AQUiLA MAGAZINE
GIANTS
MAKE A MINI LIVING GARDEN
POLLY ’ S mISSION
Everything about our Giants issue has been so , um , GIANT ! It ’ s making me feel like making something tiny – how about a miniature garden ?! Using some simple materials and real plants , we ’ re going to scale down a garden into a neat diorama ! What ’ s a diorama ? I ’ m glad you asked . A diorama is a replica of a scene , represented as a 3D model , and often contained in something and displayed behind glass in a museum . We ’ re not going that far , we ’ re going to use a plastic tray and keep it at home – but we are recreating a little scene , and it ’ s going to be great . The only thing to decide is , what will it look like ? We ’ re going to need to plan first , and then let the building commence !
GET STARTED
STEP 1 :
Firstly , you need to design your mini garden . Take a piece of paper and sketch out the shape of the tray you ’ re using . Are you going to recreate your own garden ? Or perhaps one you have visited and admired ? Will your mini garden be more like a model village – complete with tiny buildings built from LEGO or modelling clay ? To embrace the giant theme of the April issue – you could even create a village scene and raid your toy box for a figurine to stand towering over it ! Dinosaurs would work too – the options are endless !
STEP 2 : o o o
o o
o o
ACTIVITY SKILLS
DIFFICULTY
YOU WILL NEED
Paper Pen
1 hour +
Large plastic tray or a wooden crate
Potting compost
Variety of small plants or herbs
Tiny stones or gravel
Ornaments and decorations of your choice
o Gardening gloves ( optional )
Protect your work surface if you ’ re putting this together inside . Find out what conditions your plants require , and prepare your tray accordingly . Does the tray have holes in the bottom ? It might need some for drainage . Take your potting compost and fill your tray , patting it down firmly . If your design includes something like a pond , pool , or sandpit – prepare a container for this and fill it . Then position it into the tray , allowing your mini living garden to flourish around it .
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 PAGE 1 OF 2