This miniature garden is one of “those” situations where is seems like an overnight – er, wait, I mean – over-a-year success. However, it took a loooong time to figure out how to get it to this point of just enjoying a true, in-ground garden in miniature.

And now, we can revel in the glory… Okay, that might be a tiny-bit overly dramatic, I’ve been ingesting too much lame-stream-news lately. How about, we can now revel in the play-ability of this years-long project!

It’s Fun to Have, Fun to Hang With…

This past summer, it became routine for the three of us, Steve, myself and our dog, Kitty, to gather on the lawn after work and set-up a blanket next to the in-ground miniature garden. Our mini kingdom lives on the west side of the house, so we take advantage of the sunshine in the summertime, usually staying out in the garden until the sun fades.

Sometimes we would take turns puttering, pulling weeds and cleaning up any fallen leaves on the “mini garden bed.” Sometimes we brought the chairs closer to it and just hung out. We always have a blanket big enough for Kitty too (- and there’s always a little competition for the “best spot.”)

Is In-Ground Miniature Gardening Hard to Do?

In short, it’s easy to do when you know what to do and when to do it – as with anything.

And sure, there is some maintenance involved as the plants grow and the garden weaves itself together – as all gardens do, I might add – but a LOT less work to maintain. I mean, a LOT. Lol!

But the real treat that comes from the tricks I’ve learned, (<~ see what I did there? there should be points for that :o) is what makes a big in-ground miniature garden just fun to have around and to hang around.

You can see more of this in-ground miniature garden, how I made it and what I’ve learned so far, after 20 years of growing them, (in some cases, trying to grow them,) in the Miniature Garden Society’s website here.

Meanwhile, here are a few photos on our latest adventures with our big in-ground miniature garden. Feel free to pin and share them anywhere you hang out on social media, it’s free to do and it helps us tremendously.

Spooky!! You can slowly build a collection of Halloween miniatures year after year. It’s also a great way to use your broken or weathered miniatures that can fit perfectly into a scary garden scene. (Then wait for the laughs.)
I’ve been experimenting with different lighting ideas that often look better in person than they do in the photograph. The trick is to photograph the garden at dusk when it’s dark enough to see the lights but before the daylight is gone completely. Use a tripod or set your phone on something to steady it while you take the shot. Don’t dally either – daylight is waning!
I tucked a rice-light-string in the bed beside the patio and pathway to make them look like pathway lights. Find the tiny light strings at any craft store – there are a ton of different kinds out there. I like the type that can change from white to red, blue & green so I can keep using them through the winter holidays. Afterwards, I turn them back to white. I also use rechargeable batteries to be environmentally conscious and to save money – it’s also much easier as the rechargeable batteries seem to last longer between re-charges.

More Please Ma’am!

And here’s a video of our July Fourth celebration in the same big miniature garden, ICYMI. See it here.

To find the plants, parts, patios and pieces you see in the gardens, please visit our Two Green Thumbs Miniature Garden Center store here. We’ve been building and growing the hobby for all to enjoy, since 2001.

To get the only newsletter dedicated to the hobby of gardening in miniature, The Mini Garden Gazette, please fill out the form on this page here.

And have a safe, fun, boo-scary-happy Halloweeeeen!! From your friends, Janit & Steve