Digging Into Desert Gardens

By Author: Florence Blum
Total Articles: 79
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The temperature climbs. The sun beats down. You can almost feel the sweat dripping down your forehead. But you just want to be in the garden! Sometimes the summertime months can feel like a cruel joke. The blue sky and bright sun are tempting, but hot temperatures make gardening a tricky business, especially when it comes to delicate miniature plants. If you live in a hot climate, but still want to make your fairy garden dreams come true, you are not out of luck! You might just need to take a look at desert gardens.

When you hear the word “desert,” what springs to mind? Sand? Heat? Long stretches of road? You might be surprised to learn that deserts are home to many different varieties of attractive miniature plants—and that they can be the perfect springboard for creativity and tons of miniature fun! These miniature gardens need very little water and minimal care. This makes the desert fairy garden a great fit for patios, porches, summertime displays, and all sorts of containers.

Wild West

Howdy, partner! As you plot and plan your new desert garden, there are several theme ideas to consider. One of ...
... my favorites is the classic “Wild West” theme that harkens back to the geography and folklore of the American frontier. For a western garden, you can start with a base of light-colored sand, soil, and pebbles. Carefully-chosen miniature accessories like a saloon, cowboy, horse, rattlesnake, pair of boots, or covered wagon can add flair and fun to the garden. Consider adding distressed furniture and miniature skulls to give your garden a “ghost town” atmosphere.

When I am planning a western garden, I like to get creative with my container. A sturdy old bucket, box, or suitcase would make the ideal container for this type of garden. Just be sure to fill the container with well-drained soil, especially if you choose a cactus variety for the miniature garden. Zebra Cactus, Thimble Cactus, and Fairy Castle Cactus are three of my current favorites.

Beach Theme

If your idea of a relaxing vacation includes waves, surfboards, and naps in the sand, you will love creating a beach-theme miniature garden. Beach gardens are an especially apt choice when building a DIY garden with kids or planning for a beach-themed event. Build your garden in a pretty white tray, metallic bucket, or even a teacup. The finished product can be displayed as a centerpiece, porch accent, or simply as home décor.

Your shopping list for a beach-themed desert garden can be short and sweet. Just pick up some soft craft sand, blue pebbles or glass, some shells, and maybe an Adirondack chair or two. One or two miniature plants can help complete the scene. For a beach garden, I might choose an easy-to-care-for air plant, a showy succulent, or even a faux plant. A miniature fence can be used to separate the miniature plant’s soil from the sand and “water” of the beach area.

Glamping

Last, but certainly not least, is the miniature garden theme that has surged in popularity over the last few years: glamping. This combination of “glamorous” and “camping” means that you can create the camping set-up of your dreams…right in your miniature garden container! Glampers usually opt for a camper over a tent, so you may want to invest in an adorable miniature trailer or camper for your garden fairies. Park it in a container filled with sand and pebbles. Perhaps a blue “stream” constructed from blue stones is trickling nearby.

To finish the miniature garden scene, just add a campfire, a miniature guitar, and a tiny table set with snacks. Some carefully-chosen desert miniature plants like Baby Toes, Hen and Chicks, or Watch Chain Plant add low-maintenance beauty and color to the campsite.

Ready to build your desert garden? With the right landscaping materials, miniature accessories, and miniature plants, you will construct the warm-weather miniature garden of your dreams in no time at all. Remember to stay safe, keep cool, and have fun this summer. Happy Gardening!

Miniature Gardening' offers miniature plants, accessories, fairies, garden tools & dollhouse furniture to create enchanting miniature landscapes for containers or your yard. Story telling and imaginary fairy garden from 'Miniature Gardening' bring the playful kid out in all of us. Filled with intrigue and mystique each little miniature garden scene you create is a snapshot of such a dream.