A Garden of Thanks

Well, it happened. The last bright red leaf finally loosened itself from its up-high perch where it dangled, resolute, for so many weeks. The wind carried it away on an afternoon breeze, and now a single bare tree sits in my front yard, empty of leaves. I am sure it will soon be covered with fluffy snow and then, eventually, with spring buds. Fall is such a bittersweet time. This year, I would like to lean into the “sweet” side, rather than the “bitter,” so I have decided to focus on gratitude. As I look out my window at that tree and its empty branches, I am thinking about all of the wonderful gifts my miniature garden gave me this year.

1) Fairies and Friends

One of my favorite parts of the miniature garden is the opportunity to invite fairies and friends into the green space—and to introduce them to my loved ones, especially my niece and nephew. From gnomes and pixies to unicorns and dragons, there are so many unique wee folk and mythical creatures to add to the garden. It brings me so much joy to design my miniature gardens with an eye for what the teeny-tiny residents would like.

2) Plants for Fall and Winter

Thank goodness for miniature plants! My winter plants are truly what get me through the coldest months of the year. After my delicate flowers have faded away and my trees have lost their leaves, the hardy violas, snowdrops, and other winter plants give me hope and remind me that there is always joy to be found, even on the coldest and iciest days of the year.   

Inside the house, my winter container gardens add color and life to my desk, dining table, sideboard, and dresser. They perch on the porch and sit on the windowsills. Some even get wrapped up and given to friends and family members during the holidays. And that leads to the third item I am grateful for this year…

3) The Miniature Gardening Community

If you are reading this blog, you are a member of the miniature gardening family. This year, I am so grateful for you! Whether you are sharing your own ideas and photos online, swapping gardening tips and tricks, picking up plants for fall and winter at your local greenhouse, or simply sharing your garden with your closest neighbors and local community, you keep the love of miniature gardening alive.

For many, gardening is a solo hobby. But when it can be shared with friends, the joy multiplies, allowing even more people to reap the benefits of fairy gardening and miniature gardening. This year, I will be sending some carefully-selected miniature gardening gifts to my loved ones. A desktop Bonsai tree or an easy-to-care-for air plant might be just the thing that gets them interested in gardening. I cannot wait to see how the larger miniature gardening community continues to grow and change.

4) Fairy Cottages

Of course, I have to give a shoutout to one of my favorite features in the miniature garden. Fairy houses! These little dwellings, with all of their incredible details, immediately spark my imagination and renew my sense of wonder. I am so grateful for fairy cottages that allow me to mix play into the real work of gardening. Just as I am coaxing my winter plants into sustained health, I am imagining new adventures for the fairy friends who populate the garden. That way, whenever I look at the bare branches of the trees in my yard, I know the magic is not lost. I just have to look a little closer, and think a little smaller, to find it.

Happy Thanksgiving—and Happy Gardening!