No longer just a horticultural flight of fantasy from days gone by, miniature gardens are once again gaining popularity. In fact, creating and tending to one might just be the perfect antidote to mundane modern living. All you need is a space as small as a window ledge and a little imagination and you’ll be ready to go!
- When selecting a location, consider easy all-around access for maintenance.
- Position your fairy garden in a sunny spot and ensure that it is watered regularly, especially in winter when the heat is on.
- Use a high-quality potting soil and make sure you have adequate drainage, by piercing holes in the base of containers to allow water to escape, and lining containers with gravel or sand.
- Fertilize the garden during the active growing season with a water soluble food.
It’s important to think about scale and proportion when selecting plants.
- Look for slow-growing plants that don’t have flowers that will be out of scale with your garden. Plants with tiny leaves work best, especially if they can be trimmed easily.
- Don’t use annuals, because they grow quickly and can get “leggy” fast. Also, look for plants that have similar light and water requirements, since they all need to get along in the same garden.
- Plants and miniature shrubs that work well for fairy gardens include alpine plants, Japanese dwarf plants, bonsai trees (planted in pots concealed beneath the garden surface), and slow-growing herbs (because you can trim and use them, too). Any plant can be replaced if it gets too large. Remember, the fun of a fairy garden is in maintaining it. It becomes your special, personalized little landscape area.
Finally, add the finishing touches by decorating your mini-garden with scaled-down versions of garden accessories using weather-proofed dollhouse furniture, miniature glazed ornaments, toy farmyard items or aquarium accessories. You could even use a small dish containing water, embedded in the surface to resemble a miniature pond. Add a miniature path made of small pebbles. The possibilities are endless. The important thing is to let your imagination go and have fun!