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At right, Little Heath Japanese Andromeda or Pieris japonica 'Little Heath is planted with Wooley Thyme and Sedum Spathulifolium 'Cape Blanco' for a part-sun miniature garden.

BROADLEAF TREES & SHRUBS

WHAT IS A 'BROADLEAF'?

The term 'broadleaf' describes plants that have flat leaves, as opposed to needles - which are in fact, really, skinny leaves. Azaleas, Boxwoods or Hollys, all have broadleaf leaves unlike pines or spruce (Christmas) trees. 

The following trees are great for adding a different texture to your miniature garden. Mix them up with the conifers by either matching the foliage colors or complimenting the color for a professionally designed look. Be sure to match the cultural requirements too. For example, both the Canadian Hemlock and the Japanese Andromeda like part shade with damp soil. So we can narrow in on the deep green of the Hemlock 'Abbott's Pygmy' foliage that will match the green in the Andromeda 'Little Heath', and plant them together for a very quaint garden setting, in miniature, that does well in shade. 

JAPANESE ANDROMEDAS

Brookside Japanese Andromeda - Pieris japonica 'Brookside'

Light Needs: Part sun to part shade

Water Needs: Regular water. Test the soil with your finger, if it is dry 1" down, then water.

Hardiness: -10º to -0ºF

Average Growth Rate: Less than 3" per year

Shape: Upright and wide.

Recommended Zone: 6-8

Pronunciation: PEER-iss jah-PON-ick-ca Brook-side

Recommended color pairing: kelly greens, reddish greens, yellows, pinks

Little Heath Japanese Andromeda - Pieris japonica 'Little Heath'

A very classy shrub to add to your miniature or railroad garden setting. It's actually a young version of the larger plant but it grows so slowly that we can have some fun with it in our miniature gardens - and you can keep it pruned to keep it in scale too.The dainty, 1/2" leaves are margined in an almost white that surrounds a wonderful gray-green on the inside of the leaf. In winter, the green color darkens to a bluey-green and the white margins turn a little pink. See the new spring growth in the picture below that flushes out in pink too. Low maintenance in light shade and loves a moist, well-drained site. One of our favorites.

Light Needs: Dappled sun to light shade

Water Needs: Regular water. Moist but well-drained

Hardiness: -10º to -0ºF

Average Growth Rate: Less than 3" per year

Shape: Upright broad

Recommended Zone: 6

Pronunciation: PEER-iss jah-PON-ick-ca Little Heeth

Recommended color pairing: gray greens, reddish greens, yellows, whites, pinks

Prelude Japanese Andromeda - Pieris japonica 'Prelude'

The 'Prelude' Andromeda is ideal for a larger miniature garden or perfect for a railroad, G-scale garden. The adult leaves are about 1 1/2" long and can lend a tropical look to you miniature setting.The new growth is a bright pink that ages to a beautiful green shade. The pink buds open up to white flowers in the spring. Can be pruned after flowering to keep its shape or let it grow to its mature height of just one foot tall. Slow-growing and evergreen.

Pronunciation: PEER-iss jah-PON-ick-ca Pray-lude

Recommended color pairing: kelly greens, reddish greens, bright greens

EVERGREEN / ENGLISH BOXWOODS

Compact Small Leaf Boxwood- Buxus microphylla 'Compacta'

Wanted by bonsai lovers for its mounding habit and tiny green leaves but ideal for our purposes of miniature gardening. The Small Leaf Boxwood is a globe-shaped shrub and has a wonderful lime-green leaf color in the summer turning to an amber yellow in the winter - come springtime it will change back to the lime-green. It's a low maintenance plant although it does like space for its roots to grow. Very slow growing and low maintenace. It's a nice shade plant for you miniature garden setting or a small shrub for your g-scale, garden railway. Possibly the smallest boxwood available.

Light Needs: Shade to part shade. Indoors: bright indirect or filtered is best.

Water Needs: Regular water. Drought tolerant if planted and established in the garden bed.

Hardiness: -20° to -10°F

Average Growth Rate: Less that 1" per year

Shape: Globe

Recommended Zone: 5

Pronunciation: BUCK-sus my-CROW-fie-la Com-PACK-ta

Recommended color pairing: kelly greens, deep greens, reddish-greens, lime greens

Graham Blandy English Boxwood - Buxus sempervirens 'Graham Blandy'

The Graham Blandy Boxwood is a nice anchor plant for your miniature or railroad garden. The new growth in early spring is a lighter green that will deepen in color as it ages. A nice vertical growth shape that keeps its narrow shape without pruning - but you can prune the top to keep it in scale and add a nice layered look to the top. Low maintenance and adaptable to full sun or part shade, but keep in mind that the strong afternoon summer sun may scorch the leaves.

Light Needs: Part sun to full sun - hot sun may scorch the plant.

Water Needs: Regular water but let the soild dry out a little between waterings: test the soil with your finger, if it is dry 1" down, then water.

