s m a l l w e e d s

General Garden Care

My minis, nearly all, live outdoor and prefer morning sun and afternoon shade or filtered sun all day. 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 them 3-6 times a week plus some misting and 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. For best result, mix in a lot (50%) of perlite to the soil or planting mix. I found, in my Southern California inland garden, Irish Moss (darker green) grows better than the lighter color Scottish Moss. Unlike the moss in the shady and wet corners of your yard, these fuzzy buddies like sun but dislike being wet all the time. Plant them right away after purchase and before it's too hot and dry. Give them a couple of month to establish themselves. If your moss looks dead in the summer, it might just be in dormancy.

Above: Aralia elata ‘Golden Umbrella’—Japanese Angelica tree is sitting pretty indoor in front of my east-facing window.

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. Experiment a little, think outside the box, take a chance...

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.