Posts Tagged craft

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

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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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Miniature Garden Workshop Tips

21/03/2013 at 1:01 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, Customer Interaction, D.I.Y. Ideas, Miniature Garden Accessories, Miniature Plants, The Business ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Miniature Garden Workshop Tips

For a successful miniature workshop – and with very little effort-  you can take care not to set your students up for failure with plants that work and pots that last. 

Miniature Garden Workshop Tips

Spreading the joy of miniature gardening is just as much fun as creating one. With our beloved hobby travelling like wildfire throughout the country, and the world, there are many fellow miniature gardeners who have stepped up to teach it this year. Here are some pointers that we developed after teaching this hobby for the last decade.

Looking for a Miniature Garden class? – If you are looking for a class in your area, the first place to start is your local garden center or nursery. Give them a call, find them on Facebook or, better yet, go and visit them to see what’s going on and say hello.

Miniature Hobby Farm Garden

We punched a bunch of holes in the bottom of this galvanized tub before planting to give the excess water a place to go.

Here is a last-minute checklist for our fellow miniature gardeners who are conducting workshops and classes this spring and summer.

  • Group plants horticulturally to make it easy-peasy for your students to assemble their gardens. Put indoor plants together, outdoor plants together, full sun, full shade etc. Group plants that like dry soil together – or moist soil together too.
  • Not all plants will make a great miniature garden. The satisfaction and reward of a miniature garden is to have it grow and weave together over several seasons, if not for years and years. If the student has to repot her “investment” in two months time and buy new plants – they will be disappointed and may not try again. Simply put, plants that stay small and grow slow are the best choices to start with. See what’s in our store for more examples here.
  • Gather a wide selection of containers if it’s an open class where students choose their own. Some may live in condos and want lightweight containers, while others may have a larger space to work with and want to plant a bigger miniature garden.
  • Choose pots or containers with a drainage hole. Just about any container or teacup can be drilled.
    Miniature Garden in a barbecue

    I chose this “container” because it was new and, being a barbecue, it already had holes for drainage. My plants are true miniatures and I know I can keep this together for years before it will need repotting. (I shelter it from the hot, summer sun because it is metal.)

    Don’t set your students up for failure by telling them that anything can be used for a miniature garden, it simply will not work for everyone. Broaden your students success rates by providing a drilling service, or only recommending containers with drainage holes.

  • Give careful consideration of what you are recommending to plant in. Yes, that old drawer or broken pot may look cute for the first couple of months after the miniature garden is planted but, after a while, your still stuck with an old drawer or broken pot! As the miniature garden keeps growing more magical and fun throughout the seasons, you may regret not investing in a nice container that will last and not fall apart when it’s moved. Note that baskets lined with plastic are temporary containers and will not last.
  • Recommend accessories that are weatherproof and/or are staked to hold their place in the soil. It is cute to add wee books, refreshments and tiny details but they will weather quickly and get lost in the garden – which is hard on some people’s budgets and their patience. Put the focus on what will stand up to the weather for the more satisfaction.
  • Provide some snacks or refreshments to keep everyone engaged. Miniature garden workshops can sometimes take up to four hours at times. By providing a little nourishment, you can avoid people having to leave early because they need food. Make sure to mention this in your flyer or ad, to let the people know. Better yet, team up with a local caterer and make it a luncheon-event. The students can eat while you teach, then plant afterwards.

Need to know how to build a miniature garden like a pro? Here is our complete instructions on how to create a miniature garden, it includes some in-ground tips and tricks, scale information and recommended plants to use.

Stressed out?
Frazzled?
Don’t have time for a vacation?

Visit your local garden center
for a few minutes of peace.
Being surrounded by
plants and flowers will
dissolve your tension and
help get you centered again.

Like this? You’ll like our Mini Garden Gazette – join us here for more fun in the miniature garden. 

Get on the first edition list here through Amazon for our upcoming Gardening in Miniature: Create Your Own Tiny Living World, by Yours Truly, published by Timber Press. Available this summer!

Miniature Garden Patio Solutions

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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 the Northwest Flower and Garden Show, 2013

16/02/2013 at 1:20 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, The Business ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Miniature Gardening at the NWFGS

Preparing for the Marie Antoinette Display at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show this weekend. This is a tiny Hameau for one of our display gardens – the young French Queen sought solace in her faux cottages and farm buildings set up around the palace grounds that make delicious fodder for the miniature gardens!

