Posts Tagged railroad gardening

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.

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Miniature Garden Spotlight: Ann’s Miniature Worlds

07/03/2013 at 1:40 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, Customer Interaction, D.I.Y. Ideas, Fairy Gardening, For the New Gardener, Life-sized Gardening, Miniature Garden Accessories, Miniature Plants ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Ann's Miniature Garden

A half-inch scale garden. The trees look like Myrtles, small-leafed sedums are in the garden bed and individual sedums are in the wee terra cotta pot. The patio furniture tells the scale.

Miniature Garden Spotlight: Ann’s Miniature Worlds

One of the fun parts of being in business is meeting others who are just as passionate as you are. I once had a woman come into my booth at a big garden show and said, “Your minis give me the squealies.” A new word for my dictionary at best. Lol!

Ann has been a customer of ours for just about forever. She is a Mom with the cutest and most curious little boy ever. Her husband, Erik, just got back from active duty in the Navy, (THANK YOU, ERIC!) and he is a model-maker-miniaturist too. They live in South Carolina and I can only imagine the fun that they have with their miniature gardening. I was delighted when Ann said I could post her pictures here for you to see.

Ann's Miniature Garden

A wee boxwood tree anchors the garden. Different colors of small-leafed Sedums and ground cover Thymes make up the understory of the garden. That is ground cover Thyme trailing down the front of the pot – it flowers in early summer.

Ann's Miniature Garden

Look at what Ann has done with the “lawn” or Irish Moss – she made the path out of lawn instead of pavers. So cute! Shrink me down to miniature now!

Ann's Miniature Garden

Methinks Ann dipped into Eriks’ model railroad stash – Lol! Wouldn’t you? Check out how well the tiny accessories force the scale of the “big” little trees.

Ann's Miniature Garden

Pretty greens and pinks create the charm in this garden. That pink one is called Tricolor Sedum. Notice the brickwork on the patio too – you can get the same results with our Mini Patio Mix Kit that create a permanent miniature patio that won’t wash away in the rain or watering.

Ann's Miniature Garden

Just darling! Ann trimmed up bigger succulents to create the trees. Look how meticulous the patio is – it’s just perfect. Again, the accessories tell the scale of the garden.

Ann's Miniature Garden

Who let the dog out? I love this rustic, free-form garden. That fluffy plant on the right is baby Asparagus Fern but it looks like tiny bamboo here. That’s a fairy vine on the left.

Their in-ground miniature garden that Erik helped set up the fountain and pond and then apparently was “kicked off the project” by Ann when it came time to do the miniature gardening. What fun! Check out the stand-alone structure that they made for it . You can see the stone wall that is built up and around the pond. Very clever!

Ann's in ground mini garden

Ann and Erik’s in ground mini garden looks like a fun project. The tiny plants tucked in among the rocks makes the whole rockery and garden fit together as one. Check out the tiny rock wall too!

Ann's in ground mini garden

The before picture: Ann took advantage of the garden as it was growing in and created a miniature graveyard for Halloween.

Ann's in ground mini garden

Back to summer – and a different view of of the garden. I love the different levels they created – it really piques the interest. You can see the edge of the pond if you look – otherwise it’s all viewed as one lovely rockery-pond.

Ann's in ground mini garden

The different plant colors keep the miniature garden bed interesting. Every plant in this rockery garden does well in full-sun. “Right plant, right place” for the best success.

Ann's in ground mini garden

The wee path invites the eye to follow it. It looks very natural and follows the edge of the mini garden beds on either side.

Ann's in ground mini garden

Tiny ducks in the reeds! These little thoughts place strategically throughout the miniature garden entice the viewer look for more details and surprises.

Ann's in ground mini garden

Very. Sweet. HO scale figures are from the model railroad industry.

