Miniature gardens

Discussion in 'Garden Design and Plant Suggestions' started by Warrior 101, Jan 31, 2009.

  1. Warrior 101

    Warrior 101 Member

    Messages:
    22
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Calgary AB Canada
    I would be interested if anyone knows of some links for miniature gardens or has suggestions regarding plant material. Perhaps someone has done one? Might even have some photos?

    I am thinking along the lines of a railway garden such as used by model train enthusiasts. I used to live close to a miniature village tourist attraction and the plants they used for the 'lawns' and trees... always intrigued me Some I remember, such as the dwarf Alberta Spruce for conifers.

    Actually any links or thoughts about gardening in miniature outdoors. In the past, I have tried an indoor contained garden with a terrarium which I enjoyed. (even stuck a small gnome with garden rake, small pond and a snake in there. loopy eh?)

    I have read a couple of articles on "trough gardening". You know how it is when snow covers the ground and your thoughts are led to planning activities for warmer days. : )

    As an aside, I have recently moved to a 'blank canvas' (new home with empty lot save for a fence. no grass even) so my thoughts stray to all sorts of imaginations for the spring. Current project - my garden shed
     
    Last edited: Feb 3, 2009
  2. K Baron

    K Baron Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    1,031
    Likes Received:
    2
    Location:
    North Vancouver, B.C., Canada
    Xeriscape gardening is my advice to you, be the first in your 'hood' and maybe others will follow. Yu have a huge amount of work ahead of you and it sounds very interesting. Make contact with a reliable garden nursery and not the big box kind... the experts are the horts. that are reliable and knowledgeable.
     
  3. Warrior 101

    Warrior 101 Member

    Messages:
    22
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Calgary AB Canada
    Thank you! As soon as I read that one word ("Xeriscape") in your reply, a 'light' clicked on. Had not occurred to me as I was thinking " grow some grass, make a large bed in the front..." Something I was not even thinking about. Now, I have a focus which I will follow...

    Interestingly, I had not even picked up on the clues such as the fact that this community was designed to be water-efficient. Plumbing, each home is given a rain barrel... The fault must lie with my being a 'transplant' from Ontario. I am now on a prairie!

    I may well be "the first in my hood" as thus far those who arrived before me (last year) seem to have focused on the traditional landscape of grass, a tree, deck...

    Regarding the "miniature" part of my post, I was thinking of a portion of the yard where I might make and display a few miniature buildings surrounded by miniature plantings for the amusement of the grandchildren (and myself)

    Thank you again and forgive what may sound a touch 'odd' as I express it, but your taking the time to plant a thought will make a difference in the landscaping of at least one property in this community.

    Then there is my daughter and family who live in this community, her in laws, friends we have found here....
     
  4. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

    Messages:
    21,251
    Likes Received:
    786
    Location:
    WA USA (Z8)
    Alpine gardening is the area that focuses on miniature hardy plants.
     
  5. Katalina25

    Katalina25 New Member

    Messages:
    348
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Lancashire , England
  6. Warrior 101

    Warrior 101 Member

    Messages:
    22
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Calgary AB Canada
    Thank you for the photo Katalina. So many true gardeners on this site. I used to drive some of my customers nuts as I always showed more interest in shrubs and foilage than flowers. I am going to have to read up on alpines. The Rockies are in my 'backyard', but I will have to see what the alpines are before I commit. Possible I already know some. Thank you for sharing
     
  7. K Baron

    K Baron Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    1,031
    Likes Received:
    2
    Location:
    North Vancouver, B.C., Canada
    Be sure to include a myriad of mosses as this will further enhance and beautify your creative landscape theme.
     
  8. Warrior 101

    Warrior 101 Member

    Messages:
    22
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Calgary AB Canada
    I appreciate the suggestion of alpine Ron. Miniature and hardy sounds just right. Thank you for presenting me with another avenue to explore. Seems ideal for my 'miniature village' idea and our climate.
    I do have 20 small spruce seedlings (about 3") that I cover with snow to protect from our ever-changing climate. I only lost one last winter. Now I do realize those will not be a part of any miniature landscape lol Not sure yet where I will eventually 'release' those, but for the moment I just like caring for the 'little ones'
     
  9. Warrior 101

    Warrior 101 Member

    Messages:
    22
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Calgary AB Canada
    K Baron, you are most helpful and knowledgeable. I just popped on to acknowledge replies and to explore the site for some of the very suggestions offered (xeriscaping, alpines)...
    I love the look of mosses. Never tried to intentionally grow them. Hopefully I am able to here. The different shades will add interest as well as a relatively maintenance-free element. In Ontario I had placed an interesting looking moss covered medium-sized rock in my garden next to some day-lilies and a Bleeding Heart. The moss never failed to be a source of enjoyment to me
     
    Last edited: Feb 3, 2009
  10. Warrior 101

    Warrior 101 Member

    Messages:
    22
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Calgary AB Canada
    Just trying this out, but as I find valuable thoughts on these topics I will add them her for the benefit of others who may read,

    * The following is a portion of a comment by K Baron
    - There are many perennials that would likely survive, try searching for the book "Perennial Favourites" by Lois Hole... her expertise on sub arctic Edmontonian plants and her nursery background is indispensable.

    * Re: What does Xeriscaping mean?
    Here's a section in my xeriscape garden. This area never needs water even in the driest summers. Winters are very rainy (Vancouver Island) and good drainage is essential.

