Make it Cute: How to Work-in a “Little” Pride in Your Miniature Garden

One of the many joys of this very versatile hobby of Gardening in Miniature is the fun you can have playing with it throughout the year. You see, once a garden is planted, whether it’s in miniature or a full-size garden, you might have to pull the odd weed and definitely water it, but there’s not much to really play with, is there?

This is why this hobby is so fun, you can still play – each day if you like!

And you can use just about any occasion as a great opportunity to dive-in and create some miniature magic. I mean, who doesn’t like to **try** to impress your friends and family?

( ** = “TRY” is the operative word here. I recently had family visiting and no one really cared about my miniatures, our full-sized gardens, my garden miniatures nor all my miniature gardens. I mean, what’s not to like here?!?!? O.M.G! ? So, please know that even the expert has a hard time enchanting people who don’t want to be enchanted. Lol!)

“Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”

• Roald Dahl

Makin’ It Cute

Among the many themes I’ve brought to this idea throughout the years, I realized this Pride-themed miniature garden I made during the shutdown in 2020 didn’t get enough exposure. I gifted the rainbow accessory set to a favorite customer that year, so I promptly forgot about it. So, for the history and her-story books (<~ in keeping with the Pride theme. Lol!) here are the details for your miniature garden enjoyment because if you’re still reading, you prolly enjoy my gardens – unlike my family. Lol! ?

About That Tree

That pretty lime tree is a young Monteray Cypress or Lemon Cypress, (when you crush the leaves, it smells like lemon.) They are great for the miniature garden if you can find them really young, in 4″ pots, usually around Christmas time when sold as holiday decor. They can last about 3 or 4 years in a miniature garden scene and can be sheared in late winter to help slow down the growth rate even more. Can be grown in a cool, brightly lit spot indoors for the winter. (Note: it has to be cool with bright light, not direct sun from the window. Get a lamp and grow-bulb.)

Painting Miniatures

Two quick tips on painting miniatures as I go much deeper on this topic in my Miniature Garden Society with demonstration videos and lots of examples.

1) I had to paint the wooden chair white first, to help get the acrylic rainbow colors bright, and then go-over the colors again and again to get them to be a solid color. The more you have to tweak, coat or fuss with a miniature, the more little mistakes – or in this case, my rough paint lines – you’ll create.

2) Chalk paint. A crafters dream. It covers so well. It sticks to a lot of things. You can paint it on or spray it and it’s now available in all kinds of colors. One caveat: the only thing I haven’t tested it for is how it holds up outside in the garden over time but, most miniatures you can paint again.

See what miniature garden plants are available now, up on our online store, TwoGreenThumbs.com.