Miniature Gardening at the
Northwest Flower & Garden Show

I’m taking you with me this year.

We’re going on a visual romp of the Private Realm of Marie Antoinette – and then some!

That’s our theme for our annual display at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle this coming week. This year we are teaming up with the very creative and knowledgeable mind of Mr. Bruce Bailey of Heavy Petal Nursery in Moses Lake to bring you a taste of this young Queen’s inner life.

Did you know what she was a plant-nut as well as a trend setter and fashionista? Neither did we until we dug deeper into her … private realm – ! Lol!

So, this is the first of the series for this long week ahead. I’m going to try to do one a day and show not only our display work, but I’ll take you into show to see what kinds miniature gardening we can find now that this trend is upon us. It’ll be nice to have some company in this niche, it’s our 9th year doing a display and more than not, we were the only ones with miniature gardens – plugging along… Lol! But I bet that changes this year!

Sign up for the blog to get it delivered straight to your inbox over there on the right under the Facebook thingie ~~>>

(If you’re logged into WordPress, the Follow button is on the top of the page. ^)

And, do join us for our free monthly Miniature Garden Gazettes too – there is nuthin’ else like it. Click here and follow the prompts – you’ll get into the Gazette archives after confirming through your email.

And here’s the start of your visual romp! (I just wanted to say that again.)

Miniature Gardening at the NWFGS

Planning, planning, planning. We start with a lot of ideas and the ones that are doable eventually emerge as the deadline draws closer.

Miniature Gardening at the NWFGS

Bruce paints the backdrop as Steve horses around. Humor is a required ingredient in doing these shows!

Miniature Gardening at the NWFGS

Bruce found the PERFECT chairs – they aren’t authentic Louie XVI so we had no problems painting them to match the display.

Miniature Gardening at the NWFGS

Marie Antoinette created a faux farm and had her servants tie ribbons on the sheep, clean the eggs in the chicken coop and even created fake rivers and ponds for her swans. Oh to be a Queen!

Miniature Gardening at the NWFGS

Bruce’s painting on the backdrop to bring some Chinoiserie (a fancy word for Chinese-style) into the display. Marie Antoinette was heavily influenced by the new furniture, art and decor from China during the late 1700s.

Miniature Gardening at the NWFGS

Moo Poo Tea is a life saver when one tries to revive dormant plants to get them ready for the show in the dead winter. Moo Poo Tea is a soil conditioner to add to your water – so you give the plants a little boost every time you water and it’s 100% organic. While us miniature gardeners tend to shy away from fertilizers, it really helps during showtime.

Like this? There’s a lot more in store for you then! Click here to join our mailing list.

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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 Mediation Gardens: Create Your Own Peace

17/01/2013 at 2:35 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, D.I.Y. Ideas, Garden as Metaphor, Indoor Mini Gardens, Miniature Garden Accessories ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Miniature Meditation Garden

Create a tiny garden place for calm reflection. It’s a gentle reminder to take a break and breathe – even if just for moment in the middle of your busy day.

Miniature Mediation Gardens: Create Your Own Peace

I wrote about about miniature prayer gardens back in September, 2011, and since then, we have enjoyed having a miniature buddha garden and a miniature gratitude garden in our office as a reminder to stop, breathe and say thanks.

Prayer, thoughtfulness, meditation, personal reflection, deep thought or quiet time – whatever your preference – are activities that seem to get missed in our busy lives. Having a simple reminder or a “place to go” can help nudge you to take a moment or two out of your day and align your thoughts and emotions so you can carry on with a clearer purpose.

Miniature Garden Engraved Heart Rock

Add a little love to your meditation garden with a simple miniature heart rock. Click the picture to take you to the details in the online store.

And a miniature garden is the perfect idea to help you do that.

Prayer garden, meditation garden, gratitude garden and peace garden are some of the general names that have come up. Miniature grotto, miniature altar, miniature zen garden start to get more specific as will the individual dieties that you can include in your mini garden, Madonna garden, Buddha garden. A candle, heart or a flower can also stand in for the focal point and symbolize whatever is needed. You can rotate the accessories in and out of your mini garden whenever you want so, as with all things miniature garden, never feel that it is a permanent, undoable decision. Give yourself some freedom to play with your different ideas.

