Miniature Garden Troubleshooting
Before you reach for that bottle of chemicals to solve your issues, please try a natural approach.
Top Tip #1: Any bugs that have moved in are doing so because they are comfortable and have a food source. Make it uncomfortable by disturbing them every chance you get (- pinching them off with your fingers, sloughing them off or giving them a sharp spray of water works too -) and they’ll move along to find an easier life.
Top Tip #2: Bugs and disease are a sign of the plant’s stress. A healthy plant can ward-off most invasions. The very first thing to do is to assess your situation to find out why the plant got so stressed-out. (Lack of water, light &/or air?) You may have to gently take the garden apart to save your plants, but as you do, see if you can figure out what happened so you can learn and improve your gardening knowhow.
Squirrels, however, are a completely different issue. :o) See below.
Troubleshooting for Texas: Extreme Weather Events
Miniature Gardening in the Snow: The statue is about 8 inches tall. ~ This is for our fellow miniature gardeners in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and any other area down south who are in the midst of shoveling themselves out of a completely catastrophic winter weather...
I Know What You Did Last Summer
Miniature Iris are to the left of the pond. The flower is big, but it's the perfect in-scale foliage that we love! ~ Okay, I don't really but I wanted to talk about the plants you planted last year in your miniature garden, fairy garden or your railroad garden. In...
12 Watering Tips to Help ANY Garden Beat the Heat
Here are some tips for keeping your miniature garden, and your full-sized garden, healthy during heat waves. You may be in an area with a water ban as well so it is even more critical to conserve whatever water you can. With proper watering techniques, you can get the most out of your watering even in extreme temperatures.
Is Your Miniature Garden Tree Dead?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5K4yOch_i8 Your miniature garden tree is not dying, it's blushing. We surprised a customer in Florida with a tree that was wearing its winter's blush. Needless to say, she picked up the phone to tell us the plant arrived half dead -...
Oh Deer! Tips on How to Keep the Deer and Rabbits from Invading your Gardens
Apparently the garden deterrents for deer are the same for rabbits. Collecting regional tips from our Miniature Garden Society members is just one of the perks of joining us! Oh Deer! Tips on How to Keep the Deer and Rabbits From Invading Your Gardens Alright, truth...
Troubleshooting Miniature Plants in the Miniature Garden
Jump on these "Kodak Moments" in the miniature garden whenever you see them. When you come across a photo opportunity, drop everything and get your phone, camera or both. You'll pat yourself on the back for it later. Trying Something New in the Miniature Garden “My...
Godzilla [Squirrels] and the Miniature Garden
~ Alright, a squirrel is not miniature Godzilla but they may as well be - they are the perfect-sized monster for our miniature gardens, fairy gardens and railroad gardens. Squirrels and chipmunks are really Godzilla in miniature. As you may have noticed in your...
Adjusting to the New Winter Weather in the Miniature Garden
Oh how we love the miniature and dwarf Mugo Pines for hardy miniature gardening. Most are hardy to -40F. This is a one inch scale garden. The Sedums on the right turn red when stressed and they'll go back to green when the spring decides to stay. This pot has been...
Planting Miniature Gardens Under Existing Trees
Before you plant miniature gardens under your existing tree check if the tree likes to be planted under first! (Google it!) Above, sedum spurium seems to tolerate the shade of a Rhododendron. There is nothing so charming a place in the garden as under a big tree. It...
Caring for Your Indoor [Miniature] Gardens
Our regular houseplants got a bit stressed out during the flower show. This is our front room after the cleaning. We kept the two problem pots separated after finding the source and cleaning all the other pots, the shelf and the general area. Caring for Your Indoor...
Sharing Your Miniature Garden Hobby
This miniature garden was created in an empty pond at our last house. It was in the backyard so it was only visited by friends and family. We had more fun with our mini gardens in the front of the house, next to the sidewalk for all to see and visit. ~ You'll hear the...
[Miniature] Gardening in the Heat
Beat the heat by choosing plants that do well in the heat. This combination of the tall Compressa Juniper, a Blue Star Juniper on the left surrounded with Hens and Chicks, Brass Buttons, Miniature Daisies and assorted Sedums is perfect for a sunny spot. [Miniature]...
Miniature Gardening: Turning Learning Curves into Opportunity
The Miniature Junipers standing small in Jennifer's miniature garden look like they didn't miss a beat being buried several feet under the snow last winter in Connecticut. When I wrote the blog back in late June about New Gardeners Coming to Miniature Gardening with...
New Gardeners Coming to Miniature Gardening with Mixed Results
An outdoor Miniature Garden for full sun New Gardeners Coming to Miniature Gardening with Mixed Results “Dead as a doornail. All three plants. Dead.” So went the phone call the other morning. Miniature gardening offers a completely new way to garden but the plants we...