How To Make A Tiny Garden

Monday, May 14, 2012

My tiny garden in a style I like to think of as deconstructed (code for lazy woman's) Bonsai

They had me at "tiny". My Mom and I recently attended a class at Garden Fever called Tiny Gardens taught by miniature garden design experts Nancy Goldman and Genevieve Layman. I really didn't know what to expect but I have enjoyed making topiaries and I imagined this would be somewhat similar. 

As a mobile option, I've created a Snapguide for this project which you can find here: http://snp.gd/eap3zw

This is a really fun project whether your tastes are whimsical (you might want to add some furniture for the fairy visitors) or sophisticated (let rocks, sand, gravels, and bark be part of your natural palette) and I will walk you through the six steps needed to make a charming, wee garden.




Supplies List:
  • 1 small container
  • Potting soil
  • An array of small plants
  • Rock, bark, moss, or any other decorative items that suit your fancy

Instructions:

1. Gather your materials. Your garden can use moisture loving plants like ferns, mosses, and grasses, or xeric plants like succulents and cacti. Add moss, bark, gravel, stones, shells--you are the artist!

2. Partly fill your container with either regular potting soil or a cacti blend for succulents and cacti.

3. Trim your plants to your liking and to fit your container. Some root trimming might be needed to get everything to fit.

4. Begin "building" your garden, layering and rearranging until you are happy with the composition.

5. Don't be afraid to divide plants into smaller segments by pulling apart their roots. Remember that in nature things often grow in clusters or groups.

6. Once planting is done feel free to add rocks or moss, figurines, or tiny structures. Make a nice spot for the little fairies who might visit. And once you're done, give everything a good watering, of course.

4 comments:

  1. Looks great, and i love the vivid colour of the pot too :)

    Gaz: Alternative Eden

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks! I'm always a sucker for mustard yellow! If you like it too, you must see the new Wes Anderson film Moonrise Kingdom. Yellow as far as the eye can see...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love it! Can you tell me the name of the "tree" plant? Very interesting design.

    ReplyDelete

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