Magical miniature conifers

Speaking of fairies, have you ever thought about planting a garden specifically for them? I really hadn’t given it a thought before, but many people have. Fairy Gardens have become increasingly popular over the past few years. Since they are often filled with dwarf and miniature conifers, I certainly do understand the appeal!

I have given thought to a different type of miniature fantasy garden. You may recall my interest in creating a Railway Garden. After seeing the huge display in the Chicago Botanic Gardens are few years ago, I think I became overwhelmed with the amount of work a quality railway garden would entail. I may be more suited to inviting the fairies to come to my garden.

Kids love to discover new things in the garden. Why not create a garden specifically to attract the magical beings of an active imagination?

I’ve done a little research on the internet and have discovered quite a number of miniature accessories to include in a fairy garden. From little houses to fences, walkways, benches – just about anything you might think the fairies might enjoy in their own special garden. For me though, the most important factor would be the choice of miniature conifers to ornament their space.

From what I have seen, a fairy garden may be just about any size – from a small container garden to a larger trough or box to a small section of the landscape. The important thing is to include plants that the little people are drawn to. (And who wouldn’t be drawn to dwarf and miniature conifers?)

I’ve put together a list of little conifers that you are sure to find in small containers that are perfectly scaled to a fairy garden. Depending on their rate of growth in your climate, some may require a little pruning to encourage them to remain in the proper scale, but that is half the fun of a whimsical garden like this. (I’ll even include a couple non-conifers on this list.)

Abies balsamea ‘Piccolo’
Abies koreana ‘Cis’
Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Gemstone’
Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Gnome’
Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Butter Ball’
Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Golden Pin Cushion’
Cotoneaster microphyllus ‘Cooperi’
Ilex crenata ‘Dwarf Pagoda’
Juniperus communis ‘Miniature’
Juniperus horizontalis ‘Blue Pygmy’
Juniperus horizontalis ‘Mother Lode’
Picea abies ‘Jessy’
Picea abies ‘Thumbelina’
Picea glauca ‘Elf’
Picea glauca ‘Hobbit’
Picea glauca ‘Jean’s Dilly’
Picea glauca ‘Pixie’
Picea glauca ‘Pixie Dust’
Pinus mugo ‘Michelle’
Pinus mugo ‘Short Needle’
Tsuga canadensis ‘Cole’s Prostrate’
Tsuga canadensis ‘Jervis’
Tsuga canadensis ‘Moon Frost’

Come to think of it, my entire garden may be a giant-sized fairy garden! That might explain the behavior of my young friend as described last time.

Ed-
Conifer Lover