    Cheers, LPN.
    * Couldn't copy the nice photos, but check the thread. Very nice.
    Attached Thumbnails (click on thumbnail to enlarge)


    This Canadian company has a nice offering of Xeriscape ornamental grass options.
    www.williammoorefarms.ca from a thread on plant lists. A post by "tropical", part of a thread with several plant lists

    By Diane W.
    Re: "No Water" Gardening
    I made a scree garden about three years ago and it has been very successful.
    The eves of my house are very deep and the rain never reaches an area of about 2'6''
    around the perimeter of the house. Along the back of my house, which gets full sun,
    I dug out some of the soil, put in a layer (about 3ins.) of a mix of sand and gravel and small stones. I then put in a layer of really well-soaked peat moss and then covered the area with pea gravel (about 4 ins.). The only soil the plants need are what is in the pot they come in. Just push aside the pea gravel and put in the plant complete with the soil from its pot.
    There are many plants that will grow in a scree garden - rock plants, alpines, sedums, hens and chickens, thymes, campanulas, aquelegias, conifers and dwarf shrubs, etc. Try anything you would normally put in a garden except plants that you know need a lot of water. Everything I put in has grown exceedingly well. By the second year all of the pea gravel was covered by the plants. I never, ever water the area.
    You can make a scree garden any size, any shape. If you have a very small garden, such as a town house garden, you can turn your whole garden into a scree garden and you would never need to own a sprinkler!
    In Southern Ontario, where I live, where the summers can be very hot and dry, (it has been over 30 degrees here for the past few days, even in June!) it is a boon to have at least one area of the garden which I don't have to have the sprinkler on.

    By Palias www.summerlandornamentalgardens.org/xeriscape/
     
    Last edited: Feb 2, 2009
  11. Katalina25

    Katalina25 New Member

    Messages:
    348
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Lancashire , England
    Be sure to include a myriad of mosses

    Like what K Baron?
     
  12. K Baron

    K Baron Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    1,031
    Likes Received:
    2
    Location:
    North Vancouver, B.C., Canada
    Where do I begin? There are tens of thousands of mosses and moss like plants. Of the 22,000 Bryohpytes here are a few suggestions: Sphagnum cymbifolium (300 species) swamp loving/moisture loving), Polytrichum juniperinum (haircap moss), all time favorite Sagina subulata 'Aurea' or Scotch Moss... then there are the moss like plants: common names like Club Moss, Iceland Moss, Liverworts, Pyxie Moss, Reindeer Moss, and Spike Moss, note Spanish Moss won't survive Alberta's climate...

    You now need hunt for them or collect them from suitable sources...
     
  13. Warrior 101

    Warrior 101 Member

    Messages:
    22
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Calgary AB Canada
    I am enjoying this site and along the way learning some things as well as being introduced to people who share an interest with me. (Imagine, a woman from England and a man from Canada talking about mosses. So glad to see this dialogue. Geography is reduced in significance)
    I thought I might share with you a site of a railway garden not far from my home. I've stopped in their store but never actually seen the garden as it is covered in snow at the moment. www.ultimatetrains.com Big Sky Garden Railway There are photo montages there of which my favourite is the mountain layout
    Mostly sharing this so you the reader might see some of the thoughts going through my head in regards to miniature plantings, scale.... At present I do not own any trains or have any pans in that regard, but have in mind that I might like to attempt using small buildings and making some type of outdoor diorama. On a very small scale lol. Although I have heard that some of these larger attractions started out innocently enough as 'just tinkering'

    * As an aside for anyone from my 'neck of the woods' the City of Calgary has suggestions for xeriscaping

    http://www.calgary.ca/portal/server..._0_0_18/Xeriscaping++Water+Wise+Gardening.htm and
    http://www.calhort.org/gardening/waterwise.aspx photos to drool over, sample plans, a lot of information, most excellent site
     
    Last edited: Feb 3, 2009
  14. Katalina25

    Katalina25 New Member

    Messages:
    348
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Lancashire , England
    Ok I have some of the above from hanging baskets, I never used the whole bag so KBaron what do I do with it in a border?

    Do I:

    Lay it on top of soil, plant it like a plant. Sorry but we garden different here lol Interesting and thanks.

    Warrior:

    Since coming here to post I hardly do my own work. I am supposed to update two Wordpress sites, a Dreamweaver and a doggie site. granted I had a holiday in between but still I prefer here.
     
  15. K Baron

    K Baron Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    1,031
    Likes Received:
    2
    Location:
    North Vancouver, B.C., Canada
  16. Warrior 101

    Warrior 101 Member

    Messages:
    22
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Calgary AB Canada
    Okay Katalina25, so is the internet a valuable time-saving tool or a voracious monster with an insatiable appetite for that most valuable of commodities - time. I had to look up those terms "Wordpress" (blogging), "Dreamweaver" (webpages)... and a "doggie site"! Methinks you have an addiction lol Does sound fun though to this computer Neanderthal
     
    Last edited: Feb 3, 2009
  17. Katalina25

    Katalina25 New Member

    Messages:
    348
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Lancashire , England
    Thanks KBaron for the link,

    I also wanted to grow that stuff that clings to damp walling..forget what its called, I doubt its algae which comes to mind.

    Perfect discription warrior!

    I guess I did at one time..lolol I posted on one of them the other day...I must find the will to write again...from somewhere...hahahaha
     
  18. JenRi

    JenRi Active Member

    Messages:
    326
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    Nottingham,England zone 8/9
    Sounds familiar...half the time I just don't do any work full stop, this is much more fun than trying to decode my lecture notes!
     
  19. Katalina25

    Katalina25 New Member

    Messages:
    348
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Lancashire , England
    Oooh JenRI!

    My situ is totally different than yours..you *need to study. My work is just blogging so it can wait till I feel like adding to it which I did today to two of them.

    I suggest you study in the am after rising then playtime here in the afternoon. Evenings just chill out with friends.

    There now you have the best of three worlds...hahahaahaha
     

Share This Page