We went over some general guidelines in the previous blog that will help you create a wee sanctuary to evoke peaceful mindedness and calm. Here’s a quick review:

  1. Lots of plants.
  2. Minimum clutter.
  3. Pathways can evoke flow. (Of breath, of calm flowing in, for example.)
  4. Focal point can help keep your thoughts focused.
  5. Include a spot to visually sit or kneel to inject yourself into the mini space.

Now you can start to go into a bit more detail as you now that you’ve spent some quality time with your little garden

Miniature Gratitude Garden

Our mini gratitude garden. A simple reminder to be grateful can change your thought process in a heart beat.

altars:

6. Tend to the garden. Maintain the health of your plants. Snip off any brown leaves or dead branches. Gently wash off the branches with a soft rag. Or give it a tepid shower with water* then gently wipe the leaves. (If you don’t wipe the leaves, you won’t get rid of the dust. Yes, I know, you may have a lot of leaves but this task in itself is very meditative. ;o)

7. Aerate the soil. Use a fork to break up the top layer of soil if it is crusty. Use a skinny dowel to poke into the soil, going right down into the pot, around the plant’s roots, to get some air down into the soil.

8. Wash and clean. Give your rocks, patios and accessories a wash or wipe. Use an old toothbrush and mild dish soap and give your accessories and furniture a bath. Sweep off the patio area or fluff and flatten out the gravel on the path and patio.

9. Water well. Put it all it all back together and water* until the water comes out of the drainage hole on the bottom. If you are miniature gardening indoors, put the miniature garden in the sink or tub to do this and let it drain before placing it back. (Make sure you have a sink filter/screen to catch and prevent any chunks of dirt from clogging up your plumbing.)

Miniature Prayer Gardens are very adaptable

Remember that you can swap out your focal point if you want to focus on another aspect of your life. You can change or add to it at any time. Click the picture to go to our Etsy store and see the possibilities.

10. Get specific. Use a direct symbol, figure, representation or icon that will direct your focus and attention exactly where you want it to go. Ganesh, the remover of obstacles, would direct your thoughts to clearing away your mental clutter. A pretty rock that says, “Thanks” is a direct reminder be grateful. A small figure of St. Francis will keep the Prayer of St. Francis in your thoughts. Interchange or swap out the accessories whenever you feel the need or to get refocused.

Miniature gardening is a very adaptable hobby that can be very personal, or shared and explored with others too. Arrange a workshop for your group or club to create a miniature garden altars, gratitude gardens or apply any of your group’s purpose to it. It’s a fun way to connect with others and you’ll get something purposeful and meaningful from it.

*Water from your taps – Let your tap water sit for a couple of hours before using it to water your plants so the chlorine can evaporate. Let the water come to room temperature too – as opposed to freezing cold water from outside. Your plants will thank you.

Here are some more ideas to get you started. The links will take you to either our online Miniature Garden Center or to

Miniature Garden with Madonna Figure

Miniature Madonna Figure for your prayer garden. Click the picture to see her up in the store.

our Etsy One of a Kind Store. Also visit the previous blog post on Miniature Prayer Gardens here.

Miniature Heart Rock

 

Madonna

St. Francis of Assisi

Buddha – Ceramic or Metal

Hindu Deities

Like this? Then you’ll love our monthly Mini Garden Gazette, it’s free. Join here.

 

 

Miniature Garden Plants & Accessories

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One Giant Step for Miniature Gardening

03/01/2013 at 3:08 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, Gardening in Miniature Book ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Timber Press Does a Little Miniature Gardening

One Giant Step for Miniature Gardening

This miniature garden eCard sent out by Timber Press before the holidays. It appears that the folks down at their headquarters in Portland have been bitten – and are quite smitten – by miniature gardening!

One small step for Timber Press, one giant step for miniature gardening.

Betcha can’t make only one! Lol!

Look forward to the book release in July of this year.

Join our mailing list to get your own personally signed copy here.

Happy New Year!

