2016 Trends set by Miniature Gardeners


This News Release highlights the trends for 2016 and is being made available to our “Gardening Friends” concurrently with it’s release to the media.

 (January 1, 2016 ) Prescott, Arizona –   Dwarfs, talking animals and fairy princesses don’t reside just in movies. Increasingly, gardeners are creating their own movie set right in the garden.

Miniature, or Fairy gardens, are all the rage this year.  The result can look like a scene 01_23 Fairy Gardensout of “The Hobbit”, or any make believe land where the landscapes include tiny homes with perfectly sized benches, bridges, birdbaths with a little mailbox to match.

This is the second season Watters Garden Center, in Prescott, has sold miniature fairy gardens, plants and accessories. It is hosting many new workshops on how to build these mini-gardens.

“It’s a little miniature garden,” explains Lora Goulding, Watters fairy garden expert. “You can accessorize it with furniture, tiny birdbaths, gazing balls and playful animals.”

Popular plants, depending if the garden is kept inside or out, include Irish moss, creeping thyme, mini-evergreens and super easy to care for air plants.air plant on a board

But here is the important thing: “You do have to prune and clip” the plants, Lora Goulding said. Because if it’s not small, it doesn’t belong in a fairy garden.  This is the perfect place for herbs and succulent gardens to thrive.  These plants actually look better the more you cut them back.

While creating a fairy garden is popular with adults, garden experts say it’s also a great way to reconnect children with plants and nature.  “The kids love it,” Lisa Lain, store owner of Watters Garden Center.   “Watters newest garden pieces offer girl and boy fairies, along with about two-inch tall garden animals having fun on playground equipment. All can sit next to mushroom houses or on logs, a nice option if fairies aren’t your thing.”  With most pieces between $5 and $10, they are easy for anyone to collect.

DSC_1022_524 SMLain said she’s also seeing more parents or grandparents bring children with them while inquiring about the mini-gardens.   And it’s not just fairies and tiny animals, she’s helped locals create gardens featuring Hot Wheels and dinosaurs.  “The boys really get into this type of gardening when they can accessories with their own miniatures.  It’s a really fun way to introduce gardening to kids.”

To get started, Watters garden experts suggest a container around 6 inches deep and anywhere from 9 to 14 inches wide. But they also stress these “little” gardens can be as large and complex as a person’s imagination. Or, if you’re trying to keep it simple, a fairy garden can be done in a terrarium and kept inside a dorm room or atop an office desk.

The only limitation is your imagination to this years hottest garden trend.

Free garden classes are held at Watters Garden Center each Saturday.  The next Miniature garden class will be held January 23rd titled, “Fun Houseplants and Miniature Fairy Gardens”.

Watters Garden Center is located at 1815 W. Iron Springs Road, Prescott, and can be viewed at www.WattersGardenCenter.com or reached via phone at 928-445-4159.