focus: The Wizard of Oz

A Wizard of Oz miniature garden. It's still growing in and getting better and better each year.

A Wizard of Oz miniature garden. It’s still growing in and getting better and better each year.

Miniature Garden Theme Focus – The Wizard of Oz

August 22, 2009

I met Marie through the Northwest Flower and Garden Show here in Seattle about eight years ago. But, it was a couple of years later when she came up with the idea of creating a miniature garden with a Wizard of Oz theme in the parking strip in front of her house.

Looking for a place to start, I began by watching the movie.

I had to watch it from start to finish, just enjoy it first and then I was able to watch it again for the props, scenery and landmarks that could be worked into the garden. By going through the movie twice, it really let me focus the second time, as I wouldn’t get distracted by the wonderful story line and forget to scrutinize the props and the settings.

I went back to Marie and her garden plot and we decided to block off sections of the movie to create the garden as the story unfolded. It did help that the garden was one long plot – 6 feet wide by 20 feet long, perfect for any storyboard idea.

Here are the sections we came up with and the major components that made up each section:

The Munchkin Village – Dorothy’s landing.

Props – The yellow brick spiral. Dorothy’s fallen house. Ruby shoes.

Plants – Japanese Cedars, (Cryptomerias japonica), for their weird and bright colors. Groundcover Junipers, (Juniperus horizontalis), for more color. Brightly colored hens and chicks, (Sempervivens), miniature daisies (Bellium miniuta) and pink sea thrift (Armeria) where the flowers come up as pompoms out of the foliage.

Miniature stump and axe mark where Dorothy met the Tin Man.

Miniature stump and axe mark where Dorothy met the Tin Man.

Friendly Forest – Where Dorothy meets the Tin Man.

Props – Apple trees. Stump with an axe. Chopped wood pile. Yellow brick road.

Plants – Rock Garden Holly (Ilex crenata ‘Rock Garden’), with their red berries the look like mini apples. Groundcover Red Thyme (thymus coccineus) to fill in the understory.

We let the Brass Buttons and the Dwarf Mondo Grass take over the "cornfield" in the winter.

We let the Brass Buttons and the Dwarf Mondo Grass take over the “cornfield” in the winter.

Cornfield – Where Dorothy meets the Scarecrow.

Props – Broken fence. Post the scarecrow hangs on. Crow. Yellow brick road.

Plants – Bunny Tails (Lagurus ovatus), it’s an annual, but corn is an “annual” too and it looks good when it dries out in the fall.

Friendly Forest II – Where Dorothy meets the Lion.

Props – Boulders. Fallen logs. Stumps. Yellow brick road.

Plants – Dwarf Spruces (Picea glauca), Oriental Arborvitae (Thuja orientalis), Pine (Pinus mugo), Hemlocks (Tsuga Canadensis), Brass Buttons (Leptinella) pruned judiciously!

Poppy Field – This one was challenging, and I’m not sure if we have found the right plant to use yet. We are currently using the ground cover Red-orange Rock Rose (Cistus). Pruned judiciously.

Haunted Forest – Just downright spooky!

Props – Signs: “Haunted Forest” and “I’d turn back if I were you.” Yellow brick road.

Plants – Dwarf Spruces (Picea glauca ‘Jean’s Dilly’), Oriental Arborvitae (Thuja orientalis), Corokia – for it’s wicked look, Brass Buttons (Leptinella) pruned judiciously.

Emerald City – Oz.

Props – None. Wanted to mimic the building spires in the distance.

Plants – Compress Junipers (Juniperus communis ‘Compressa’), Spring Cream Lawson Cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Spring Cream’), Sky Pencil Holly (Ilex crenata ‘Sky Pencil’) chosen for their tall, column shape.

Back to Kansas: Mimicing farmer's fields with ground cover Thyme.

Back to Kansas: Mimicing farmer’s fields with ground cover Thyme.

Kansas – End of movie, back to the farms and fields of Kansas.

Props – Farm equipment, wheelbarrow, tractor, farm animals, pig, goat.

Plants – A variety of groundcover Thymes (Thymus) pruned into farmers fields.

With the wealth of different kinds of plants available, coupled with the variety of miniatures, I think it’s safe to say that just about any theme can be worked into a miniature garden. Break the idea down into sections and chose plants that relay the feeling, personality or structural elements. Then fill in with a few critical props to really bring it together.

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