Miniature Gardens: Beauty in Tiny Spaces

On today's program we’ll share the joy of creating miniature gardens at home. As living spaces in cities have reduced in size, many people no longer have gardens. If you’re a garden lover or want to try gardening, the option of having a miniature garden will delight you and bring a creative addition to your living space.

According to Janit Calvo, the author of the book “Gardening in Miniature: Create Your Own Tiny Living World,” the official definition of a miniature garden is “a living garden on a tiny scale that looks like a full-sized garden that has shrunk in size. It consists of slow-growing dwarf or actual miniature plants, in-scale bedding plants, a patio or pathway, and miniature accessories where all the elements relate in scale, are proportioned to each other, and stay in scale and proportion as the garden grows together.” Simply put, it's like a life-size garden but on a smaller scale.

China was the first known civilization to attempt to create versions of nature in contained sizes. The Japanese have developed different methods of growing bonsai. Another type of miniature garden is the terrarium, which was accidentally created by English botanist Dr. Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward in 1842. Terrariums are great for people who live in small spaces. Plants that grow at a slower pace are best suited to be planted in a closed terrarium. New York-based landscape designer and artist Paula Hayes creates elegant hand-blown glass terrariums in sculpted forms.

Studies show miniature gardening can help reduce stress, improve sleep, and consequently lower cortisol levels in the body. It can be a fun and creative hobby for children as well. Another great benefit of this art is bonding among parents, children, along with grandparents and grandchildren, as they build their small garden together. Are you ready to make a mini garden of your own? Let’s watch how to create one in this demonstration.