Miniature and fairy gardens ideas are fun way to create pint-size realistic landscapes that
capture the atmosphere and magnificence in a natural landscape. They are
intriguing to make and catch the attention of people of all ages.
The hardest part is choosing what type of design to create.
The possibilities are endless... make them as large or as small as your
imagination (and space) will allow. The theme can be a beach or forest scene, a
vegetable garden, a more formal garden with fairy houses and statues or even a
hidden secret garden. Almost any tiny world you can imagine can be gathered
into a small container with the right accessories and details.
Carefully plan your miniature landscape beforehand, keeping
everything within scale. After deciding on a theme, you will need to choose a
container and plants best suited to complete your vision. When planning your
miniature landscape, consider if it will be viewed from all sides or just one.
For instance, if viewed from all sides, the focal point should be placed in the
center, with lower plantings around it. If your miniature landscape will be viewed
from only one side, the tallest plant or structure should be placed near the
back, with lower plants in the foreground.
The best containers for little air plants terrarium have a large open surface area to accommodate
as many plants and garden features into your design as possible. Wire plant
stands, wide terracotta pots, wicker baskets, wagons or wheelbarrows, concrete
birdbaths (maybe a cracked one), wooden boxes, and hyper tufa troughs are all
good choices.
The key to creating a successful miniature garden is to ensure
proper drainage right from the start. Add several holes in the bottom if your
container does not have any. Aluminum screening, pottery shards or small rocks
can be used to prevent soil from draining through. A layer of pea gravel will
also add drainage protection.
Filling in with a number of fairy garden plants will provide the details needed to create or
complete the garden. Think scale and proportion to the size of the container
they will be growing in. (The scale of our garden is 1:12.) Remember to match
plants for the light and moisture they need.
Plants for Part Shade - Shade
Fairy Vine (Muelenbeckia complexa)
Green Baby Tears as well as Golden or Variegated
Miniature Canadian Hemlock and Saxifraga
Plants for Full Sun
Tall Grasses: Chives, Blue Fescue
Ground Covers: Elfin and Wooly, Thyme, Leptinella, Corsican
Mint, Baby Tears, Scotch Moss, Irish Moss, Pilea, Selaginella Moss
Hedges: Creeping Fig, Euonymous, Watch Chain Plant
Trees: Dwarf Evergreens, Ferns, Rosemary Trees, Cypress Trees,
Olive Trees, Euonymous Trees
Bushes: Ageratum, Hypoestes, Mugo Pine, Evergreens, Sedums
(low), Hens 'n Chicks
Flowers: Alyssum, Armeria, Campanula, Mexican Heather,
Portulaca