Hardiness: -20º to -10º

Average Growth Rate: 3 to 5" per year

Shape: Upright narrow column

Recommended Zone:  6

Pronunciation: BUCK-sus sem-PER-vy-renz Gray-ham Blan-dee

Recommended color pairing: gray-greens or kelly greens, reddish-greens, yellows, whites

Variegated English Boxwood - Buxus sempervirens 'Variegata'

This little gem is a very cute tree for miniature gardening. The creamy yellow colored leaf edges surrounds a wonderful gray-green center adding a splash of excitement to your garden setting. Its actually a variegated form of the common boxwood, but the way it has been grown with the small 'trunks' showing at the bottom of the tree, it lends itself to a variety of scales. Can be sheared into a topiary shape or pruned to keep its 'tree' look. Hot afternoon sun in the summertime will burn the leaves - otherwise, the Variegated English Boxwood is fun, reliable and low maintenance.

Light Needs: Sun to part shade - hot sun will scorch the leaves.

Water Needs: Regular water but let the solid dry out a little between waterings: test the soil with your finger, if it is dry 1" down, then water.

Hardiness: -20º to -10º

Average Growth Rate: 2 to 4" per year

Shape: Upright broad

Recommended Zone:  5

Pronunciation: BUCK-sus sem-PER-vy-renz Var-ee-uh-GOT-tah

Recommended color pairing: gray-greens or kelly greens, reddish-greens, yellows, whites

BOX-LEAF EUONYMUS

Box-Leaf Variegated Euonymus - Euonymus japonica 'Microphyllus Variegatus'

Light Needs: Sun to part shade - hot sun will scorch the leaves.

Water Needs: Regular water but let the soild dry out a little between waterings: test the soil with your finger, if it is dry 1" down, then water.

Hardiness: -10º to 0º

Average Growth Rate: 1" per year

Shape: Upright broad

Recommended Zone:  6-9

Pronunciation: You-ON-ee-muss jah-PON-ick-cus My-crow-phie-luss Vare-ee-uh-got-tus

Recommended color pairing: gray-greens or kelly greens, reddish-greens, yellows, whites

COTONEASTER

Strieb's Findling Cotoneaster - Cotoneaster dammeri 'Strieb's Findling'

The classy little gem is really easy to grow and fun to have around in any garden. It produces darling little white flowers in late spring which turn into bright red berries by the fall and last through the winter. Grown as a groundcover in regular gardens but the tiny leaves, flowers and fruit are enchantingly small enough for our miniature gardens. Striebs Finding is evergreen in our Pacific Northwest climate and has a maximum  height of 4 to 6" - it spreads by rooting it's branches along the ground. Prune back wayward branches. Likes to be on the dry side and cascades nicely over the side of a pot or small garden wall. A nice choice.

Pronunciation: Co-TONE-ee-ass-ter DAM-mer-eye Strehbs Find-ling 

Recommended color pairing: gray greens, reddish greens and deep greens

JAPANESE HOLLYS

Dwarf Pagoda Japanese Holly - Ilex crenata 'Dwarf Pagoda'

The 'Dwarf Pagoda' is a delightful anchor tree for your miniature setting. The tree can easily take on an Asian look for a little zen garden. It grows less that 1/2" a year and if it is happy, it will produce the tiniest white flowers in the summer. This is an enchanting pygmy Holly with exquisite little leaves, thick and round, that are layered closely together on short stems. Prune wayward branches. Evergreen. It was introduced in 1879. One of our favorites.

Pronunciation: EYE-lux cruh-NAUGHT-ta Dwarf Pah-go-duh

Recommended color pairing: gray greens, reddish greens and deep greens

Sky Pencil Japanese Holly - Ilex crenata 'Sky Pencil'

The Sky Pencil Japanese Holly is a good tree for miniature and railroad gardens needing some height. The tall, slender shape can also lend itself to lining a miniature driveway, walkway or  railroad tracks right in the garden bed. All its growth is upright and has small, rounded, dark green glossy leaves that perch just right on the stems. A pleasure to grow, low maintenance and tolerant of a little shade - and can take a little cold too. Can be pruned a little to keep it's shape. A nice addition to any garden.

Pronunciation: EYE-lux cruh-NAUGHT-ta Dwarf Pah-go-duh

Recommended color pairing: kelly greens, reddish greens and deep greens

DWARF AZALEA

Pink Dwarf Azalea - Rhododendron nakahari 'Pink ES'

A new addition to our tree inventory, this little gem gives us some different colors and textures to work with. This dwarf azalea is normally grown as a groundcover with a spreading habit but, in our miniature world, it's a flowering tree in late spring! Care requirements are that same for regular Rhododendrons and Azaleas, so if these plants are not native in your climate, be sure to read it's needs below. Grown best in rich, acidic soil that is moisture retentive and well drained (like a shaded bed). Can be pinched back after flowering to encourage bushy growth. 

Pronunciation: Row-dough-DEN-drun naw-CAW-har-ee E S

Recommended color pairing: kelly greens, reddish greens and deep greens