About Miniature Garden Accessories

If you are just learning about miniatures, building and playing in a miniature garden is a great way to begin your journey into this huge hobby.

Collectively, miniatures are, quite possibly, the biggest hobby in the world if you include dollhouse miniatures, railroading, war gaming, Barbie, GI-Joe, Polly Pocket-style toys, the latest trend of Mini-Brands – and I’ve probably missed some!

But with this new hobby of gardening in miniature, with the main focus being on the garden, it’s the miniatures – the tiny accessories and the wee patio –  that tell the story and the scale. Without them, it’s just plants in a pot.

How we use miniatures in our gardens:

  • MATCH all your accessories in scale. It’s the accessory that will tell the scale to the viewer. The plants will fall into scale by themselves.
  • Not all miniatures are suitable for the living miniature garden so if you can’t afford to lose it, don’t use.
  • The best mini garden accessories are the ones that weather gracefully and still look like an authentic miniature.
  • All things age outside so don’t expect your brand new miniature to stay brand new if its living outdoors. (Even the sun fades the paint on cars!) Instead, enjoy the process and adapt your scene or theme as your miniatures age.
  • Use the smaller scales for smaller scenes as they get lost in large pots.
    • One-inch scale (Large-sized) for any pot larger than 8″ or in-ground.
    • Half-inch (Medium-sized) accessories for any pot under 8″ across.
    • Quarter-inch (Small-sized) for 4″ or less.

The best time to buy a miniature that you are in love with is when you see it! Making a good garden miniature is a specialized skill that is rare. What is available today, may not be available tomorrow.

About Miniature Scales

The easiest way to explain how the difference sizes of miniatures work in a miniature garden is to show you!

Check out this video above and watch how the size of the accessories cinch the scale of the mini garden.

And, you’ll also notice the size of the accessory changes the size of the garden plants. It’s not magic either… 

Want to Go Deeper on Scale?

We’ve only scratched the surface here. If you’d love a closer look at how scale really works — and how to avoid the most common mixing-scales mistake — check out:

Miniature Gardening 105: Sizing Up Your Miniature Accessories on our Mini Garden Guru blog — it’s a full walkthrough of scale, with examples.

You’ll also find a complete chapter on scale in my first book, Gardening in Miniature: Create Your Own Tiny Living World.

And if you want the deepest dive of all — knowing what scale works well where, sizing your miniatures, in-ground vs containers — that’s exactly the kind of thing our Miniature Garden Society members get access to! Join us to dig in deeper.

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More About Miniature Garden Accessories

When to Buy – The miniature industry is finicky. It’ll change more often the weather in the PNW. The right time to by that darling miniature is when you see it.

What to Buy – Not all miniatures do well in a living garden. The soil and moisture take their toll, and if it’s in an outdoor setting, you have the sun beating down on that little miniature too. Choose either authentic materials, like concrete, metal or wood, that will age naturally. Or, choose materials that can be reused, restained or painted, like resin.

Where to Buy – Online: Two Green Thumbs Miniature Garden Center, of course! :o) Offline: Any dollhouse miniature store, or miniature show are perfect places to start. Any antique mall may have some finds, ask the person that works there to save some time. Toy stores are fun, especially when you are traveling to different countries with different cultures. Craft markets can sometimes surprise you.

How to Transport – Always ask for extra wrapping for anything fragile, you never know. If you are traveling, your shoes or boots in your suitcase are the perfect spot for packing your miniatures safely and securely. Any kind of small box will be better than nothing, as is a clean cup, food or snack container.

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