How to Make the Perfect Miniature Garden for Earth Day ‣ The Mini Garden Guru

As soon as I opened the box, I knew she was perfect.

A miniature Gaia, or Earth Goddess, sat staring at me in all her splendor. Such a peaceful face on a sculpture full of details and meaning. Of course, being painted green, she had me at hello. Lol!

So, I went out to my miniature gardens to see how to display her, wondering what else I would need for the photo.

I didn’t need anything else, just her. Perfect for a miniature Earth Day celebration in the miniature garden!

Check out the photos below and you can see how Gaia is a natural for any miniature garden. I’ve included some notes on how to “install” your own garden art sculptures to make it look like they’ve been forever. These ideas will work for your full-sized garden too!

Installing Garden Art: I start by looking for an empty spot in between my bedding plants. You’re looking for a spot that’s a couple/few feet away from the path so you can see the sculpture all at once. That’s a Mugo Pine on the left and the Jervis Canada Hemlock behind Gaia.

Gaia (pronounced “Guy-yah”) is the Earth Goddess created by Oberon Zell. This miniature statue is now available in our online store, Two Green Thumbs Miniature Garden Center and includes a pamphlet full of information on the mythology and symbolism behind the Millennial Goddess.

For example, her arms are delicately engraved with trees and forests, one is a tropic rainforest and the other is a conifer forest. Her hair is made of braids representing the double helix of DNA that forms the branches of the tree of life. And in her hair is the history of our evolution. Quite a fascinating piece that you can hold in the palm of your hand. See more of her here.

**Installing Garden Art:** Another great spot for a sculpture is in front of wall or trunk. This acts as a background for the artwork, and frames the piece. That’s a Dwarf Pagoda Japanese Holly in the front, left. A miniature Popcorn Rose in the upper, right, that I forgot to cut back a couple of months ago. In front of the rose is a Mother Lode Juniper.

Miniature Gardening with Janit Calvo and TwoGreenThumbs.com

**Installing Garden Art:** Gaia is nicely framed on a lighter colored wall to stand out and be seen. By using the arbor in front of her like that, the scene can only be appreciated from the front, when you’re looking through the arbor. Otherwise, the arbor placed in the middle of the garden bed doesn’t make much sense. “Make it make sense” whatever you do. Stand back and survey the different angles that the sculpture will be viewed. Your thoughtfulness will be rewarded.

Stay tuned for more details on the following miniature gardens which have been with me for a very long time. I realized writing this that each garden will need at least a full blog to show-off the plants and each garden’s history.

**Installing Garden Art:** Look for contrasts. In this example, there is a darker spot in the miniature landscape, so this light-colored sculpture is a perfect fit. Contrast draws attention, frames the piece and lightens-up the area to make it more interesting. If you’re installing a dark-colored sculpture, try to find a lighter color for the background so it won’t blend-in and get lost.

And have a Happy Earth Day-Week!

Now, don’t just sit there, it’s the perfect excuse to make a miniature garden!

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How to Make the Perfect Miniature Garden for Earth Day

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