You can build your own miniature desert garden, bring it indoors in the winter, and enjoy it all year long.
Miniature gardens have been around for a while. The first one is reported to have been displayed at the Chelsea Flower Show in London in 1923. Although it wasn’t a desert garden, it did spur a great deal of interest at the show.
You can make your miniature desert garden as intricate or as simple as you want, using just about any type of container to put it in. The one at the London show was created in an old sink.
The container should be at least six inches deep (eight cm), and big enough to include several miniature plants.
Container ideas
Old aquarium or terrarium
Dish or bowl
Terra cotta planting trays
Large jars
Vases
Urns
Fishbowl
Use your imagination, and come up with your own ideas. Even a stone with a hollowed-out basin can work for a miniature desert garden.
Materials you will need
The container.
Soil. Mix equal parts of potting soil and perlite (or builders sand). There are even special cactus mixes sold at online garden outlets.
Miniature desert plants.
Plants
Miniature hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus papillosus v. angusticeps). It’s a tiny clumping species and originates from the southern tip of Texas (near Brownsville). Long spines cover the small stems. The large, yellow-orange flowers bloom in late spring outdoors.
Bunny Ears (Opuntia microdasys). This is a miniature prickly pear. They don’t have spines, as such, but do have glochids, which can cause serious skin irritation if they are allowed to puncture the skin. Little pad-like stems 6 – 15 cm long and 4 -12 cms wide. The larger pads can be removed to keep the plant small.
Jelly Beans (Sedum pachyphyllum).
Pretty Stoneface (Lithops bella)
Golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii)
Bishop’s Cap (Astrophytum myriostigma), also known as “living stones.
Planting your Miniature Desert Garden
Fill the container with the soil mix. Insert the plants in any arrangement you like. If you do use a terrarium, do not place it in direct sunlight. Otherwise, place your miniature garden wherever you’d like.
Water it daily (with a spritzer) and add fertilizer once a month.
If you care for it properly, it will give you hours of gardening pleasure.
The copyright of the article Miniature Desert Gardens in Desert Gardens is owned by Robert Dailey. Permission to republish Miniature Desert Gardens in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Comments
Oct 5, 2006 11:18 PM
Jacqueline Church
:
I love cacti, have one or two succulents in the garden now, hoping to bring a bit inside for winter.
This could be a fun way to have some growing project through the winter...
Thanks! Jackie
Oct 6, 2006 10:42 AM
Robert Dailey
:
We picked up some miniature pueblo houses and some California teritorial miniatures. I'm goint to set up a little desert village. The little houses have detachable roofs, so I can put tea candles in them, and then replace the roofs. The candle light shines through the windows and really makes an interesting scene, especially in the evening.
Oct 11, 2006 11:52 AM
Rosemary Drisdelle
:
Last Christmas I was given an Anthurium - it was in that planting gel in a glass vase, so I assumed it needed lots of water. After Christmas, I moved it to a pot with potting soil and potshards and it promptly started to die. I cut back drastically on the water - now I just mist it a few times a week and it's doing great. Is this a desert plant?
Rosemary Drisdelle birds.suite101.com
Oct 11, 2006 5:04 PM
Robert Dailey
:
I love anthurium. It is a very large genus and there are many many varieties. It grows wild in northern parts of South America and in parts of Central America. It has been found in mountain rain forests as well as semi-arid areas, so technically, it's not a desert plant. However, it does have remarkable adaptive abilities. During times of drought, it will curl its leaves into a cuplike structure to allow it to catch and retain more water. Sounds as though it likes to be where it is.
