s m a l l w e e d s

 OUTDOOR!
TRIM, TRIM, TRIM!
Care sheet—print version

General Garden Care

My minis live outdoor and prefer morning sun and afternoon shade or filtered sun all day. When the soil looks and feels dry water your gardens thoroughly (try placing the whole thing in a shallow pool of water for 10 minutes or more.) In the summer, I water them 3-6 times a week plus some misting. I check up on them almost daily. During cooler and wetter seasons, once or twice a week seems to be enough. Remember, under-water is actually better than over-water...just don't forget them!

For pots that have no draining holes, try planting Baby’s Tears (toxic to cats & dogs) and Australian Trailing Violet which thrives in shady and wet condition. Water less than usual. Start with once a week. If the garden feels light when you pick it up, give it a drink. Misting is beneficial

If leaves appear yellow and limp yet soil feels damp, your garden is over-watered.

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 purchasing. Give them a couple of month to establish themselves. If your moss turned yellow in the summer, fungus (due to over watering) might be the culprit. Sometimes they come back when the weather cools down.

Above: Ming aralia (Polyscias fruticosa) is sitting pretty indoor in front of my east-facing window.

Indoor?
Few can last indoor. Try Ming aralia, if you can find one. I also read somewhere online that Catlin Elm can live indoor too, but I haven’t tried one yet. Maybe on a bright window sill in the kitchen or in the bathroom??? If you take them indoor, limit the stay to a short visit (less than a week at a time.) 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.

Trim + Fertilize
With miniature gardens, trim more, fertilize less. 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.

Good luck and have fun!

Plants List
Ground covers, young or dwarf plants, slow growing perennials, small-leave herbs, cacti and succulents are all good choices. When buying, do spend some time picking each piece. Get the best looking, best shape and the healthiest plants available. If you're not sure what to get, choose small- leaf plants.

How I did it

Most of my minis live in my south facing garden in Southern Calif. (east end of LA county) 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...