Create A Fragrant Miniature Garden

By Author: Florence Blum
Total Articles: 79
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Gardeners know the feeling. When you are working in the miniature garden, your senses are hit from all different directions. The feeling of the soft soil, the sound of rustling leaves, and the sight of bright flowers combine to create a rich, multi-layered experience. The smell of the fairy garden, of course, is one of the most memorable parts. If you close your eyes, can you conjure up the scents of sweet flowers, pungent mulch, and fresh grass? Try it!

Throughout this icy, snowy February, while so many of us have been stuck inside, I am longing for the smells of the fairy garden. I have far too many favorites to list here, but I will share my top eight choices, including several winter plants and houseplants that can keep the garden’s gorgeous sights and smells in your life all year long.

1) Mentha requienii, Mint Corsican

Also known as Corsican mint or “creeping mint,” this small, mat-forming plant is number one on my list thanks to its versatility and delicious scent. It can be used as a ground cover plant in a fairy garden, planted between stepping stones and rocks on the patio, or grown in an ...
... indoor winter container garden. You can even use the leaves to flavor foods and teas.

2)Lavandula angustifolia, Herb Lavender

When it comes to creating a fragrant herb garden, nothing beats lavender! This beautiful, sun-loving, silver-grey plant grows upwards and shows off spikes of flowers. In cold areas, you will want to add it to your indoor winter container garden. Its floral scent and flavor can be utilized in oils, potpourri, and DIY projects galore.

3) Lonicera fragrantissima, Winter Honeysuckle

Here is a classic winter flowering plant that is more suited to the real-life garden than a miniature one. But I had to include it for its delightful scent and attractive flowers! When planted in full sun, this large shrub can grow more than 8-feet tall and wide.

4) Iris reticulata, Dwarf Iris

Earthy and powdery, the miniature iris has a lovely scent that you will not soon forget. This winter flowering plant alerts gardeners that spring is on its way. The tiny flowers add gorgeous and much-needed color to winter container gardens, woodland borders, and more.

5) Rosmarinus prostrates, Creeping Rosemary

This miniature plant has both a strong scent and an attractive, trailing growth habit. Consider it for rock walls, rock gardens, miniature garden ground covers, and on your plate! Rosemary is an accessible and easy-to-grow plant for beginner herb gardeners.

6) Lobularia maritima, Dwarf Sweet Alyssum

For teeny-tiny flowers, Sweet Alyssum delivers a strong scent! Expect a sharp, honey-like scent from this mat-forming plant, which can be grown as a winter plant in frost-free, mild climates. The abundant flowers will add color to your rock gardens, borders, edges, miniature gardens, and containers.

7) Plectranthus amboinicus, Cuban Oregano

Larger gardens are an ideal location for this perennial evergreen herb. It is a winter flowering plant that grows up to 19-inches tall, and is known for its menthol or camphor scent that leads many to call it the “Vick’s plant.”

8) Thymus serpyllum, Mother of Thyme

You may not want to cook with this tiny thyme variety, but you will want to smell its fragrant leaves. Depending on the gardener’s preference, it can be grown flat or in small hummocks. In the miniature garden, this compact plant makes a great lawn look-a-like.

There you have it! Eight plants that will bring a sense of scent to your miniature or life-size garden. I hope these bring the smells of spring to your winter container gardens, patios, indoor containers, and mild climate yards.

Miniature Gardening offers a variety of accessories, fairies, garden tools & dollhouse furniture to create enchanting miniature landscapes for winter container plants or your yard. Story telling and imaginary fairy garden plants from 'Miniature Gardening' bring the playful kid out in all of us. Filled with intrigue and mystique each little miniature garden scene you create is a snapshot of such a dream.