tabletop garden

tabletop gardens

by Barbara Arnold
Photos by Carly Gerdeman

The popularity of Garden Railroads is growing, but what if you like the small plants but don’t have the time, space, or energy for a whole miniature train garden? The answer is easy-- create a tabletop garden. The possibilities are endless, as these gardens can be created in trays, window boxes, or even a hypertufa planter, to name a few. Location is key when choosing plants for your tabletop garden. Houseplants will work well if the garden is to sit in the kitchen or on the dining room table, while hardy plants are required for display on the porch, patio, or deck.

After having determined the proper placement of the garden you will best be able to pick the type and size of the container. The container needs to be at least 2 1/2 inches deep to give the plants room to grow. A couple of other things to keep in mind: “miniature” plants typically grow less than 3 inches a year, while a “dwarf” will grow between 3 and 6 inches in height. Leaf scale is important, as the size of the biggest leaf will determine the size of the people who will live in the garden. Think 1/2 inch equals 1 foot. So a leaf that is an inch in our world is equal to a leaf of 2 feet in the tiny Lilliputian world.

Here is a list of plants to consider:

· Jean’s Dilly Dwarf Alberta Spruce (Picea glauca ‘Jean’s Dilly’) These make nice little evergreen trees and are best kept outdoors.

· Dwarf Procumbens Juniper (Juniperus procumbens ‘Nana’) These junipers are a bit more exotic and in your garden will look like wind blown trees. Remember that these should be kept outdoors.

· Hinoki Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtuse ‘Compacta’) Dependent upon the way they are pruned, these can be trees or a topiary. Keep them outdoors.

· Hetz Midget Arborvitea (Thuja occidentalis ‘Hetz’s Midget’) The arborvitea can create an evergreen shrub or a small tree; this should also remain outdoors.

· Boulevard Cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera) The blue-green foliage of this cypress adds a different color to the minute “forest” of a tabletop garden. These are for outdoor gardens.

· Little Gem Spruce (Picea abies ‘LittleGem’) Small foliage adds to the wonderment of this gem of a shrub, best kept outdoors.

· Boxwood (Buxus) Look for small-leafed varieties that can be trimmed up to create a tree with a trunk for a miniature garden placed outdoors.

· Thyme (Thymus) Dependent upon the variety, thyme can be used as a small shrub, a flowering meadow, or a nice ground cover; some can even be trained to grow over a small arbor.

· Live-Forever (Sedum) Pick small varieties of Live-Forever and these can become small perennials in the garden or, when planted in rows, can represent vegetables. These are best for gardens kept outdoors.

· Pinks (Dianthus) Pinks can be used as flowering shrubs in tabletop gardens if kept outdoors.

· Houseleek or Hen and chicks (Sempervivum) Houseleeks are easily rooted from cuttings and can form neat vegetable rows in garden scenes.

· Moss is a great ground cover or can be used to create a lawn. It also helps keep soil in place in shallow containers.

· Mexican Heather (Cuphea) Trimmed up to form a flowering tree, the arching branches of Mexican heather create a romantic feel.

· Corsica Mint (Mentha requienii ‘Corsic’)This herb has small leaves with a wonderful mint fragrance and works well as a field.

· Creeping Fig (Ficus pumila) The creeping fig can be used for a tropical rainforest look in your little garden.

· Irish Moss (Sagina subulata)This low green ground cover works nicely as a lawn. It should remain outdoors.

The key to creating tabletop garden scenes is to remember the gardener is in charge and can prune, trim, and pinch to make the plant work. Create trees by trimming up the stem of a small shrub, give your garden a finished look by creating paths with sand or small gravel, or build a patio out of small stone slabs. Tiny figures and furniture can be found at craft stores and on the Internet, just make sure watering will not damage them. Small garden chairs, watering cans, and even mini garden gnomes can personalize these tabletop gardens. Use your imagination and look around the house for items to include; for example, coiled green insulated wire can look like a garden hose. Just as life-size gardens grow, these diminutive spaces are cultivated with a lot imagination and constant attention to their upkeep.

You can e-mail your questions about tabletop gardening to Barbara Arnold at info@ourohio.org

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