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How to Add Authenticity to Your Miniature or Fairy Garden

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

Elf Dwarf Spruce for the Miniature Garden

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

How to Add Authenticity to Your Miniature or Fairy Garden

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

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

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

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

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

Nana Dwarf Hinoki Cypress in the Miniature Garden

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

Verdoni Dwarf Hinoki Cypress for the Miniature Garden

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

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

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

Picea glauca 'Conica'

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

Zmatlik Dwarf Arborvitae in the miniature garden

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

The Conica Spruce and Zmatlik Dwarf Arborvitae in the miniature garden

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

A younger Elf Dwarf Alberta Spruce.

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

Golden Sprite Dwarf Hinoki Cypress for the Miniature Garden

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

Tansu Cryptomeria japonica in the miniature garden

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

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

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

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Miniature Gardening 105: Sizing up Your Miniature Accessories

25/06/2012 at 4:28 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, Fairy Gardening, For the New Gardener, Miniature Garden Accessories ·Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Miniature Garden Accessories

Miniature garden accessories are different from fairy garden accessories in scale, quality and workmanship. It’s the realism that creates the magic – not the fairies.

Miniature Gardening 105: Sizing up Your Miniature Accessories

Whew! What a world-wind of miniature garden ideas everywhere you look. If you haven’t been by your local, independent garden center lately, you’d better go check them out – they just may have gone to the fairies too.

[For links to the previous lessons in this series, go here.]

And as the fairy garden trend flits and flutters its way through your garden this summer, a popular question has probably come to mind: How do you know what size or scale your fairy garden stuff is?

If you are a lot like us, sticklers for scale here at Two Green Thumbs Miniature Garden Center, you would like to know – you need to know – the scale you are working in, in order to inject the realism that is the magic of miniature gardening. So, here’s a quick guide to figuring that out.

One inch scale miniature garden accessories

One inch scale miniature garden accessories are the most popular, they are easy to handle and won’t get lost in your in-ground gardens. In this scale: 1 inch = 1 foot.

To help illustrate the scale, here are two popular items for any type of miniature garden to use as a comparison for your items. Measure the inside of the doorframe, or the height of the bench, and use the chart below to figure out the scale of your accessories.

Size of Door,
in Inches:		 Height
Of Seat:		 Scale, written three
Different ways:
6” – 7” tall 1 ⅜” – 1 ⅝”       1” scale, large size, 1:12
3” – 4” tall ⅜” – ⅝” ½” scale, medium size, 1:24
1 ¼” – 1 ½” tall       ¼” –  ⅜” ¼” scale, small size, 1:48
Half-inch scale miniature garden accessories

Half-inch scale miniature garden accessories are perfect for table-top sized gardens, or smaller containers, usually under 12″ in diameter. In this scale: 1/2 inch = 1 foot

And here’s a summary of scale across the miniature industry:

The Dollhouse Miniature industry divides their miniature scales up to manageable sizes that take a little getting used to, but once you get the math behind it, it becomes easier with use: one-inch, half-inch and quarter-inch scale. Each scale is half the size of the other, where the unit of scale is equal to one foot in “full-size.” This is the scale we’ve adapted to in our miniature gardens and we’ve used it with success over the years.

The Garden Railroaders use G-Scale, or 1:22 scale. This is closest to the half-inch dollhouse scale. The other scales that the model railroaders use are very plentiful and all over the board. Their scale is based on the width of the railroad tracks which are made by many different manufacturers attempting to dominate the hobby with their line of trains and, in my opinion, have made a wonderful hobby difficult to digest unless you only stick with one manufacturer. Look for the ratio (the 1:? number) of the item, if it is close to the scale you are using, you can probably get away with it in your miniature garden. You can always “eyeball it” too, and see if it ‘“looks” like it’s in scale with the other items in the garden.  (Don’t try this if you are entering a miniature contest, they do get their rulers out and will measure everything to check the scale.)

Quarter-inch scale miniature garden accessories

Quarter-inch scale miniature garden accessories are really fun but a bit scarce. They are perfect for terrariums and the tiniest of miniature gardens. In this scale: 1/4 inch = 1 foot.