Your Miniature Garden Center

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How to Make a Miniature Stonehenge Garden for the End of the World

19/12/2012 at 12:22 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, D.I.Y. Ideas, Miniature Garden Accessories ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Miniature Stonehenge Garden

Our Miniature Stonehenge Garden photo has been making the rounds on the Internet and shared by thousands on Facebook and Pinterest. Here’s a little How-to so you can make your own!

How to Make a Miniature Stonehenge Garden for the End of the World

Dang. It’s the end of the world and I was supposed to take my credit cards on a wild vacation! Well, maybe next time… ;o)

Miniature Garden Display

The Miniature Garden Display from the Northwest Flower and Garden Show, 2007, where the Miniature Stonehenge picture was taken.

Speaking of a wild trip, the little photo (above) has had quite a journey over the past month thanks to our friend Nancy Wisser over at the Clonehenge blog, and to thousands of shares through Facebook and Pinterest. We’ve been swamped with emails asking where to get it and how to do it so we got a how-to together for you here, in honor of the End of Days.

The Miniature Stonehenge Garden was from our display at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in 2007. The display was called ‘Miniature Gardener Interrupted’ and while it wasn’t our strongest display, it sure was fun to make a mess and leave it there for the entire show. (Yes, the irreverent artist inside me does rise up at times!  SO RADICAL! Lol!)

How to Make a Miniature Stonehenge Garden

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We found the miniature Stonehenge Kit at a Barnes and Noble store, call ahead if your going to one of the brick and mortar stores, they may have them in stock. Otherwise, here’s a link to find it on the Internet.

The little Stonehenge Kit comes with a map to show you where to place the stones – makes it easy-peasy. The stones are made of resin and are easy to drill.  Use florist’s rod or an old metal coat hanger and you’ll need 16 rods.

Decide on your plant material first. We used Irish Moss (Sagina subulata – it’s not really moss per se; it’s a perennial ground cover.) in the above display garden, which is about ½” deep and grown from a 4” pot planted the previous summer. For this how-to, we used 3″ long rods because our native moss is almost 2″ deep before the soil level starts.  The rods should go down into the soil at least 1” to stay firmly in place.

You may not have enough time before the end of the world to order the Stonehenge Kit so I’ve included a close up of the stones towards the end of the slideshow so you can make your own out of Polymer Clay or Fimo. (Note that there’s a pause button.)

Happy Solstice!

Join us for more miniature garden fun here.

All sales through our online store are GUARANTEED. If the world does end on Friday, we will give you a complete refund!!

And whatever you do, make it FUN!

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Results Are In! The Annual Miniature Garden Contest, 2012

02/11/2012 at 6:48 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, Customer Interaction, Fairy Gardening, Indoor Mini Gardens, Miniature Garden Accessories, Miniature Plants, Resources ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Best Container for the Annual Miniature Garden Contest 2012

Best Miniature Garden in a Container: Glenna of Rochester, NY made this little gem with her boyfriend, Wyatt. We (the judges) thought it particularly charming with the stairs going down to the grotto-like pond. (Made with Mini Patio Mix.) The plants are perfectly in scale and the pretty color scheme match the pot too. The whole “look” is softened by the tumbled, smooth-edged stones. Glenna and Wyatt – you are hired!

Results Are In! The Annual Miniature Garden Contest, 2012

What a terrific contest this year! Thank you all for your hard work and your creative ingenuity. We had 20 entries from the US, one from Canada and one from India. The level of miniature gardening made the judging particularly difficult this year. Steve and I had to bring in a couple of gardener friends for some objective opinions because we just could not decide!

If you missed it, here’s last year’s contest and the halloween contest.

