Last Spring my MIL-to-be took me to a wonderful garden center.  As we were perusing the gorgeous annuals, flowering baskets, and assortment of pots, I saw a potting bench overflowing with some teensy-tiny plants.  Nestled inbetwixt was the cutest little chair...  They had been demonstrating miniature gardens!  Of course I went nuts, and my brain began zooming...

I went home, scoured the internet for ideas, and purchsed a few scale outdoor accessories for imbellishment.  Then I got to work.  Click here to see a couple of the mini gardens I made.

Even though we in the Northern Hemi are hunkered down in the depths of Winter, I thought it might be nice to see a tute on how to make your own mini garden, just  to get you thinking ahead to warmer seasons!

• Materials:
  • Container - This can be shallow, but not too shallow or the plants will dry out too fast!  Surface area is more important than depth because you will be using smaller plants, and want to pinch them so they STAY small.  Be certain to punch drain holes in the bottom if there are none. I am not really a fan of using terra-cotta, as absorbs heat and does not hold moisture very well.
  • Small amount of landscape fabric - not plastic!
  • Medium sized gravel for drainage
  • High quality potting soil - those touting 'moisture control' are great if you live in a really hot climate.
  • Plants - Wish I had taken notes on the plants I used, but alas...  I did use a rosemary seedling, Irish moss, what we call monkey grass, some dwarf ferns, and thyme.  Yes, you do have to keep pruning and pinching the herbs - use them for cooking ;)  Near the end of this post is a link where you can purchase actual miniature plants, not necessarily bonsai.
  • Hardscaping materials - various sizes of gravel, pebbles, river rocks. In my red wagon scene, I used small accent tiles purchased from my local home center (Lowe's).  Add some scale miniature planters, benches, gazebos, the list goes on...but be SURE that whatever you install in your garden is weatherproof - both water and heat!

Begin by punching drain holes, if need be.  For my Fishing Hole scene, I used a large nail and a hammer to punch holes in the bottom of the galvanized pail.  The wagon already had a rusty bottom, so no drainage problems there.

Next, lay some landscape fabric along the bottom to prevent soil from draining out the bottom.  Cover that with a layer of gravel to aid the drainage flow - you do not want root rot!  Once your piece is finished, it is a major pain to have to replace dying plants!

Of course, next comes the potting mix.  As you lay this down, keep in mind placement of your plants and hardscape features.  Dig down a little for paths and water features, mound up around plants...you get the idea!

I found it much easier to install the plants First.  Once these are in place, cover the rest of the potting mix with landscape fabric.  Then cover with any gravel, pavers, other decorations you wish.  I can't stress the importance of this step enough.  Without the fabric, when you water your scene, particles of soil will float up and around everything, ruining the effect!

Concerning miniatures:  I made the mistake of adding a wooden park bench to one scene. (It was so cute!)  It looked great for about two weeks, then fell apart!  I had even layered it with an outdoor-use poly spray.  Fortunately, when I made the wooden dock in the Fishing Hole scene, I used a solvent-based adhesive (can't remember which brand, sorry).  It is holding together very well.

Some things you can make yourself!  I made an old, dilapidated fence out of some weathered clothes pins.  I simply unhinged them and wired them together with a dark-colored wire.  Gazing ball?  Easy-peasy, golf tee with a marble, but be sure Not to use your child's favorite (sorry, Kiddo!).  I made the dock out of wood strips and solvent-based glue, followed by a rough paint job and outdoor-use poly spray.  The bottom looks horrible, but who's peeking, right?  To make a pretty and functional garden arch, visit your local home center to buy copper tubing and wire.  Cut two pieces of tubing the same length, bend into identical arches, and then join the two with smaller copper wire, looping and zig-zapping back and forth between.  (It helps to have a second pair of hands to help with the spacing when you get started - kind of fiddly.)  Be sure to leave an inch or two at the bottom left unwound to act as legs you can poke into the dirt.

Now, I want some advice!!!  I want to replace the water features in my mini gardens with something more realistic than the gravel 'impression' of a stream and the glass marble pond.  Anyone have any ideas?  I want next years gardens to be even better!

Don't forget to google the topic.  There are many wonderful ideas on the internet.  Here are just a few:  Miniature Garden Shoppe, Ohdeedoh, and Miniforest.com who sells miniature plants!  I could imagine a miniature INDOOR container garden strategically placed eside a dollhouse...hmmm.