The Fairy Garden accessories have been made with little regard to scale too. Most of them, when mixing them with the miniature garden accessories, the scales are all over the place. Even the sizes within each manufacturer don’t appear to match. So, my best advice is to pick your fairy, then pick the furniture or house. Find your fairies at eFairies.com – the measurement of her ankles to the back of her knees will tell you the size of the bench she can “sit” on and you can refer to the chart above for the scale.

I hope that helps you inject some realism into your fairy gardens – its the attention to scale creates the enchantment, ultimately.

Use our handy ‘Shop by Scale’ section of our online store to keep it simple for you!

Shop all One Inch Scale

Shop all Half Inch Scale

Shop all Quarter Inch Scale

Miniature Gardening 106: Contain Your Investment

New and Unusual Miniature Garden Accessories

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Simple Heat Zone Map is Handy for Internet Plant Shopping

30/03/2011 at 11:46 pm · Filed under Conifers, For the New Gardener, Miniature Plants, railroad gardening, Resources ·Tagged , , , , ,

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

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

Simple Heat Zone Map is Handy for Internet Plant Shopping

Do you buy plants on the Internet?

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

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

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

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

And everyone is happy! ;o)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See what we have in our online nursery here.

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Miniature Garden Plant Focus: The Dwarf Miniature Juniper

20/01/2011 at 12:06 am · Filed under Conifers, Fairy Gardening, Miniature Plants, Product Reviews, railroad gardening ·Tagged , , , , , , ,

Miniature Garden Plant Focus: The Dwarf Miniature Juniper

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

 

Miniature Garden Plant Focus: The Dwarf Miniature Juniper

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

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

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

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

Miniature Garden Plant Focus: The Dwarf Miniature Juniper

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

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

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

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

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

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

Great pairing plants for the miniature gardener are:

Miniature Garden Plant Focus: The Dwarf Miniature Juniper

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

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

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

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

See the Miniature Juniper in the store here.

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My Favorite Miniature Garden Things

21/12/2010 at 9:06 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, Conifers, Customer Interaction, Fairy Gardening, Life-sized Gardening, Miniature Plants, The Business ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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

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

These are a Few of My Favorite Miniature Garden Things

(Sung to the tune ‘My Favorite Things’)

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

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

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

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

Christmas in the Miniature Garde

Christmas in the Miniature Garden

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

And have a wonderful New Year!

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

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Miniature Garden Plant Focus: The Pixie Dust Dwarf Spruce

16/09/2010 at 9:16 pm · Filed under Conifers, Fairy Gardening, For the New Gardener, Miniature Plants, Product Reviews, railroad gardening ·Tagged , , , , , ,

Pixie Dwarf Spruce in a Miniature Garden

The Pixie Dwarf Spruce in a Miniature Garden forest setting.

Miniature Garden Plant Focus: The Pixie Dust Dwarf Spruce

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

Weird, huh? Try this for fun:

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

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

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

It kind of works, you think? ;o)

The Pixie Dust is perfect for miniature gardening

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Pixie Dust is perfect for miniature gardening.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More details are in the store here.

Toni Basil’s Hey Mickey Video is here.

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

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

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

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Layin’ Track, Runnin’ Trains – Garden Railroading in the NW

05/08/2010 at 7:49 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, D.I.Y. Ideas, railroad gardening, Resources ·Tagged , , , , , , ,

Checkout the lovely rock wall that rims part of the track. Fun and easy to replicate for our mini gardens.

Checkout the lovely rock wall that rims part of the track. Fun and easy to replicate for our mini gardens.

Layin’ Track, Runnin’ Trains

“I hear that train ‘a comin’! Comin’ round the track.
Click-itty clack, click-itty clack.”

We had the opportunity to see El Presidente’s garden railway the other day!

Here are some pictures of Glenn Shadduck’s layout, the president of the Puget Sound Garden Railway Society. They are holding the big national convention here in Tacoma this year. This was Glenn’s trial-run in preparation for the bus-loads of conventioneers coming to see him this coming weekend. We’ll be there on Sunday,  one of the public days where anyone can get into see what’s going on.

