Aug 7, 2012

More about Minis

In my last newsletter, I focused on fairy gardening and the prominence of miniature plants at OFA Short Course. And the feedback I received from that newsletter was tremendous! Growers and retailers are REALLY excited about this trend, much more excited than I thought! That being said, I’d like to continue the discussion on miniature plants…

While at Short Course, I had the chance to tour the Terra Nova Nurseries booth. Dan Heims introduced me to the new heuchera Little Cuties series, which was bred to address the trend and demand for smaller plants with strong characteristics. Featuring seven new heuchera varieties, Little Cuties are the smallest heuchera on the market. Below you can see Little Cuties ‘Sugar Berry’ used in a fairy garden display.

As a whole, the Little Cuties series is drought tolerant, grows well in the Deep South and boasts winter color. Due to their compact size, they work well in small and medium containers, rock gardens, mixed beds, and they yield even and tidy front borders.

The Optimara booth also saw a lot of action at Short Course. The company now offers small 2-inch plants ideal for fairy gardens, terrariums and similar applications. Optimara’s 2-inch lineup includes true miniature violets and Phalaenopsis orchids, as well as small poinsettias, ferns and foliage.

It’s really great to see so many companies on board the fairy gardening trend. I look forward to seeing more new mini introductions over the next year. Keep me posted on how you are addressing the trend. I’d love to hear from you!

—Jasmina