All About Miniature Plants and Gardens Indoors and Out, by Bernice Brilmayer

CARE. Moderately moist loamy soil. Some (J. communis) thrive in dry spots amid rocks. Most are hardy. Many varieties are exceptionally hardy and accept sun or shade, city dust, fumes, and smoke. All like drainage and wide spacing.

Pyramidal, evergreen, coniferous trees native to the cooler parts of the country. They have four-sided leaves that fall easily, leaving cones that usually droop. Although many varieties are tall and majestic, there are some of the most shapely dwarfs in the family. They grow so slowly they are desirable for small landscapes. Among the dwarfs are: clanbrasiliana, gregoryana, maxwelli, nana, nidformis. The latter, with its dark-green needles and flat open top, is also known as the bird’s nest spruce. It is less expensive because it grows very easily from cuttings.

CARE. Hardy, tolerates more wet than firs or pines, and is at home in most soils.

Among the many familiar pines of ornamental interest there are several dwarf forms for limited landscapes. All bear needle-leaves in typical bundles of two, three, or five according to type. Here are some possibilities: P. cembra chlorocarpa, P. mugo (montana) mughus, and a variety of the white pine, P. strobus nana.

CARE. Light, dry, sandy soil. Plant where sheltered; for example, a northern slope. Dry summer winds and unseasonable, warm winter sun will turn the leaves brown. In transplanting trees, remember that the roots do not stand exposure to air. Take the biggest possible chunk of dirt with them. In buying, get stock that is balled in burlap.

Some of the most charming of our truly miniature shrubs, far too infrequently known and grown. Rhododendron species and hybrids may be under a foot tall at maturity and have leaves as small as a little fingernail. The only thing out of proportion is the size of their flowers. Here are some of them: cantabile, chryseum, cinnabarinum, cuneatum, didymum, fastigiatum, ferrugineum, flavidum (primulinum), glaucum (glaucophyllum), hypolepidotum, impeditum, kotschyi, radinum, riparium, russatum, williamsianum.

CARE. Humus-rich soil, sandy and of open texture. Mulch for winter season and water before freezing weather. Withered leaves in the dead of winter mean lack of moisture as well as cold weather.

The five-inch needles of this slow-growing Japanese evergreen spread out from new tip growth like the ribs of a half-open umbrella, giving it an airy distinction. The tree, a squat pyramid, with short branches and a stubby main trunk, is ideal for bonsai cultivation.

CARE. Grows well in most any soil but does better in one that has been enriched. As it is slow-growing, there is slight danger that it will outgrow its dwarf proportions. Transplant only when young and do not expose the roots. Protect from severe winter conditions.

This popular deciduous shrub varies as to size, with most varieties far out of the miniature classification. However, there are some short ones, with S. bullata (crispifolia) an out-and-out midget of twelve to fifteen inches. It has rose-colored flowers in midsummer. S. arguta (compacta) is slightly taller. In May it has garlands of fragrant white flowers. S. bumalda, with deep-pink flowers in early summer, grows to about two and a half feet. Most others are considerably taller.

CARE. Almost any soil is acceptable providing it is not too heavy and has drainage. However, plenty of moisture is essential. Plenty of sun is necessary for good flowering. Pruning also promotes flowers, but do it after the blooms have fallen. Transplanting is easy, even with bare roots. Fertilize occasionally.

PROPAGATION. Seeds (ripe or stratified), cuttings of green or hard wood, layers.

This evergreen shrub is very valuable to those who garden in smaller-scale plots and grounds. There are a number of extremely low and slow-growing varieties available at most nurseries and in several different forms. All have the typical yew masses of glassy, evergreen needle-leaves and satiny red, berry-like fruit. All accept shearing, even need it to preserve their symmetry and small size. It is often difficult to differentiate between the many varieties when they are young, so be sure to check them when buying.

baccata—English yew—A tall tree but available in these small forms: adpressa, a broad, dense bush with half-inch needles in thick masses; repandens, a flattish, low, and spreading form with drooping branches, two to four feet tall.

canadensis—American or Canadian yew—Three to four feet tall and for planting in the shade. Suffers from unusually warm winter sun. Its variety stricta is neat and upright and stays under two feet in height. The green needles are yellow-tinged when it is young.

cuspidata—Japanese yew—This variety is recommended for Northeastern planting. The slow-growing variety densa is plump and rounded and twice as wide as its four-foot mature height. Another variety, nana (brevifolia), is considerably larger, horizontal, and spreading in habit.

cuspidata nana—This species slightly different, has a deeply fissured trunk with red berry fruit and very dark evergreen leaves. It is highly regarded as a miniature and excellent for bonsai work.

stricta (fastigata, hibernica)—An upright column that tops dwarf proportions sooner than most others.

CARE. Slightly acid soil. Fertilize frequently in early spring and early summer. Good drainage. Don’t plant under rain gutters. Top-dress with old manure. Easily transplanted. Shear just before spring growth starts, to control size and shape. Winter sun may burn needles. Comparatively free of disease.

SPECIAL USES. Foundation planting, specimens, hedges, rock and wild gardens, tub planting, bonsai.

This is an aromatic Old World shrublet that is adaptable to many uses in the garden, whether formal or informal. Most varieties are less than a foot in height. It flowers in late summer. Many gardeners raise it for its decorative value and snip off the blooms. It is hardier than boxwood and less costly.

CARE. It grows in almost any soil but requires good drainage and full sun. Prune the top and sides twice a year for formal effect. Give winter protection with evergreen boughs.

Certain species of the “tree of life” are majestic monsters. But there are a number of shrubby varieties of delicate value in small plantings. All have characteristic scale-like leaves arranged along fan-shaped branches, making fluffy sprays. But shapes vary from balls to pyramids. Foliage may be light, or blue-green, or even golden. Smaller forms are:

occidentalis—This species has two small varieties, compacta (slow-growing, dense pyramid) and ellwangeriana (a low round mound-shape).

minima—A very small and a slow-growing ball.

pumila—‘Little Gem’—Dense-leaved and globe-shaped.

pygmaea—A two-foot globe or ball.

CARE. Cool, moist location. Rich soil and leaf mold. Either full sun or half shade. City soot harmful.

SPECIAL USES. Foundation planting, rock gardens, tubs and other containers, specimens.

This graceful evergreen conifer has slender horizontal branches with small leaves and small cones. Not all nurseries have it in its few dwarf forms. Best known of these small varieties are the conical compacta, and the completely prostrate, creeping prostrata.

CARE. Slightly acid soil, organic fertilizer, shade-tolerant, hardy (but protect from cold winds), can be pruned.

An ornamental shrub. Most varieties are deciduous, and are valued for their heavy flower clusters, fragrance, autumnal color, and attractive fruit. Sizes and colors of flowers vary.

carlesi—Korean snowball—Fragrant pink buds that open as white flowers about the same time the foliage appears.

davidi—About three feet tall with handsome crinkled leaves sharply creased at the veins. Small clusters of white flowers in June; blue fruit in the fall.

nanum—A real dwarf popular for low hedges and rock gardens. It is strictly ornamental, with no flowers or fruit.

PROPAGATION. Stratified seeds, cuttings (hardwood or green wood under glass), layers, grafting.