Miniature Gardening – Indoor and Outdoor

When it comes to miniature gardening, the first thing you need to decide is whether you are going to put it inside or outside your home. Based on this, you need to choose the plants, select the location and plan for the maintenance.

Plants

One main thing that makes an indoor miniature garden different from an outdoor one is the plant selection. Some plants need direct sunlight and heat while others grow well in the indoor environment. Tropical plants that need 60ºF or above throughout the year are generally good as indoor plants. House plants like Angel/Mattress Vine; and some succulents like Watch Chain Plant, Zebra Plant, Jovibarba grow well indoors. Generally perennial and annually flowering plants won’t grow that well indoors.

Location

The location of the plant determines the life and growth. Most plants die because they are grown in the wrong place – both indoors and outdoors. Indoor miniature plants can be placed at various locations inside your house to make your indoors look more beautiful. But keep in mind their light, temperature and watering requirements before you finalize the location for the plant. Choose an indoor location where the plants receive these adequately.

It is not favorable for an outdoor plant to grow indoors for a long period. Outdoor plants are mostly tropical, therefore the indoor heating and the additional hours of florescent light will damage or kill the plant. If you have to grow the outdoor plant inside your house, make sure it is not left indoors for a long time. Outdoor plants, like the Jean’s Dilly, need the roots to stay cool and damp throughout the year. If you put it inside your home, the heat in your home may dry its roots.

Pots and Containers

Pots and containers are available in a wide range of styles, varying from cheap temporary to expensive decorative ones. They come in various colors, shapes, sizes, styles and materials. Miniature garden pots and containers are available in diverse materials like metal, plastic, glass, and wood. Choose the one based on your needs and that best suits the location.

For example, indoor container fairy gardens are mostly displayed on glass tops or on wooden tables and having a clay container may not be good idea. Clay pots are porous and may leak out excess water on your glass top or wooden table making the surface wet and dirty, whereas the same clay container can be a good option for outdoor plants. Plastic and glass containers are suitable for indoor container mini gardens.

You can also re-purpose containers such as coffee mugs, small pans, plastic bottles or anything that makes a perfect container. Old suitcases and boots have been homes to fairy gardens. Try to be as creative as you can.

Accessories required

Whether it is outdoor or indoor miniature gardening, you need miniature accessories for your garden to make it look beautiful. While choosing accessories for outdoor miniature gardening, you should be a little careful. Outdoor miniature accessories should be durable and resistant to rust, corrosion and damage caused by extreme weather changes.

Begin selecting accessories by having a theme in mind, which will help you purchase the right accessories for your garden. Thus, if your theme is fairy garden, the materials required for it are, a small cottage, flat marbles, small stock and pine needles for broom, stones for path, clay for bricks, tiny gravel for patios, balsam wood for door, benches and tables, and any miniature fairy garden decor that you would like to add to the list.

Maintenance

Maintenance plays a crucial role in the survival of miniature gardens. Here are some maintenance tips for both indoor and outdoor miniature gardening.

• Over watering, under watering or fertilizing too much is not good for miniature plants.
• Keep checking the plants often for pest invasions.
• Don’t use garden soil, as it may contain unwanted weed seeds, diseases and may not drain well.
• Use a good draining potting soil, so that it keeps your plants healthy.
• Make sure before you put the miniature plants in the container, you drill holes into it for the water to drain.

Regardless whether you have decided for indoor or outdoor miniature gardening, you must adapt your gardening style by their requirements for light, water, and temperature, and give them the care they deserve.