~ It’s that time of year again. The garden is calling but the weather is not welcoming. Gills are starting to grow around my jawbone with all the rain we’ve been having here in Seattle – as I watched a major snow storm cut through the middle of the US, up to Canada and moving north and east this morning – oh wait, look, it’s changed to a severe storm with tornado warnings. Great! Ugh. Does anyone have a magic wand?

No?

Weather be damned!

At least you can start preparing and planning your plantings, eh?

Here are some new trees that we enjoy in our miniature gardens that we’ll use as examples of what to look for. Beware of the “fairy garden plants” that are being sold these days, most of the recommended plants that we are seeing out on the Internet this season will not work out well in the miniature garden. Not all plants are a miniature garden plant! When someone says that, you know they don’t “get” what we do. If you don’t buy from a trusted source that knows about miniature gardening, do your own research before purchasing. Plants are an investment and, with a little diligence, you can find one that will suit your idea AND your growing environment to create a low maintenance miniature garden that is a joy to own.

Points to remember when miniature plant shopping:

• Look for slow growing plants – example: miniature conifers that grow 1” per year or slow-growing dwarfs at less than 3″ per year.
• Look for small-leaves with small branches or stems – example: miniature daisies, the leaves AND the flowers are both tiny and stay tiny.
• Look for plants that can stay small, example, the Jacqueline Hillier Elm is a naturally dwarf tree that can be pruned in the winter to slow down the growth rate even more.
• Decide where your mini garden will live, then pick the plant to suit that spot. “Right plant, right place.”

Here are some more examples from the online store:

Dwarf Wisteria or Millettia japonica ‘Hime Fuji’

This Dwarf Wisteria is not like the full-sized wisteria that we see as huge vines taking over arbors and buildings. We’ve been testing this one for the last 5 years here at our studios and this rare gem is well behaved and low-maintenance. The dwarf Wisteria will eventually grow into a bushy adult plant but, in the meantime, it looks like a shrub in miniature with its bare legs and leafy canopy.

It grows much slower than listed here in our Seattle climate. It’s listed as hardy to zone 6 or -10F, but you can treat it as a tropical plant and move it inside for the winter. (Join our email list if you want to know when it’s back in stock in our online store here:  TwoGreenThumbs.com.)

Boyd’s Miniature Willow (Salix boydii)

A miniature willow for the miniature garden!? Yeah, I know, it’s just too stinkin’ cute! Boyd’s Willow was discovered in Scotland and grows really slowly to about 12 inches tall. It’s a hardy little gem for just about any miniature garden scene. Round, furry, blue-gray leaves are perched on little gnarled branches.

The Boyd’s Willow needs sharp, well draining soil (add sand or extra perlite) and is tolerant of many challenges, including deer, drought, pollution, and salt . The grower has this listed as a zone 4 plant, or hardy to -30F. (Join our email list if you want to know when it’s back in stock in our online store here:  TwoGreenThumbs.com.)

Silver Fox Hoary Willow

Discovered in Newfoundland, the Silver Fox Hoary Willow will grow slowly and change with the seasons in your miniature garden. The tiny silver leaves are a new texture to add to your scene, they’ll drop the leaves in fall and show off their wonderful yellow stems throughout the winter.

The Silver Fox Hoary Willow prefers wet soil or boggy areas and does best in a cool climate. A trusted Bonsai subject too – so we know it can tolerate pruning to slow down the growth rate even further (prune in winter.) Hardy to zone 3 or -40F. (Join our email list if you want to know when it’s back in stock in our online store here:  TwoGreenThumbs.com.)

Golden Devine Miniature Barberry – Berberis thunbergii ‘Golden Devine’

Yep! We are calling this one “miniature” because it only grows 1 to 2″ per year. The adult size is only 12″ tall and spreads to 18″ but we can keep it trimmed to slow the growth rate down even further. The Golden Devine Barberry has fantastic coloring with the pink buds and green leaf combination. Leaves stay small and it’s a lovely overall shape too – like a typical shrub! Small flowers bloom in the early spring. Foliage turns greener in the shade, or more yellow in the sun – and will get a bit pink in the hot, summer sun – but it is best for a part sun/cool sun spot.? Barberry’s can be grown in containers or right in the ground. Deciduous, has thorns, drought tolerant once established – perfect for a low maintenance miniature garden. Zones 4 to 8. (Join our email list if you want to know when it’s back in stock in our online store here:  TwoGreenThumbs.com.)

Golden Torch Barberry – Berberis thunbergii ‘Golden Torch’

Helmond Pillar Barberry – Berberis thunbergii ‘Helmond Pillar’

We group these two barberries together because the only difference we see so far it the color and the growth rate – the Golden Torch is a little slower growing than the Helmond Pillar. Both grow in tall columns, bloom in spring, can tolerate pruning (that will encourage branching,) drought tolerant and oh ya, THE COLORS!! You can’t beat a splash of color for your miniature garden scene. Plant several in a row for a wee hedge.? Deciduous, has thorns,  hardy zones 4 to 8 or -30F. (Join our email list if you want to know when it’s back in stock in our online store here:  TwoGreenThumbs.com.)

Tom Thumb Cotoneaster – Cotoneaster apiculata ‘Tom Thumb’

The Tom Thumb Cotoneaster is fun little shrub for the miniature garden. The leaves are tinier than most of the other Cotoneasters and the lil’ Tom Thumb can lend itself to the smallest of settings –  AND he turns color and drops its in autumn too for extra added pleasure. A perfect companion to conifers, it grows slowly (2” to 4” per year) into a low spreading mat that can be kept trimmed anytime but preferable when it is dormant in the winter. Pretty white flowers turn to ornamental red berries by fall. Hardy, rugged, drought tolerant and a pleasure to grow. Hardy to zones 5 to 7 or -20F. (Join our email list if you want to know when it’s back in stock in our online store here:  TwoGreenThumbs.com.)

Thyme-Leaf Cotoneaster – Cotoneaster microphylla ‘Thyminifolius’

A darling little shrub that we have been searching years for is now available in limited supply. It is highly coveted as a tree for the miniature garden because it can be trained into an apple tree – the cotoneaster berries look like wee apples (but not edible!) Can be trimmed or pruned anytime but preferably in the winter so you don’t cut off the white flower buds that flush out in early summer. The pretty red berries follow and some will hang on until the following spring. Great in pots and loved by bonsai artists. (Join our email list if you want to know when it’s back in stock in our online store here:  TwoGreenThumbs.com.)

Like this? Join us here and get for your FREE Mini Garden Gazette delivered to your inbox almost every week! Our subscribers get the first dibs on any new or back in stock products AND exclusive sales and discounts that we don’t offer nor advertise anywhere else! Join us here.