And the winners are:

Best Miniature Garden in a Container: Glenna of NY (top)
Best Halloween Miniature Garden: Karen of MA
People’s Choice Award: Mary Jane of NE
Honorable Mentions: Debbie of CA & Laney of MS

It was great to see some out-of-the-box entries. We may have to open up another category for next year for more fun. Laney’s bedpan garden got the most groans and one “Eeeew!” Laney did reassure me that the bedpan was scrubbed before planting. But note that when I followed up with her, the plants were suffering in the metal bedpan so it was taken apart to save the trees. The rusted metal pan was harmful to the plant’s roots so don’t try that at home. ;o)

Here are all the winners followed by all the entrants. After getting this altogether, I think this is my most favorite blog of all time! Check it out:

Best Halloween Miniature Garden: Karen of MA

The Best Halloween Miniature Garden for the Annual Miniature Garden Contest 2012

This Pumpkin Village, made by Karen in MA, won Best Halloween Miniature Garden this year. We deliberated a bit as to whether it was a garden because it was labelled a “Pumpkin Village” but – it’s in a container and has a garden in front of the village. Can’t beat logic! This is so creatively fun with the all the row of houses. Great job, Karen!

People’s Choice Award: Mary Jane of NE

The People's Choice Award of the Annual Miniature Garden Contest, 2012

People’s Choice Award goes to our second-time winner, Mary Jane from Nebraska. Very Pretty!! We just fell in love with the blue and white combo – just charming! We were glad to see “The People” loved it too! Congrats, Mary Jane!

Honorable Mention: Debbie of CA

Honorable Mention, Annual Miniature Garden Contest, 2012

Honorable Mention for the Annual Miniature Garden Contest, 2012 by Debbie from CA. This was so pretty, we had to make two Honorable Mentions! Everything works together in scale and color – the colors of the plants as well as the color of the accessories and the pot. The pond and swan create a peaceful effect; the patio on the backside adds another dimension. Very sweet, Debbie!

Honorable Mention: Laney of LA

Honorable Mention, Annual Miniature Garden Contest, 2012

This darling little gem won Honorable Mention by Laney from LA. It was in line to win the Best Container before being ousted at the last minute by Glenna. There are koi fish in the pond which Laney layered in with clear resin and finished it up by floating lily flowers on the very top. We loved how Laney built in the patio all around the pond with our Mini Patio Mix Kit. The “wall” of cypresses and trellises in the back work to contain the scene. The sweet alcove made with the red arbor holds a bather sculpture. The shoes and hat on the chair creates the story.

Two Green Thumbs Annual Miniature Garden Contest, 2012

We loved this one too! From Laney of LA. It was the meandering path that led over the bridge and through the woods… Perfect eye candy, Laney!

Two Green Thumbs Annual Miniature Garden Contest, 2012

This one may have opened up another category for next year. A miniature garden with an outhouse planted in a bedpan by Laney from LA. Hilarious, Laney, yet – well done!

And all the talented Entries:

Annual Miniature Garden Contest, 2012

We loved the colors in this entry by Barbara of CA. The red bridge and trellis tied in nicely with the ponds and Asian seat and pots. Great work, Barbara!

Two Green Thumbs Annual Miniature Garden Contest, 2012

A backyard garden by Lori of WA spreads out to a few different “rooms” in the garden. Love the addition of the miniature glass garden art and the lanterns. Way to go, Lori!

Two Green Thumbs Annual Miniature Garden Contest, 2012

A spooky little Halloween garden by Lori of WA. It kept us looking for more and more details, lol! Terrific, Lori!

Annual Miniature Garden Contest, 2012

A nicely aged miniature garden entry by Lori of WA. The Green Carpet Juniper is beginning to look like the perfect tree in this cute little scene. The scale is perfect. Nice garden, Lori! (Psssst, the fish needs some water…. Lol! ;o)

Two Green Thumbs Annual Miniature Garden Contest, 2012

A garden getaway from Sonya of MI. What a peaceful scene – love how the hose is left out – very realistic! Lol! Wonderful, Sonya!

Two Green Thumbs Annual Miniature Garden Contest, 2012

A serene scene from Sonya of MI. If the brick wall wasn’t behind it, one may just think it was a full-sized garden! Lovely work, Sonja!

Two Green Thumbs Annual Miniature Garden Contest, 2012

This lovely garden scene was created by Sonya of MI. We love how the fence completes the back of the garden and contains the scene. The furniture in the front and the pot details keep the interest. Very pretty, Sonya!

Two Green Thumbs Annual Miniature Garden Contest, 2012

A fairy garden by Michelle of TX and yes, it’s in a hot-pink wheelbarrow. Love how the path meanders from the pond to the arbor to the house to the…. and it’s portable! It’s a sweet scene, Michelle!

