Your Miniature Garden Library
MINIATURE GARDEN 'BEDDING PLANTS'
This list is just merely scratching the surface of the number of plants
we can use in our wee garden beds. Be sure to check out your
local nurseries and garden centers - and indoor garden shops too.
During the spring and summer months, look for plant sales hosted your
local arboretum, master gardeners, or individual growers that put on a
weekend show sometime in the summer. Ask your local plant answer line,
use google or your local library - or your local horticultural library
- to find these sales in your area. Once you start looking,
you'll find a wonderful selection of the plants you can use, indoor and
out. |
| For Sun | For Part Sun/Part Shade | For Shade |
| For Indoors |
All of these ground covers were chosen for their miniature foliage and textures. Not all are excellent growers over time but that's where the fun is. Ground covers are inexpensive miniature "bedding plants" that you can pull out when it is past its prime. All plants have a resting period where the plant doesn't look as good and maybe will shed a few leaves - some plants just do it more gracefully than others. With these perennial ground covers, you can shear the leggy growth, prune back after flowering, divide it to help prolong the life of the ground cover, or you can try something new instead. It only take a few minutes to do, unlike your life-sized garden - and it's easier on the back!
Choose your miniature bedding plants that like the same cultural requirements as your trees. For example, the grassy texture Dwarf Lily Turf and the round leaves of the Saxifrage umbrosa will do well with any Canadian Hemlock and a Japanese Andromeda for a perfect combination of plants that do well in shade.
The list below offers a variety of miniature "bedding plants" to get you started. We'll be putting more information and pictures on this list so you'll have a better idea of what's what. We've included the phonetics on how to pronounce the botanical names to help you call around to your local nurseries to see if it's something they carry. If you have trouble finding these in your area, we would be glad to send some to you. Not all are available at all times and most are priced from $3.50 to $4.50 each.
OUR SUN CHART:
Full shade - is less than 2 hours of sun.
Dappled shade - is called light shade or part shade.
Part sun - is 4 to 6 hours of sun.
Full sun - is 6 or more hours of sun.
"Cool sun" - is morning sun before 11am or after 3pm, or in the winter.
"Hot sun" - is from about 2pm to 7pm in the summertime.
Plants for Full Sun
Aubrieta deltoidea 'Variegata'
(Ooh-BRIE-sha dell-TOY-dee-ah 'Var-ee-eeh-GOT-ta')
Cranesbill
Erodium reichardii 'Bishop's Form'
(Err-road-DEE-um re-er-CARD-dee-eye)
Elfin Thyme
Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin'
(Time-us sir-FIE-lum 'Elfin')
Hens and Chickens
Sempervivum
- Look for the smaller adult ones -
(Sem-per-VIVE-vum)
Red Sea Thrift
Armeria martima 'Rubrifolia'
(Are-NAIR-ee-ah mare-TEEM-ah 'Roo-BRIH-foal-ee-ah')
Rupture Wort
Herniaria glabra
(Her-NAIR-ee-uh GLA-bra)
Sea Thrift
Armeria martima
(Are-NAIR-ee-ah mare-TEEM-ah)
Sedum 'Button'
(See-DUM 'Button')
White Thyme**
Thymus serpyllum 'Alba'
(Time-us sir-PIE-lum 'Al-bah')
Wooley Thyme**
Thymus pseudolanuginosus
(Time-us sue-doe-LAN-u-gin-o-suss)
**Any other Thyme too: Red Thyme, Pink Chintz Thyme, Elfin Thyme...**
Plants for part sun or part shade.
Leptinella squalida 'Platt's Black'
(Leapt-TIN-ella sk-wall-LI-da)
Irish Moss
Sagina subulata
(Sa-GINA sub-you-LOT-ta)
Miniature Brass Buttons
Leptinella
Miniature Sweet Flag
Acorus gramineus 'Pusillus'
(Ack-CORE-us gram-min-oose 'P-u-SILL-us)
Scottish Moss
Sagina subulata 'Aurea'
(Sa-GINA sub-you-LOT-ta Ore-ee-ah)
Sedum 'Major'
Sedum dasyphyllum 'Major'
(See-DUM dassie-FIE-lum)
Sedum Ogon
Sedum makinoi 'Ogon'
(See-DUM ma-KIN-oy 'Oh-Gone')
Wire Vine/Fairy Vine
Muehlenbeckia complexa
(Me-you-len-BECK-ee-a com-PLEX-a)
Plants for Shade
Soil should remain damp, not wet.Soleirolia soleirolii
(Sole-ee-ROLL-ee-a sole-ee-ROLL-ee-eye)
Corsican Mint
Mentha requienii
(MEN-tha reh-KWEN-ee-eye)
Dwarf Lily Turf
Lirope spicata
(Lee-ROPE-eh spic-COT-ta)
Miniature Sweet Flag
Acorus gramineus 'Pusillus'
(Aak-CORE-us gram-min-oose 'P-u-SILL-us)
Saxifrage
Saxifraga umbrosa primuloides
(Sax-ih-FRAGE-gah um-BRO-sah prim-u-LOY-dez)
Wire Vine/Fairy Vine
Muehlenbeckia complexa
(Me-you-len-BECK-ee-a com-PLEX-a)
Plants for Indoors
Remember that your indoor plants are mostly tropical plants that want to stay 60 degrees, or above, all year 'round. When planting any kind of terrarium, make sure the plant will like their roots being wet constantly. Right plant, right place for success!
Baby's Tears
Soleirolia soleirolii
(Sole-ee-ROLL-ee-a sole-ee-ROLL-ee-eye)
Corsican Mint
Mentha requienii
(MEN-tha reh-KWEN-ee-eye)
Dwarf Lily Turf
Lirope spicata
(Lee-ROPE-eh spic-COT-ta)
Miniature Sweet Flag
Acorus gramineus 'Pusillus'
(Ack-CORE-us gram-min-oose 'P-u-SILL-us)
Wire Vine/Fairy Vine
Muehlenbeckia complexa
(Me-you-len-BECK-ee-a com-PLEX-a)
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