I’m always torn in the summer, torn between chores and enjoying the weather. I have dinners and parties to go to, and I don’t want to be stuck in a mall trying to find a wee hostess gift. Or, how about those friends who have everything? What do you get them? AND do you want to spend time shopping indoors, when the weather is so nice out!

Have no fear, I am here! 

You can have your cake and you can eat it, too. You can make a one-of-a-kind gift quickly and easily without trudging through any mall. And you can enjoy the weather and “be green,” too.  

How much better can it be?  

Oh, it’s very affordable and can fit any budget. And, it’s very, very fun. 

Miniature gardening is a very adaptable idea. It can four inches wide, or 40 feet wide. It is a very malleable concept, that can suit almost any occasion and suit any personality. You can make just about any theme in a small pot: from a formal garden to rustic setting, from a birthday theme to a special occasion wedding theme, you name it, it can be done! 

You see, it straddles two great hobbies: miniatures and gardening. Neither of these two hobbies cost a lot. With a little imagination and a tiny spark of creativity, make a lasting gift that can be enjoyed, and adored, for months, or years, to come. 

Here’s your shopping list: miniature or dwarf tree (depending upon the size of your pot), groundcovers, a container, Mini Patio Mix, miniature pebbles, bricks or stone sheets, and a miniature garden accessory to cinch the scale, and that’s it. 

Create different themes: fairy, golf, birthday, wedding, July 4, Father’s Day, wildlife, birds, animals, a welcome garden, tropical, Mediterranean, a children’s garden… just to name a few, eh? 

Peruse your neighborhood garage sales for different ideas for the container. Holes can be drilled in ceramic pots for drainage (use a masonry bit and water to cool the bit while drilling). You can get away with using gravel in the bottom of the container but the end user will need to be really diligent about the watering, or the plants will rot.  

The Mini Patio Mix is key. It’s a cement based mix that won’t wash away when you water the wee garden. It will hold just about any patio material in place too: bricks, tile, marble, stone, glass, pennies, wood or use it plain for a modern garden patio. It’s been tried and tested here at our studios for years and it works. It will even collect moss in between the stones over time.
 
Spend an afternoon and make several little gardens at once, and gradually dole them out through the summer. Add the proper accessory to suit the receiver, and you are done. You will get more ideas as you get into it too. Got kids? They will love to help! A fun project for everybody that will save your time, money and sanity!

How much better can it be?