MAY is NATIONAL MINIATURE GARDEN MONTH!
Celebrate National Miniature Garden Month each May and spread the joy and awareness of the new hobby of gardening in miniature!
#MiniatureGardenMonth
National Miniature Garden Month in May is the perfect opportunity to connect with nature, get your hands in the soil and develop your gardening skills.
Whether you’re just starting to learn about gardening or an expert, growing a garden in miniature is another way to enjoy nature’s beauty.
It will keep you crafty and creative all year long, having fun decorating with different themes and special occasions, while you watch your little garden grow.
What is miniature gardening?
A miniature garden is a combination of crafting and gardening where we have literately shrunk the rules of the garden to fit almost anywhere.
Miniature gardens are made using true dwarf and miniature trees, small-leafed perennials and ground covers, combined with a miniature patio and accessories, to build a living scene that is an authentic garden in miniature.
You can build an eight-foot-long miniature garden right in the garden bed or create one in an eight-inch container for your tabletop.
The fun with gardening in miniature is that it can be done at any time of year, for any season or reason
How to Start a Miniature Garden
A garden in miniature is still a garden that follows the first basic rule: “Find the right plant for the right place.” Whether you are growing indoors or outdoors in shade or sun, there are miniature trees, dwarf shrubs and small-leafed ground cover plants to suit almost any location.
So, the very first thing to do is to decide where you want your little world to live.
After you’ve found the perfect spot for your mini garden, then find the plants to suit that spot.
Chose plants with different heights and different textures that like the same light and water needs to create a nice design. Then you can choose your patio material, a bench and perhaps a birdbath that you can fill with water and float a little flower in it.
Shopping List
- Pot at least 8″ deep and wide, with a drainage hole.
- Include a waterproof saucer for the pot if needed.
- Miniature or Dwarf Tree. See what kind of plants to look for here.
- Small-leafed ground covers for your “bedding plants.” See what plants we have available for you here in our store. You can shop by zone or by light.
- Patio material. (Match your pot color or your exterior design colors.) See the different kinds of patio ideas up in our store here.
- A miniature accessory or two, include a bench, chair or patio-set to sit on. See what’s in stock here.
Tips for Building an In-Ground Miniature Garden
Building a miniature garden right in your garden bed is another way to enjoy this great hobby and it’s a great way to share your hobby too. Here are a couple of tips to think about before you start:
- Chose the right plants for the right spot. Sun plants for sun. Shade plants for shade. A lot of our recommended plants can get by with at least 6 hours of direct sun.
- It’s helpful to have existing plants or a garden bed around the area that you are considering for your miniature garden. This helps create a micro-climate that will support the miniature plantings, help them keep cool, reduce the watering in the hottest months, and create a “bigger” presence in your yard so you’ll remember to water it!
- Make it user friendly. Think about the spot you’ve chosen. Is it a public spot, next to the sidewalk or is it a private spot in your backyard? Will you be comfortable there puttering away with your mini garden?
- Start with a small design. See if you like the maintenance and upkeep, then go big. If you “go big” all at once without knowing exactly what you’ll be getting into, it might be a lot of maintenance that you weren’t expecting to do.
- Weed often and early. Don’t let it get away from you. If you see a weed just starting to emerge, pull it. It’s the easiest way to stay on top of the maintenance and keep your miniature garden looking its finest!
Miniature Garden Ideas
- Holiday themes! Create a holiday centerpiece or fun welcome pot your front door to decorate through the seasons.
- Special occasions, like an anniversary, new home or birthday, thank you or teacher gifts
- Recreate a childhood memory
- Create an altar or yoga garden for meditation
- Build your own fantasy world
- Design your dream garden in miniature
- Add a fairy house and furniture for more whimsy
- If you’re an experienced gardener or miniature gardener, teach a class at your local garden center or community center!
- Share your miniature gardens on social media using #NationalMiniatureGardenMonth.
HOW TO CELEBRATE MINIATURE GARDEN MONTH
- Learn how to create your own miniature garden.
- Visit Two Green Thumbs Miniature Garden Center for the right mini and dwarf trees, plants and ideas to create your mini garden.
- Learn more about the hobby and become a member of the Miniature Garden Society.
The pot above is about 10″ side. The tree is Jervis Canada Hemlock.
- Crafty Fun for Adults: Host a miniature garden party! Follow the “shopping list” above for all the parts and pieces needed. Add tea and cake and you’ve got some fun to be had!
- Great for KIDS: Turn it into a fairy garden party by adding fairies or make your own twig furniture.
HOW YOU CAN HELP THIS NEW HOBBY TOO!
Researching, Teaching, Sharing &
Building the Hobby, Since 2001.
I’ve dedicated over 20 years, most of that full-time, consistently focused on researching and building the hobby of Gardening in Miniature to make it accessible so everyone can enjoy it.
I wouldn’t ask for donations if I didn’t need to. Researching, developing, testing plants, accessories and patio materials to see what works costs money – in fact, building ANYTHING NEW that is worthwhile, costs lots of time and energy.
Multiply this by over 20 years and, well, needless to say, I could use some help here.
If you’ve enjoyed this hobby too, please consider:
- making a purchase at our online store.
- you can buy us a cup of coffee or two
- donation thru Paypal here.
- (Email us if you would like to send an check – info@twogreenthumbs.com.)
ALL proceeds go towards building the hobby and spreading the joy of Gardening in Miniature. Thank you in advance in helping us continue the work of delivering you free and informative information on this wonderful new pasttime.
If you can’t afford to donate, here are some FREE, quick and easy ways you can still help us to continue the work of building this great new hobby: ~>>
THANK YOU!
Ways to Help:
- Making a purchase at our online store.
- Buy us a cup of coffee or two
- Make a donation thru Paypal here.
- (Email us if you would like to send an check – info@twogreenthumbs.com.)
A HUGE miniature garden THANK YOU to those who have donated towards the cost of the National Miniature Garden Month!
It’s a one-time payment of $3500 and so far we have $227. (It’s like our miniature gardens, it grows slowly. Lol!)
Please help with a donation and we’ll honor you forever, plus one day, and add your name to this list of kind & wonderful folks who enjoy gardening in miniature too!
Suzanne in GA
$100
Kathy in MD
$50
Melissa in VT
$12
Corrine in TX
$25
Theresa in MN
$20
Jennifer in CA
$20
YOU in ??
$???
SHOP
LEARN
CONNECT
