Mini's How- to Tips
How to create your own Wee Bit of Eden

Warm Holiday Wishes from Mini and Family

To Explain the Basics of creating a garden I will use Sweetheart's Ridge as an example.

It is important when starting your garden to choose very sturdy piece of wood as your base. If the wood is too thin it might have a tendency to warp. The Base I used was 1/2 " thick. The Size was cut to 12" X 18". A sealer was applied to the whole board. 

After you have decided on a layout for your garden, Carve  the shapes of the slopes and the two sections of the waterfall ( If you decide on one) and glue these sections to the board. Florist foam is easy to carve and shape and is also light. Cut out two foam shapes to fit inside your waterfall sections leaving about 1/4' clearance between the two pieces. This will be the mold for your ponds. Pouring the waterfall can be a messy job so it is best to do this part first to avoid spilling "cement" on your "grass" of "flowerbeds".. Using a hard drying plaster like *faster plaster or craft plaster for sculptures, pour a small amount of plaster into each hollowed out piece, placing the center piece in to hollow out the middle. Place something flat over the two pieces and allow to set. After the mold has set remove the center piece of foam. Paint the bottom of your pond with acrylic paint to look like moss, add any rocks or plants you may want and fill with two part casting resin to create the water.

After this it is time to start adding some life to your garden. It is best to do each section separately and allow it to dry completely before going on to the next section.

Using  scenic cement coat your your board where you want each section to be. Sprinkle fine turf-green for the grassy areas, and fine turf-soil for the flowerbeds. For paths, fine-buff ballast makes  a very nice gravel path. Using  a spray bottle, Add another coat of scenic cement to secure your ground coverings.

  Now comes the best part, the flowers, animals etc.

I used a combination of real miniature dried flowers and hand made flowers. Most of my Kits were purchased form Little Goodies and  Jeanetta Kendall, However, I also used several loose petals to create my own flowers such as my Daisy Bush

The cupid was a pewter piece that I picked up at the Santa Barbara Miniature show and painted to give the verdi gris appearance. The two squirrels and turtles were also finds from the show.

Don't let the idea of creating a beautiful garden scare you. Just draw a picture in your mind and create your perfect Eden.

If you have questions or comments, please contact me