I’ll keep my eyes peeled for more tips and tricks from these uber-mini-gardeners if you can’t make it!

Link to more information on the National Garden Railway Convention is here.

Link to the Puget Sound Garden Railroad Society is here.

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Unsung Hero: The Dwarf Japanese Holly

29/07/2010 at 12:28 am · Filed under For the New Gardener, Miniature Plants, railroad gardening, Resources ·Tagged , , , , , ,

Dwarf Pagoda Japanese Holly Flower

A flower only miniature gardeners can love ~ blooming on the Dwarf Pagoda Japanese Holly.

Unsung Hero of the Mini Garden:
The Dwarf Japanese Holly

The Garden Designer’s Round Table discussion this week focused on the “underused” plants that you can trust to perform, are beautiful unto themselves but often go unnoticed in a garden full of flowers and vegetables. In the miniature garden world, the Dwarf Japanese Hollies are the unsung hero’s and it’s not often that we have two of our favorites available at the same time here at Two Green Thumbs Miniature Garden Center.

The Dwarf Japanese Holly is nothing like the holly that we are used to seeing around the winter holidays. It’s a reliable dwarf tree that can easily blend with other evergreens, or stand alone as a majestic little tree in the wee landscape. The two different types, the Dwarf Pagoda and the Sky Pencil, open up a number design possibilities for the miniature gardener.

The Dwarf Pagoda Japanese Holly

The Dwarf Pagoda Japanese Holly, the pot is 4" wide.

The Dwarf Pagoda is an exquisite tree with a traditional branching habit, it can easily emulate a tiny fruit tree in the mini garden. Tight, round dark green leaves perch on the wee branches and look like rosettes. In any other part of the garden, the flowers are deemed “insignificant” but in the miniature garden the flowers are just icing on the cake. And if the plant is really happy, the flowers will turn to light green berries in the middle of summer.

The Dwarf Pagoda grows from 1/2″ per year to 2″ per year depending upon where it is grown. Warmer States to the south will experience a little faster growth rate than more temperate regions like here in Seattle. Prune the straight stems early to encourage more branching. Note that older and bigger Dwarf Pagodas are valued up to $100 in some nurseries.

The Sky Pencil Japanese Holly, the pot is 4" wide.

The Sky Pencil Japanese Holly, the pot is 4" wide. Now you can see where it gets its name.

The Sky Pencil is a gem for the mini garden as well. The tall, column shape can be used in multiples to line the back of the mini garden bed, define a fairy path or to accent a long driveway in the railroad garden. Use one with a miniature or dwarf conifer – the light, water and soil requirement are the same for a number different evergreens and they are a great pairing for that “realistic garden-y” look. The leaves are about 3/8” long and the stems constantly reach up to the sky – thus the name. The flowers are about the same tiny flowers found on the Dwarf Pagoda and berries are dark purple.

These two hollies are outdoor trees and are cold hardy to about -20F (or -5F if planted in a pot). The American Horticultural Society’s heat zone places them between 7 and 5 – meaning, they can do well in the hotter climates where the average number of days per year that have temperatures above 86F are between 60 and 90 days. (More info on heat zones here.)

The Dwarf Japanese Hollies like damp soil in part shade – the Sky Pencil can be grown in full sun providing the soil remains damp (like wrung-sponge damp.) They enjoy containers or can be planted right in the ground. You can prune them to slow down the growth for the miniature garden – they are slow-growing babies and if left alone, will “grow up” – but we can still enjoy them for years and years in the miniature garden.

The Sky Pencil Dwarf Japanese Holly

We used four of the Sky Pencil Dwarf Japanese Hollies to help mark the entrance to this in-ground mini garden. Tricky to photograph, as they are so tall and get lost in the shot - but look great in real life.

See them in our store here.
Visit our main website for more here.
Join us for a FREE monthly newsletter here.
Learn more about the Garden Designers Roundtable here.

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