Two Green Thumbs Annual Miniature Garden Contest, 2012

This cute indoor garden comes from Mabelle of CA. We loved how the taller trees created a canopy over the pond. Checkout the miniature potted plants – cute! Delightful, Mabelle!

Two Green Thumbs Annual Miniature Garden Contest, 2012

All the way from Canada! This sweet vignette by Mary is just charming with the ivy growing up the lighted gazebo. I’m coming over for tea, Mary! ;o)

Two Green Thumbs Annual Miniature Garden Contest, 2012

Brought to you by ‘Dawn’not So’patient’ from Facebook. A very cute fairy garden. We suspect she’s not from Facebook, but from someplace down south by the plants she’s used. Very enjoyable, Dawn!

Two Green Thumbs Annual Miniature Garden Contest, 2012

A charming miniature garden by Pat from MI. The colors of the accessories and basket tie it all together in a nice neat little scene. Adorable, Pat!

Two Green Thumbs Annual Miniature Garden Contest, 2012

This very fun miniature garden comes from Jeeva from India. The greens and reds really work well together to create a rather exotic scene. Enchanting, Jeeva!

Two Green Thumbs Annual Miniature Garden Contest, 2012

This pretty garden is from Hollie of KY. The tans, creams and whites contrast nicely with the greens of the plants and pot. A pretty scene, Hollie!

Two Green Thumbs Annual Miniature Garden Contest, 2012

Our only Christmas entry by Hollie of KY. The wreath and garland are handmade by Hollie. (There weren’t enough entries for this holiday category, unfortunately.) Very creative, Hollie!

Two Green Thumbs Annual Miniature Garden Contest, 2012

And our only in-ground entry too – by Hollie from KY. See the witch’s legs underneath the ivy on the right?  (There weren’t enough entries for this in-ground category, unfortunately.) Too fun, Hollie!

Two Green Thumbs Annual Miniature Garden Contest, 2012

This miniature halloween scene comes from Deb from IN. Love the tiny gargoyles on the fence posts. Very scary, Deb!

Best Miniature Garden in a Container: Glenna of NY, close up view

Two Green Thumbs Annual Miniature Garden Contest, 2012

And lastly, another visit to our Best Miniature Garden in a Container Winner. Time to drink Alice’s elixir, shrink down…. and relax… Thank You, Everyone!

Wow, now you can see why it’s my favorite blog of all time! Thank you everyone for participating!

Show our winners some love and “Like” or share this with your friends, family and neighbors using the sharing buttons below.

Stay tuned to next week’s blog when we breakdown some of the gardens and go into detail on the plants and trees used here.

If you enjoyed this blog, you will enjoy our FREE monthly Mini Garden Gazette delivered straight to your inbox. All Miniature Garden. All the time. Join here, follow the easy prompts and get into our archives after confirming your subscription through our email. Join now.

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It’s the Annual Miniature Garden Contest!

17/08/2012 at 11:03 am · Filed under Because it's fun, Customer Interaction, Fairy Gardening, For the New Gardener, Miniature Garden Accessories, Miniature Plants ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Miniature Garden Contest

Shannon V. of New Mexico was the winner of last year’s competition with her clever herringbone patio and to-scale plantings.

It’s the Annual Miniature Garden Contest!

It’s contest time!

We usually try to aim for July/August with this contest but because the summer weather here in the States has been extreme for most, we’ve put it off starting the contest for a few weeks, and we’re extending the deadline to the end of October, to give you ample time to get a miniature garden together.

We’ve changed it up a bit from last year’s contest and last year’s Halloween contest. The main criteria is that is a “Two Green Thumbs’ Miniature Garden” meaning, the majority of the plants and accessories used in your submission need to be from our online store, OR a Two Green Thumbs Miniature Garden Center product that you found at your local garden center** (See below!) We really want to see how you use our items! And since we are so close the holidays by the time ends, we’ve included two other categories, one for Halloween, and one for Christmas. ;o)

So join us and our over 7500 fellow miniature gardeners, we’ll be using our Two Green
Thumbs’ Facebook page where you can upload your photos easily for all to see!

