s m a l l w e e d s

General Garden Care

My minis live outdoor and prefer morning sun and afternoon shade or all day partial shade. When the soil looks and feels dry water your gardens deeply (try placing the whole thing in a shallow pool of water for 10 or more minutes.) In the summer, I water mine 3-6 times a week plus some misting. I check up on them almost daily. During cooler and wetter seasons, once a week seems to be enough.

For pots that have no draining holes, try planting Baby’s Tears (toxic to cats & dogs) and Australian Trailing Violet which thrive in shady and wet condition.

Irish moss and Scottish moss look great in a miniature garden but they are not easy to keep and I could never remember which is which. The key of success might be in the soil. Mix in a lot (50%) of perlite to the soil or planting mix. I found, in my Southern California garden, the darker green one grows and mounds better than the lighter color moss but the latter can tolerate sun and dry condition a bit more if it’s established. Try planting them now so it will have a better chance to survive the dry, hot summer weather. If your moss looks dead in the summer, it might just be in dormancy.

Indoor?
Few can last indoor. Maybe on a bright window sill in the kitchen or in the bathroom??? If you take them indoor, either limit the stay to a short visit (less than a week at a time) or take it out often. Most plants can’t live without natural sun light. Take care not to over water.

Misting
Our Southern California sun can be vicious and Santa Ana wind devastating. Lots of plants struggle to survive from July to Oct., especially if you live inland. So frequent misting helps the leaves to stay supple.

Trim + Fertilize
With miniature gardens, trim more often than fertilizing. Most plants used in the miniature gardens are not miniatures. They're ground covers, young annuals and perennials. So trim when a plant is overgrown; dig it out and plant it outdoor when trimming is no longer practical.

How I did it

Most of my minis live in my south facing garden that’s bright and has patches of shade. The sprinkler system takes care of the watering job (5 times a week and about 6 min. each day in the summer) I move the more vulnerable ones to a shadier and cooler spot when our Santa Ana wind kicks up and/or temperature soars above 90ºF.Succulents are great! They’re  low maintenance. Try combining them with roses or other plants that you don’t normally see  together in the nurseries.

IMPORTANT: All my miniature gardens come with a one time 30-day complimentary re-planting service. If your plants expire within a month after purchasing, just call me and I'll re-plant for you with no charge. Plant choices are subject to availability.