Happy Fourth, fellow miniature gardeners! I put together a quick video this week decorating one of my larger in-ground miniature gardens for the holiday, and I wanted to share it here along with a few notes on how it came together.
This garden already had good bones — established shrubs, a nice patch of Baby Tears, cultivated to look like a lawn — so decorating for the Fourth was really just about layering in the right accents without overcrowding the scene.
A pair of mini Adirondack chairs (from a project from my 2nd book, Gardening in Miniature Prop Shop) anchor the sitting area, and I tucked small American flags throughout the bed at different heights so they read naturally among the plants rather than looking like they were stuck in as an afterthought.
The red, white, and blue beaded garland draped through the shrub does double duty — it adds color from a distance and holds up fine outdoors for the weekend. A few paper flags and pinwheel accents finish off the party feel without competing with the greenery.
If you’re decorating your own miniature garden for the holiday, my best tip is: let the plants lead. Decorations “should” enhance the scene, not bury it (- but we can allow ourselves to get carried away sometimes, can’t we?) Start with two or three key pieces — a custom chair, a flag or two, a pop of color — and decorate as you would your full-sized garden.
Watch the full video here to see the whole process from start to finish.
The video shows one of my newly redone garden areas, planted in-ground. The lawn of Baby Tears is part of a study I’m working on for the Miniature Garden Society. It’s a website where I’m collecting all the information, research, how-to’s, demos, craft ideas and more. Check out the quick tour to learn more on the website here.
You can accumulate the tiny details gradually as you find them, or make them. This red, white and baby blue cinderblock planter set is an unexpected detail in miniature that will guarantee some smiles. The Lady Liberty is from a Planet of the Apes toy set. You never know where nor when you’ll find that perfect miniature – and the time to buy it is when you see it!
The miniature USA windsock and that little pot of patriotism were both found at my local dollhouse miniature store. Here’s a handy show calendar from the folks over at NAME – the National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts.
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Happy Fourth of July, from my miniature garden to yours! ??