Don’t do Facebook but want to submit an entry? You can sign up to Facebook with a gmail.com email account. It’s free, easy to use, and hey, you don’t really have to use your real name either. (Nudge, wink! ;o)

What You Can Win

~> The winners will receive a $50 Gift Certificate* for our online store.

~> ALL entries will get a 20% discount coupon to use on your next order!

The Contest Categories:

  1. Best Miniature Garden in a Container
  2. Best Miniature Garden in Ground
  3. Best Halloween Miniature Garden*
  4. Best Christmas or Winter Holiday Miniature Garden*
  5. People’s Choice Award (via Facebook)

*Halloween and Holiday decor will be up in the online store by the end of this month!

**We need a minimum of five (5) different entrants per category is needed to compete. Each entrant can submit up to three photos.

Miniature Garden Contest

Laney from MI came in second place last year with her darling fairy garden. Fairies or not, we are sticklers for scale only because it makes it realistic – meaning it looks like a real garden literally shrunken down. Laney paid extra attention to matching the fairies with the 1″ scale accessories.

How to Enter

1. Make a miniature garden. ;o)

2. Take a photo of your miniature garden.

3. Post the photo on the Two Green Thumbs Facebook fanpage and title the photo: “Contest entry for Two Green Thumbs Miniature Garden Center.” Here’s how:

  • - Click into the Two Green Thumbs Miniature Garden Facebook event page. (You have to log into Facebook first.)
  • - Click the Photo/Video link above the comment box to upload your photo.
  • - Find the photo on your computer and click/select it to upload.
  • - Type in the caption, “Contest entry for Two Green Thumbs Miniature Garden Center.”
  • - If you have any questions or apprehensions about doing this, give me a call or email and we can walk through it together. (I’m Janit at 206-352-0494)

4. Post the photo on your own facebook page, and title the photo: “Contest entry for Two Green Thumbs Miniature Garden Center.”

The Contest Rules

1. There must be a majority of plants and accessories from Two Green Thumbs’ Miniature Garden Center’s online store used in the miniature garden submission. All entries will be verified.

2. Join our email list. Click this link and follow the prompts here.

3. Your miniature garden contest entry must be a living miniature garden. No artificial plants allowed.

4. Your miniature garden can be any size or any scale.

5. You can post up to three entries per person. Only one discount code per person will be issued.

6 All entrants will receive their 20% discount coupon on Saturday November 3rd via Facebook messaging, valid through December 31, 2012.

7. Contest Ends at 12 noon, Pacific Time, October 31st, 2012.

8. Winner will be announced on November 1st 2012 on the Facebook page and will be notified by phone & email. The winning gardens will be highlighted in November’s Mini Garden Gazette, our monthly newsletter.  Blogged about in The Mini Garden Guru blog and generally be the center of much merriment and hoopla.

9. The winners are not eligible for the entrant discount.

10. Shipping costs are not included in any of the discounts, offers or gift certificates offered here.

11. Winning and entry discounts cannot be combined with any other offer.

Miniature Garden Contest

Judging Criteria / Breakdown

Contest entries will be judged on the following criteria:

  • 25% – The type of plants used. (Whether they are true miniature or dwarfs instead of young perennial starts.)
  • 25% – The scale of all the components, accessories and plants, must match and be in scale with each other and the garden.
  • 25% – the miniature garden design, there are points for being cleverly creative!
  • 25% – The realistic miniature patio or pathway.

How it works: Each entry will be scored on a scale from 1 to 25, all four scores will add up the total score out of 100, the highest score wins.

**Find Two Green Thumbs Miniature Garden Center Products Near You!

We now have a variety of miniature garden products available through your local independent garden center. Here’s a list of the Two Green Thumbs Miniature Garden Center accessories that you should be able to find. If you can’t, maybe you can ask them to get some in for you! They are manufactured by our friends at Georgetown Home and Garden, a wholesale-only company just south of Seattle.

- Mini Patio Mix Kit
- Miniature Garden Lagoon
- Miniature Garden Pear-Shaped Pond
- Miniature Garden Kidney Shaped Pond
- Miniature Bean Pole
- Miniature Rose Trellis

OR find them in our online store here.

Join us today!

Sign up for our email list and get inspired today! You’ll get into the archives after you confirm your subscription through you email. Join here now.

Miniature Garden Trees

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